Patents Issued in April 5, 2016
  • Patent number: 9302482
    Abstract: An inkjet printing device allows separation of ink solvent liquefied in an exhaust passage from exhaust gas, and prevents the separated exhaust gas from contaminating the inside of the print head. When ink fed from a container is jetted from a printing nozzle, ink that has not been used for the printing is drawn by a gutter along with air and collected in the container. Air mixed with the ink solvent and collected is discharged as exhaust gas into an exhaust passage from the container. The ink solvent that has been liquefied in the exhaust passage is separated from the gas by retaining the liquid using capillary action in a gas-liquid separator, and the separated liquefied ink solvent is collected. The trace amount of the ink solvent leaking on the exhaust side of the gas-liquid separator is prevented from dripping into the print head by a drip prevention unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Okano, Tomohiro Inoue, Takahiro Arima, Mitsuo Igari
  • Patent number: 9302483
    Abstract: A controller of an inkjet recording apparatus executes, after receiving a recording instruction, first flushing by controlling a recording head to idly eject ink toward a cap from which the ink is discharged by a pump to a detachable waste ink tank. After executing the first flushing, the controller executes image recording by controlling a conveying unit and a recording head to repeat a unit action in which the recording head ejects ink onto a recording medium conveyed by a predetermined line feed length in a conveying direction. After detecting arrival of a flushing timing during the image recording both when a threshold time elapses and when one of repeated unit actions is completed, the controller executes second flushing by controlling the recording head to idly eject ink toward a fixed ink receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shunsuke Mizutani
  • Patent number: 9302484
    Abstract: An inkjet printing device including a head unit that includes an inkjet head, a fixed tank for storing ink to be supplied to the inkjet head, and a tank attachment section to which ink tank for storing ink to be replenished to the fixed tank is exchangeably attached. When ink tanks are exchanged, an ink tank attached to the tank attachment section of head unit is removed by an arm section of the tank exchange mechanism, and an ink tank to be used for exchange removed from tank storage unit is attached to the tank attachment section of the head unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Suzuki, Masatoshi Fujita, Kazuhiro Sugiyama, Akihiro Kawajiri, Kenji Tsukada, Yoshitaka Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9302485
    Abstract: An ink outlet is arranged to interconnect with a corresponding ink inlet device. A vent hole is formed next to the ink outlet. A vent hole barrier is arranged to be pushed open by the ink inlet device during interconnection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Segi Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 9302486
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink cartridge for an inkjet printer, which comprises: an ink reservoir for storing ink, an ink outlet for supplying ink to the printer, and an installation detection component which is coordinated with the printer to detect whether the ink cartridge is successfully installed. The installation detection component includes a controller, a connecting circuit and a light-emitting portion connected with the controller through the connecting circuit. The controller is configured to control the light-emitting portion to emit light which will be received by sensors of the printer to determine whether the installation is successful, and controls the light-emitting portion automatically. The ink cartridge for the inkjet printer provided by the present invention solves the technical problem that the installation of the traditional ink cartridge must undergo strict actual inspection of a printer installation program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ZHUHAI NINESTAR MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Bing Nie
  • Patent number: 9302487
    Abstract: There is provided an ink jet device capable of adjusting supply pressure of liquid to a recording head in which a fluctuation in the supply pressure of liquid caused by liquid consumption on a recording head is repressed in a simple constitution. The ink jet device includes a main tank 2, a sub tank 6 for receiving liquid from the main tank 2 and storing the liquid, and a supply unit for supplying the liquid stored in the sub tank 6 to the recording head 11, the supply unit adjusts a height of the sub tank, and the sub tank 6 has a ventilation opening 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 9302488
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a tank for storing a liquid; a liquid ejecting head including an inner passage having an inlet, an outlet and individual liquid channels; a supply passage connecting the tank and inlet; a return passage connecting the tank and outlet; a supply device to forcibly supply the liquid in the tank to the inner passage; a restrictor valve to restrict a liquid amount flowing through the return passage; and a controller to drive the supply device while placing the restrictor valve in an open state, where the liquid in the tank returns back thereto via the supply passage, the inner passage, and the return passage, in order, and to drive the supply device to keep circulation and control the restrictor valve to restrict, during the circulation, the amount of the liquid that flows through the return passage, for discharging the liquid from the ejection opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9302489
    Abstract: A liquid discharge recording apparatus includes: a liquid; a liquid discharge head configured to discharge the liquid; an absorber configured to absorb the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head; and unsaturated fatty acid of which specific gravity is smaller than that of the liquid and which is contained in the absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichiro Sugimoto, Noriaki Satoh, Ayako Ohishi, Akihiko Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9302490
    Abstract: White-balance is improved when printing on colored media, while minimizing the time and use of costly materials required by present approaches. In an embodiment, the typical solid white fill or background layer is altered by including in the white layer one or more of the other colors already available in the printer to shade this layer. Thus, a small amount of cyan, for example, helps balance a pink-ish (red) media; yellow is used for blue media; and magenta is used for green media; as well as combinations thereof. A combination of transparent process inks and opaque white helps to maintain brightness (luminosity).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Peter Heath, Joseph A. Lahut, Dwight Cram, Bryan Ko
  • Patent number: 9302491
    Abstract: According to one example of the present invention there is provided apparatus for generating control data to control an ink jet printer to print a double-sided image on a single side of a substantially transparent substrate. The apparatus comprises a processor for receiving image data of a first and a second image, a printhead control data generator to generate, from the first image, first image printhead control data, and to generate, from the second image, second image printhead control data, and a covering layer printhead control data generator to generate covering layer printhead control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing, Ltd
    Inventor: Alex Davidson
  • Patent number: 9302492
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first conveying path to form a conveying path from the sheet supply portion toward the ejector, a reader arranged on the first conveying path to read an image on a surface of the sheet, an erasure to erase the image on the sheet formed with image erasable material, a switching portion arranged on the first conveying path at a downstream side of the reader in a sheet conveying direction to switch the sheet conveying direction to a direction of the ejector or a direction of the erasure, and a second conveying path having the erasure which, at a position where the switching portion is arranged, branches from the first conveying path at the downstream side of the reader and merges with the first conveying path at a meeting point between the sheet supply portion and the reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Hidetoshi Yokochi, Isao Yahata, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Kikuo Mizutani, Hiroyuki Taki, Hiroyuki Tsuchihashi, Chiaki Iizuka
  • Patent number: 9302493
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first conveying path to form a conveying path from the sheet supply portion toward the ejector, a reader arranged on the first conveying path to read an image on a surface of the sheet, an erasure to erase the image on the sheet formed with image erasable material, a switching portion arranged on the first conveying path at a downstream side of the reader in a sheet conveying direction to switch the sheet conveying direction to a direction of the ejector or a direction of the erasure, and a second conveying path having the erasure which, at a position where the switching portion is arranged, branches from the first conveying path at the downstream side of the reader and merges with the first conveying path at a meeting point between the sheet supply portion and the reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Hidetoshi Yokochi, Isao Yahata, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Kikuo Mizutani, Hiroyuki Taki, Hiroyuki Tsuchihashi, Chiaki Iizuka
  • Patent number: 9302494
    Abstract: An erasing apparatus of an embodiment includes a reading unit, a printing unit, a transport unit, and a control unit. The reading unit reads an image formed on a sheet. The printing unit includes a plurality of nozzles that output colorants, and prints any one of a mark that is defined in advance or a code image of a machine-readable format on the sheet. The transport unit transports the sheet in order of the reading unit and the printing unit. The control unit detects an amount of deviation of the sheet generated on a transport path based on the image on the sheet which is read by the reading unit, selects which nozzle in the printing unit to output the colorant based on the amount of deviation, and controls the printing unit so as to perform printing from the selected nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9302495
    Abstract: A thermal head has a support substrate, an upper substrate arranged on the support substrate on one surface side thereof in a laminated state, and an intermediate layer arranged between the upper substrate and the support substrate to bond the upper substrate and the support substrate to each other. The intermediate layer has one of a through hole and a concave portion forming a cavity portion between the upper substrate and the support substrate. A heat generating resistor is formed on a surface of the upper substrate on a side opposite to the support substrate at a position opposed to the cavity portion. The intermediate layer is formed of a glass paste having a melting point lower than a firing temperature of the support substrate and higher than a melting temperature of the upper substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Norimitsu Sanbongi, Keitaro Koroishi, Toshimitsu Morooka
  • Patent number: 9302496
    Abstract: A thermal print system includes a case, a thermal print device, an information storage device, an information transmission device and a control device. The thermal print device is detachably installed inside the case and is for performing thermal printing. The information storage device is installed inside the case and is for storing parameter information of the thermal print device. The information transmission device is installed inside the case and is for fetching the parameter information stored in the information storage device. The control device is installed inside the case and is electrically connected to the information transmission device. The control device controls the thermal print device to perform the corresponding thermal printing according to the parameter information transmitted from the information transmission device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: HiTi Digital, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsung-Yueh Chen, Shiu-Sheng Hsu
  • Patent number: 9302497
    Abstract: An optical writing device is configured to form electrostatic latent images on a plurality of photosensitive elements by a plurality of light sources. The optical writing device includes: an image-data acquiring section that acquires image data; and a light-source control section that performs light-emission control on the light source based on pixel data generated from acquired image data, and also performs a neutralization process on the photosensitive element by controlling the light source to expose the photosensitive element to light. In the neutralization process, the light-source control section divides a period during which light-on/off control can be performed on the light source, into sub-periods based on pixel data input to the light-source control section, and causes the light sources to be lit in any one of the sub-periods so as to always place at least one of the plurality of light sources in a light-off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Masayuki Hayashi, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Kunihiro Komai, Hiroaki Ikeda, Takeshi Shikama, Akinori Yamaguchi, Takuhei Yokoyama, Motohiro Kawanabe, Tatsuya Miyadera
  • Patent number: 9302498
    Abstract: In accordance with various embodiments, there are printing apparatuses and methods of enhancing an image quality on a media. The method of enhancing an image quality on a media can include providing an ink-based halftone image on a media, wherein the halftone image can include an amount of noise. The method can also include depositing a transparent overcoat layer at least over the halftone image, wherein the transparent overcoat layer can include a major amount of cross-linkable resin and a minor amount of a photoinitiator. The method can further include embossing the transparent overcoat layer to form an embossed micro-structured overcoat layer and curing the embossed micro-structured overcoat layer to form the micro-structured overcoat layer, such that the micro-structured overcoat layer reduces the amount of noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dale R. Mashtare, Eluid Robles-Flores, Paul Bonino, Matthew Fabrizio
  • Patent number: 9302499
    Abstract: A nail print apparatus, including: a print head which performs printing on a nail of a finger or a nail of a toe; an unprinted region detecting unit which detects an unprinted region on which a nail design is not printed in the nail having a printed region on which the nail design is printed, the unprinted region being generated by growth of the nail after the nail design is printed; and a printing control unit which controls the print head to perform printing on the unprinted region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Shuichi Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 9302500
    Abstract: Sealed cards and methods for producing the same are described. An example apparatus includes a first layer including a first side and a second side. The apparatus also includes a second layer an inner portion and an outer portion. The second side of the first layer is coupled to the inner portion of the second layer, the first side covers the inner portion of the second layer, and the first side is to be coupled to a surface to conceal the second layer by the first layer until removal thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company
    Inventors: James Harrison Pagones, Martin E. Lemens
  • Patent number: 9302501
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a transportation unit that transports a recording medium having flexibility; a head unit that has a liquid droplet ejection head which ejects an ink onto the recording medium transported by operation of the transportation unit, and a carriage which supports the liquid droplet ejection head; a movement unit that moves the head unit in a direction orthogonal to a transportation direction of the recording medium with respect to the recording medium; and a warpage straightening member that straightens a warpage to disappear when the warpage in a degree to interfere with the head unit which is moved by operation of the movement unit, occurs in the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichiro Nakano, Eiji Kumai, Tsuneyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9302502
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a recording head capable of performing recording by discharging an aqueous ink to a target recording medium, a drying portion which dries the aqueous ink recorded on the target recording medium by the recording head, a collecting portion which collects vapor at least containing water evaporated from the aqueous ink by the drying portion, a heating and compressing portion of heating and compressing the vapor collected by the collecting portion, and an ejecting portion of ejecting the vapor heated and compressed by the heating and compressing portion to the target recording medium on which recording is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9302503
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head which discharges ink onto a recording medium; a heater which dries the ink discharged on the recording medium by the recording head without making contact with the recording medium; and a transport belt which supports the recording medium in a transportable manner in a position in which it is at least possible to dry a portion of the recording medium on which the ink is discharged using the heater. The transport belt includes a plurality of protruding portions, which can make contact with the recording medium, and a contact area between a contact portion of the protruding portion in relation to the recording medium, and the recording medium is 0.3 mm2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneyuki Sasaki, Eiji Kumai, Yasuo Naramatsu, Masahiro Akamine
  • Patent number: 9302504
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a head that is capable of ejecting liquid on a medium; a heater that dries the liquid ejected on the medium; a medium support section that is provided with a first opening section through which vapor which is evaporated from the liquid ejected on the medium passes; a first member that is provided with a second opening section through which the vapor passing through the first opening section passes and allows at least some of the vapor to be condensed; and a second member that allows the vapor passing through the second opening section to be condensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9302505
    Abstract: A method for media jam clearing includes detecting a media jam with sensor in the printer, in which the media jam comprises a sheet of media stuck in a media path of the printer. The method further includes monitoring for user action that alters the mechanically alters the state of the printer and detecting a user action that mechanically alters the state of the printer. In response to detection of the user action, the printer automatically attempts to clear the media jam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Alexander Toia, Luke P. Sosnowski, Michael James Rode, Richard Scott Smith
  • Patent number: 9302506
    Abstract: A method for printing on an article having a non-planar surface in an embodiment includes obtaining coordinates or a geometry for a non-planar surface of an article; determining a tangent orientation for a print head in three dimensions; and using the tangent orientation and positioning the print head relative to the non-planar surface of the article. Embodiments of apparatus for printing on articles having non-planar surfaces are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Plastipak Packaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald L. Uptergrove, Manish K. Senta
  • Patent number: 9302507
    Abstract: A method of transporting a print medium in a printer. The includes suctioning the print medium onto an upper surface of a plurality of moving belts. The print medium experiences greater suction at an upstream side of the belts relative to a downstream side of the belts, the upstream and downstream sides being defined relative to a media feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Memjet Technology Limited
    Inventors: William Stone Cressman, Kenneth Andrew Regas, Jonathan Day Lucas, David Collins Burney, Patrick Kirk, Steve Inderieden, Neil Doherty, Lai Say Poh, Joo Beng Koh, Gilbert Magsakay
  • Patent number: 9302508
    Abstract: A print apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a print medium over a plurality of convexities that are arranged along a direction of scanning and the control unit. When one end position of the print medium has been detected by a detection unit, in a case where the one end position is a position that overlaps with position of the convexities stored in a storage unit, the control unit is configured to control a detection of the other end position of the print medium and determine the one end position on the basis of the other end position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takafumi Ogimura
  • Patent number: 9302509
    Abstract: A device for processing media may include a front panel, a rear panel, a side panel, a support surface, and an access door assembly. The access door assembly may be pivotally coupled to the support surface and may include a major door pivotally coupled to a minor door. The minor door may be movable from an operational position to a minor support position and the major door may be movable from the operational position to a major support position in which the major door is positioned against and supported by the support surface. The side panel may define an imaginary plane that extends upward beyond the support surface and the access door assembly may be sized to be supported on the support surface without crossing the imaginary plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ZIH CORP.
    Inventors: Timothy T. Anderson, Mark B. Urban, Robert P. Gotschewski
  • Patent number: 9302510
    Abstract: A medium loading device includes a support unit having shaft members mounted on both end portions of a roll paper and flange member and a loading portion where the roll paper with the support unit is loaded. The loading portion includes a rotary driving portion as a driving source to rotate the roll paper, a rotation shaft to transmit torque of the rotary driving portion to the roll paper via the shaft member, and an operation portion that moves the rotation shaft between a transmission position to transmit the torque to the roll paper and a non-transmission position not to transmit the torque to the roll paper. In an axial direction of the roll paper when the roll paper is loaded into the loading portion, the operation portion is disposed between the position where the shaft member is located when the roll paper is loaded and the rotary driving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shoji Akatsu, Akira Mashima, Tomoya Murotani, Yoshitaka Shimada
  • Patent number: 9302511
    Abstract: A sheet cutting apparatus includes a cutting unit configured to cut a sheet, a discharge unit configured to discharge a fragment of the sheet cut by the cutting unit, a blowing unit configured to blow air on the fragment discharged from the discharge unit, and a storage unit configured to store the fragment discharged from the discharge unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito Yoshida, Hikaru Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9302512
    Abstract: There is provided an inkjet printer including an inkjet head, a conveyance section, and a controller. The ink jet head includes a plurality of nozzle groups. Between the plurality of nozzle groups, the nozzles forming the nozzle groups are positioned in conformity with each other, respectively, in a second direction. The controller causes the conveyance section to convey the recording medium between a first pass and a second pass such that the respective nozzle groups have partly overlapped scanning areas, and causes the ink jet head to print separately between the first pass and the second pass in the second direction. The controller sets usable bordering positions in the overlapping range with respect to the passes. The controller sets the usable bordering positions based on one of such conditions as a duty of printing on the recording medium and a type of the nozzle groups to be used in printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazunari Matsuura
  • Patent number: 9302513
    Abstract: Gas bearing systems, print gap control systems, and methods of print gap control are provided. The gas bearing systems can accommodate one or more print module packages. The systems and methods can be used for inkjet and/or thermal printing applications such as manufacturing organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). Gas bearing systems can employ one or more of pressurized gas and vacuum. For oxygen-sensitive applications, an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, can be employed as the pressurized gas. Fluid channels and apertures of the gas bearing systems can be varied in terms of size and relative position to one another. Fluid channels and apertures can be grouped and paired with one or more manifolds and ultimately a pressurized gas and/or vacuum source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert B. Lowrance, Michael Miller, Sass Somekh, Conor Madigan, Eliyahu Vronsky, Manoocher Birang
  • Patent number: 9302514
    Abstract: A printhead assembly, a printhead alignment tool usable with a printhead assembly, and a method of aligning a misaligned printhead are disclosed. The printhead assembly includes a printhead disposed on a printbar beam member. A position of the printhead may be adjusted relative to a printbar beam member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing Ltd
    Inventors: Adam Goren, Chen Turkenitz
  • Patent number: 9302515
    Abstract: A printer includes a print head configured to print on recording paper, and a printer main body having a case in which the recording paper is set. The case includes a upper case part and a lower case part, and a size of the case is changeable by changing positions at which the upper case part and the lower case part are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU COMPONENT LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Iwao, Masaki Noguchi, Tetsuhiro Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9302516
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes a casing, a tank formed with a liquid storage chamber which stores liquid, an inlet which allows the liquid to be poured into the liquid storage chamber, and a liquid outflow channel which allows the liquid to flow out from the liquid storage chamber, a conveying mechanism which conveys a recording medium along a conveying path extending in a front-rear direction, a carriage which moves in a left-right direction, and a head mounted on the carriage and having a nozzle which jets the liquid onto the recording medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism. The tank, the conveying path, and the carriage are arranged inside the casing, the tank is arranged outside the conveying path in the left-right direction, and at least a part of the tank is arranged inside both ends of a movement area of the carriage in the left-right direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Tomohisa Higuchi, Akira Shinoda, Akinori Igarashi, Suguru Tomoguchi, Hisaki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 9302517
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording portion, a transport mechanism, and a liquid holding portion. The recording portion has a recording head in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink are formed. The transport mechanism is arranged to face the recording portion and transports a paper sheet along the recording portion. The liquid holding portion is provided on an upstream side of the recording portion in a transport direction of the paper sheet, and holds liquid in a state where liquid surface of the liquid faces the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9302518
    Abstract: An apparatus detects inoperative inkjets during printing of three-dimensional objects. The apparatus includes a reversible thermal substrate that changes optical density in areas where material drops are ejected onto the substrate. An optical sensor generates image data of the substrate after material drops are ejected onto the substrate and these image data are analyzed to identify inoperative inkjets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Victoria L. Warner, James L. Giacobbi, Matthew R. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 9302519
    Abstract: A printer detects malfunctioning ejectors during printing of three-dimensional objects or two-dimensional printed matter. The printer operates the printhead or printheads in the printer to form convex drops of material on a substrate. A camera is positioned to minimize light reflections from the substrate into the camera. The camera is configured to generate image data of the light reflected from the substrate and specularly from the convex drops on the substrate. A controller analyzes the image data to identify malfunctioning inkjets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond J. Clark, Frank B. Tamarez Gomez, Timothy P. Foley, Paul S. Bonino
  • Patent number: 9302520
    Abstract: A stamp face forming device, including: a stamp face forming unit that forms a stamp face on a stamp material while pressing the stamp material held on a stamp material holder; a conveying unit that causes the stamp material holder to move relative to the stamp face forming unit; and a support unit that supports the stamp material holder in order to prevent tilting of the stamp material holder with respect to a conveyance path for the stamp material holder of the stamp face forming unit, at least when the stamp face is being formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kouji Oshima
  • Patent number: 9302521
    Abstract: An adjustable stencil for painting parking lots. The adjustable stencil enables parking lot painters adjust the stencil for painting lines, stripes, boxes, and arrows on parking lots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Simple Stripe Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: Travis Bennett
  • Patent number: 9302522
    Abstract: A process for making patterned cigarette wrapper includes the steps of: preparing a printing solution including the steps of: mixing at least water and a starch to form a starch mixture, heating the starch mixture to a temperature of at least about 180° F. preferably for at least about 30 minutes to release amylopectin and amylose, adding propylene glycol to the starch mixture, and mixing the starch mixture and propylene glycol to form a printing solution, wherein the solution is maintained and applied at elevated temperature (120° F. to 150° F.). The process also includes providing a base web of wrapper and applying the printing solution to the wrapper in a predetermined pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
    Inventors: Timothy S. Sherwood, Robert N. Smith, Marc W. Rose
  • Patent number: 9302523
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of nanocompounds as non deactivable security markers comprising a charge-transfer complex of at least two different size metal atomic quantum clusters (AQCs). These nanocompounds are luminescent, particularly fluorescent after external excitation. The invention also relates to security documents, articles or elements incorporating these markers as well as to a method and a system for detecting the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: FABRICA NACIONAL DE MONEDA Y TIMBRE—REAL CASA DE LA MONEDA, NANOGAP SUB-NM POWDER, SOCIEDAD ANONIMA
    Inventors: Manuel Arturo Lopez Quintela, Vicente Garcia Juez
  • Patent number: 9302524
    Abstract: A disclosed marking control device controls a marking device to mark a target image on a thermoreversible recording medium by applying a laser beam includes a marking position determination unit dividing the image into plural marking lines, and determining their marking positions; a marking order determination unit determining a marking order to mark the marking lines in mutually opposite directions; an adjusting unit adjusting a distance between a first ending point and a second starting point to be longer than a distance between a first starting point and a second ending point, or adjusting laser power applied to a second starting point side of the second marking line to be lower than the laser power applied to a second ending point side of the second marking line; and a marking instruction generator unit generating marking instructions including the marking positions of the marking lines and the marking order thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutaka Yamamoto, Tomomi Ishimi, Shinya Kawahara, Toshiaki Asai, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Patent number: 9302525
    Abstract: A recording medium including a first resin layer, a porous undercoating layer and a first ink-receiving layer provided in this order on one surface of a base and including a second resin layer and a second ink-receiving layer provided in this order on the other surface of the base, wherein 60° specular glossinesses of a surface of the first resin layer closer to the first ink-receiving layer and a surface of the second resin layer closer to the second ink-receiving layer are each 65% or more, and the porous undercoating layer has a thickness of 3 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isamu Oguri, Yasuhiro Nito, Kazuhiko Araki
  • Patent number: 9302526
    Abstract: An image erasing apparatus includes a reading unit configured to read identifiers printed on each of first and second surfaces of a sheet, an erasing unit, a sheet storage unit, a conveying unit configured turn over the sheet while conveying the sheet, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine a first number of times the first surface of the sheet has been subjected to an erasing process and a second number of times the second surface of the sheet has been subjected to the erasing process, based on the identifiers read by the reading unit, control the conveying unit to turn over the sheet when the first number of times is smaller than the second number of times, and control the conveying unit to convey the sheet without turning over the sheet when the first number of times is greater than the second number of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisashi Saino
  • Patent number: 9302527
    Abstract: A reversible notebook combines the features of accordion-folded pages and unique string binding. The accordion-folded pages allow for the continuous presentation of text or images with no area lost to bound margins. This is ideal for small presentations such as a portfolio of business cards. As another advantage, the notebook has uniform thickness rather than being thicker at one spine than the other. The string binding allows the notebook to be opened at either spine while the other spine remains secured closed. In conjunction with the accordion fold, this allows for presentation of two different sequences of content. The notebook may be large enough to use as a journal or album. For larger implementations, magnets or locks may be used to further secure one or both spines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Inventor: Ashley Anna Lowery
  • Patent number: 9302528
    Abstract: An interactive electronic greeting card with pop-up feature includes a pocket or cavity which houses various electronic and mechanical components and a pop-up element. In a first position, the pop-up element is substantially contained within the greeting card pocket or cavity. When the push button is depressed, the pop-up element is ejected or “pops up” out of the greeting card pocket or cavity, revealing a greeting or other printed indicia, a mobile object or a gift card attached thereto. The push button also initiates playback of a pre-loaded digital audio file, which may be a spoken message, a sound, a song, music or other such audio recording.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
    Inventors: Lynne Shlonsky, Sean Higgins, Toby Seadler, Sarah Eklund
  • Patent number: 9302529
    Abstract: A mechanical pencil having a rotational drive mechanism which gradually rotates a writing lead on application of writing pressure and allowing rotational operation of the writing lead to be known reliably. First and second cam faces 6a and 6b are respectively formed at one end face and the other end face of a rotor 6 in an axial direction, and first and second fixed cam faces 13a and 14a arranged on the body cylinder side so as to respectively face the first and the second cam faces are provided to form the rotational drive mechanism for the writing lead. A plurality of grooves 8a in the axial direction are formed at a slider 8 of a pipe end 7 which projects forwardly from a body cylinder 1. Therefore, the user can see the grooves 8a (provided for the slider 8) rotated by rotation of the rotor 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI PENCIL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotake Izawa, Takeshi Kobayashi, Kyo Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9302530
    Abstract: A writing implement (1) wherein the outer circumferential surface of a crown outer cylindrical section (21) fits into the inner circumferential surface of a case (11) and the inner circumferential surface of a crown inner cylindrical section (22) fits into the outer circumferential surface of an attachment body (12). In addition, an annular space (27) is formed in the crown (5), between the inner circumferential surface of the crown outer cylindrical section (21) and the outer circumferential surface of the crown inner cylindrical section (22). Air will flow through the annular space (27) even if, for example, the cap (2) becomes stuck in the bronchial tubes of an infant as a result of being accidentally swallowed by the infant. Suffocation accidents can, therefore, be reliably prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Pencil Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takeo Fukumoto, Syuuhei Hoshino
  • Patent number: 9302531
    Abstract: A canvas stretcher frame and method for fabricating same is provided comprised of four perimeter members and four corner members. Each of the perimeter members demonstrates continuous and uniform corner tine receiving channels, mounting material receiving channels and a cross bar mounting channel running the entire length of the perimeter member. The corner members are formed of two corner sections and can be opened, via a key to increase frame perimeter. Due to the continuous and uniform shape and configuration of the perimeter members and the affixation means formed therein, the perimeter members may be cut to form a frame of any desired perimeter dimension without need for further mortizing or machining of the cut member prior to assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Inventor: Marvin Siegel