Patents Issued in October 4, 2016
  • Patent number: 9457570
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a plurality of recording element substrates that each include an energy generating element generating energy utilized for ejecting a liquid and that each have a supply port through which the liquid is supplied to the energy generating element, a plurality of support members that each have a flow passage communicating with a corresponding one of the supply ports and that each support a corresponding one of the plurality of recording element substrates, a base substrate that supports the plurality of support members, and a heat insulating member disposed between the flow passages and the base substrate. In the liquid ejection head, a thermal conductivity of the support members is equal to or greater than a thermal conductivity of the recording element substrates, and a thermal conductivity of the heat insulating member is less than a thermal conductivity of the base substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 9457571
    Abstract: Examples of fluid ejection apparatuses and methods for making fluid ejection apparatuses are described. An example method may include forming a fluid feed slot in a bulk layer of a substrate, forming a plurality of ink feed channels in at least an epitaxial layer of the substrate, each of the ink feed channels fluidically coupled to the fluid feed slot, and forming a plurality of drop generators over the substrate such that the epitaxial layer of the substrate is between the plurality of drop generators and the bulk layer and such that the each of the drop generators is fluidically coupled to the fluid feed slot by at least one of the ink feed channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Ning Ge, Chaw Sing Ho, Adam L. Ghozeil, Michael W. Cumbie
  • Patent number: 9457572
    Abstract: An inkjet head and a production method wherein the inkjet head is produced by forming a film on a head chip having a channel member with an ink channel formed thereon and joining an end surface of the head chip coated with the film to a nozzle plate. The method includes a step of applying an adhesive containing spherical particles, whose volume average particle diameter is in the range of 0.95*Rz (MV) to 2.0*Rz (MV), in the range of 0.1 volume % to 10.0 volume % to at least one of the end surface of the head chip and a joint surface of the nozzle plate and then joining the nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Akihisa Yamada, Tadashi Hirano
  • Patent number: 9457573
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head includes forming a hole in an SOI substrate including a first silicon layer, a second silicon layer, and a silicon oxide layer interposed between the first and second silicon layers such that the hole extends through the first silicon layer and the silicon oxide layer to the second silicon layer, forming a first protective film on the first silicon layer and an inner wall of the hole, forming a water-repellent film on the first protective film, attaching a support substrate to part of the water-repellent film facing away from the first silicon layer, removing the second silicon layer to remove a bottom of the hole, removing part of the water-repellent film disposed on the inner wall of the hole, and releasing the support substrate from the water-repellent film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuto Kodera, Toshio Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9457574
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating a printhead having integrated inkjet nozzles are disclosed. The methods include injection molding the printhead having a plurality of manifold features and embossing jet features extending between the manifold features and an outer surface of the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: John S. Paschkewitz
  • Patent number: 9457575
    Abstract: There is provided a cap device including a cap unit which is tillable in a plane direction of fee jetting surface and which comes into close contact with the jetting surface of the liquid jetting head; a flexible discharge tube of which one end is connected to the cap unit, which communicates with an inner space defined by the cap unit and the jetting surface wider a condition that the cap unh comes into close contact with the jetting surface, and through which a liquid in the inner space is discharged; and a fixing mechanism which fixes a portion, of the discharge tube, other than the one end to the cap unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ayumu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9457576
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a first printing head that performs a first printing operation by discharging ink onto the printing medium, a second printing head positioned downstream from the first printing head in a transport direction and performing a second printing operation by discharging ink onto the printing medium, and a preliminary discharge controller that causes the second printing head to perform a preliminary discharging operation that does not contribute to the second printing operation, wherein the preliminary discharge controller causes an ink discharge amount of the preliminary discharging operation of the second printing head to be smaller when an ink discharge amount of the first printing operation is greater than or equal to a predetermined value than when the ink discharge amount of the first printing operation is less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobutaka Ukeji, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Shinichi Yukiura, Takuya Hamada
  • Patent number: 9457577
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide an inkjet recording device that can clean a blade of a wiper to which ink had adhered, whereby nozzle clogging in an inkjet head and ink color mixing are prevented to enable recording with high image quality. As a solution, an inkjet recording device (1) according to the present invention includes a wiping unit (30) that wipes off ink by sliding a blade (34) on a nozzle surface (24) of an inkjet head (20); and a cleaning unit (40) that performs cleaning by pouring cleaning liquid on the blade (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shunsuke Akuta
  • Patent number: 9457578
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head having an ink discharge surface, a wiper blade that cleans the ink discharge surface of the recording head, and a controller. The controller causes the wiper blade to wipe ink off the ink discharge surface by causing the wiper blade to be pushed against the ink discharge surface and move. The wiper blade includes an ink carrying surface and a protrusion having an ink retaining surface. The ink retaining surface inclines at a predetermined angle relative to the ink carrying surface and is connected to the ink carrying surface. The ink retaining surface curves such that a distance from the ink retaining surface toward a tip end of the wiper blade increases from a central part toward opposite ends of the wiper blade in a width direction of the wiper blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Noriaki Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9457579
    Abstract: A method for use in fluid jetting, the method includes recirculating a fluid between a first container and a second container through a flow path in a printhead, the flow path includes a nozzle through which jets fluid from either the first container or second container which supplies the fluid for jetting. A ratio of a recirculation fluid flow rate to an amount of fluid jetted through the nozzle depends on an operational parameter of the printhead, and the recirculation fluid flow rate includes an amount of the recirculation fluid passing by a cross-section of the flow path per second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
    Inventor: Andreas Bibl
  • Patent number: 9457580
    Abstract: A print device includes a mount portion, a lead-out needle, a head, liquid passages, a branch portion, and first resistance portions. The lead-out needle is provided on the mount portion and connected to a storage portion such that the liquid can be led out from the storage portion when the storage portion is mounted on the mount portion. The head has ejection areas capable of ejecting the liquid. Each of the liquid passages is connected to a corresponding one of the ejection areas and feeds the liquid from the storage portion. The branch portion causes the liquid led out from the lead-out needle to branch into each of the liquid passages. Each of the first resistance portions located between the branch portion and the head is provided corresponding to one of the liquid passages and generates a larger flow resistance than the lead-out needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshinori Kato
  • Patent number: 9457581
    Abstract: There is provided a tank including: a wall defining a liquid storage chamber, the wall including: an upper wall defining an upper end of the liquid storage chamber, a lower wall defining a lower end of the liquid storage chamber, and an erected wall between the upper wall and the lower wall and through which the liquid inside the liquid storage chamber is visible from outside of the tank; an inlet penetrating through the upper wall or the erected wall; and an outlet, wherein the lower wall includes an upper stage wall making contact with the erected wall; a lower stage wall located at a position separated and away from the erected wall and below the upper stage wall; and a connecting wall connecting the upper and lower stage walls; and the outlet is disposed below the upper stage wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinori Igarashi
  • Patent number: 9457583
    Abstract: A liquid storage container includes the first electrode, the second electrode which penetrate from an outside to an inside of a storage portion and extend in a direction intersecting a vertical direction, and a support portion which is provided in the storage portion and supports the first electrode. In the vertical direction, a height of the second electrode is equal to a height of the first electrode or is lower than the height of the first electrode. The support portion includes a support wall which supports the first electrode and a side wall intersects the support wall and is wide from the support wall in the vertically downward direction. The support wall is capable of being protruded to the second electrode side further than a meniscus formed in the ink between the first electrode and the support wall in the second electrode of the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naomi Kimura, Yasuyuki Kudo, Yuichi Nishihara, Masashi Kamiyanagi
  • Patent number: 9457584
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate having first and second fluid slots along opposite substrate sides and separated by a substrate central region. First and second internal columns of closed chambers are associated with the first and second slots, respectively, and the internal columns are separated by the central region. Fluidic channels extending across the central region fluidically couple closed chambers from the first internal column with closed chambers from the second internal column. Pump actuators in each closed chamber pump fluid through the channels from slot to slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Craig Olbrich, Brian M. Taff
  • Patent number: 9457585
    Abstract: A print apparatus that is configured to cause a print head provided with nozzles and a printing substrate to move relatively, eject an ink from the nozzles, and record dots onto the printing substrate includes a print control unit. The print control unit is configured to perform a control for ejecting the ink from the nozzles, and the print control unit modifies a proportion at which dots are formed adjacent to one another depending on an ejected amount of ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takuma Hayashi, Naoki Sudo
  • Patent number: 9457586
    Abstract: With an ink jet head having for each color two parallel columns of nozzles arranged shifted by one-half the pitch, odd-numbered rasters and even-numbered rasters are printed by the two nozzle columns. The registration between the odd- and even-numbered rasters is secured during the printing to produce a high quality image. The ink ejection timing between the two raster groups is shifted by a predetermined interval to form adjustment patterns; the adjustment patterns are checked and, according to the check result, an adjustment value for the ink ejection timing between the two ink nozzle columns is entered, and the entered adjustment value is stored to be reflected on the actual printing operation. To facilitate the adjustment pattern check, the adjustment patterns have a dot distribution with a blue noise characteristic at a resolution at which the printing apparatus can print.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Miyuki Fujita, Hiroshi Tajika, Yuji Konno, Shuichi Murakami, Norihiro Kawatoko, Takayuki Ogasahara, Tetsuya Edamura, Tetsuhiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 9457587
    Abstract: An automatic, thermal print on demand labeler is provided. The thermal print head is placed above the axis of rotation of the rotary head, with a cylindrical platen mounted horizontally opposite the print head. A stripper pin is mounted below the platen; the pin is positioned very close to the print region of the print head. This positioning of components results in a label being printed and dispensed onto a bellow in one index of the multi-bellow rotary head. Independent direct gear drive trains are provided for the rotary head and label tape drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Sinclair Systems International, LLC
    Inventors: M. Scott Howarth, Wilson B. Murray, Justin L. Graham, Russell Mitchell, Ethan Davis, Ilyn Gavilyuk, Andrew Nichols
  • Patent number: 9457588
    Abstract: A thermal head capable of efficiently radiating heat transferred to a protective member is provided. A thermal head includes a substrate; a plurality of heat generating portions disposed on the substrate; an electrode which is disposed on the substrate and is electrically connected to the heat generating portions; a conductive member electrically connected to the electrode; a protective member which is in contact with the conductive member and protects the conductive member; and a heatsink on an upper surface of which the substrate is disposed, wherein the protective member is also in contact with the heatsink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Yoneta
  • Patent number: 9457589
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for three-dimensional printing directly onto an article of apparel. Disclosed is a method and system for direct three-dimensional printing onto an article of apparel, including receiving an undistorted three-dimensional pattern for display on the article, the undistorted three-dimensional pattern configured for placement on an irregular three-dimensional surface; creating a predistorted three-dimensional pattern from the undistorted three-dimensional pattern for printing onto a simple three-dimensional shaped object; receiving the predistorted three-dimensional pattern in a three-dimensional printing system; and printing the predistorted three-dimensional pattern onto the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd W. Miller, David J. Schenone
  • Patent number: 9457590
    Abstract: There are provided a printing apparatus, a method for controlling the printing apparatus, and a storage medium. The printing apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a print medium; a print head that applies a color material on the print medium; an obtaining unit configured to obtain, in the case where a first surface of the print medium on which a first image is printed comes in contact with the conveying unit, information on a printing condition of the first surface that becomes a factor of changing a conveying speed of the print medium in the predetermined direction; and a control unit configured to control timing of applying a color material on a second surface of the print medium that is a surface at the opposite to the first surface according to the printing condition indicated by the information obtained by the obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Koizumi, Yasutaka Mitani, Yosuke Ushigome, Yoshiaki Kaburagi, Takayuki Tanabe, Atsushi Takahashi, Yusuke Kadokura, Keiji Harada, Yoshiaki Takayanagi, Hideo Horigome, Susumu Hirosawa, Atsushi Sakamoto, Satoshi Masuda, Toshiki Takeuchi, Kengo Nieda
  • Patent number: 9457591
    Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus that includes: a sheet path for moving a print substrate; a decurling station positioned along the sheet path and the decurling station. The decurling station includes an indenting roller mounted for rotation around a first longitudinal axis thereof and on a first side of the sheet path, and an elastomeric roller mounted for rotation around a second longitudinal axis thereof and on a second side of the sheet path. The indenting roller includes an indenter shaft and a an anti-contamination coating disposed on the indenter shaft, wherein a drop of aqueous ink exhibits a sliding angle of less than about 30° and a contact angle of greater than about 40° with a surface of the anti-contamination coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jason Matthew LeFevre, Santokh Badesha, David VanKouwenberg, Varun Sambhy, Eric Dudek
  • Patent number: 9457592
    Abstract: A printer includes a light source module including an ejecting head that ejects a UV ink onto a medium. The UV ink hardens when irradiated with a UV light ray. The light source module includes an irradiator that irradiates the UV ink with the UV light ray. The printer may include a guide shaft to/from which the light module is attachable/detachable and a driving controller that performs control of the irradiator. The light source module includes, in addition to the irradiator, a memory module that stores therein information indicating a light irradiation feature of the irradiator. The driving controller performs control of the irradiator by using the information indicating a light irradiation feature of the irradiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Hiramatsu, Hiroaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 9457593
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head ejects liquid from a plurality of ejection orifices thereof for recording while being moved relative to a recording medium. The liquid ejecting head includes a gas discharge port configured to allow gas to be discharged therefrom. The gas discharge port is disposed on a downstream side of the ejection orifices in a direction of relative movement of the recording medium as viewed from the liquid ejecting head. The gas discharged from the gas discharge port joins an airflow that forms a vortex on an upstream side of the ejection orifices in the direction of relative movement. The vortex is generated by the liquid ejected from the ejection orifices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Ishida, Ken Tsuchii, Nobuhito Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Arimizu, Yumi Komamiya, Arihito Miyakoshi
  • Patent number: 9457594
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a first upper-position guide member, a first lower-position guide member defining a first feeding path and a first feeding portion feeding a sheet in a feeding direction along the first feeding path. The image recording apparatus further includes a recording portion located downstream of the first feeding portion in the feeding direction, a second upper-position guide member, a second lower-position guide member defining a second feeding path and a second feeding portion comprising at least one pair of rollers each consisting of an upper-position roller and a lower-position roller. The second feeding portion feeds the sheet along the second feeding path and a first axis of the upper-position roller is located upstream of a second axis of the lower-position roller in the feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga, Takashi Omura
  • Patent number: 9457595
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus, including: a first unit; a second unit; and a pair of first hinges spaced apart from each other in a first direction, the first and second units being coupled through the hinges, wherein the first unit includes a supporter for supporting a recording medium and a first conveyor including a supply roller and configured such that, in a state in which recording media are set on the supporter, the first conveyor conveys the media one by one by the supply roller toward a downstream side in a conveyance direction, wherein the supporter is configured to be pivotally movable between a housed position and a use position about an axis extending, on a specific side of the first unit, in a direction parallel to the first direction, and wherein the supporter is disposed between the first hinges at least when located at the housed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuro Miura, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 9457596
    Abstract: A sheet feeder including a sheet roll constituted of one long continuous sheet wound around a core, a sheet conveyance unit to convey the sheet fed from the sheet roll and including an extreme upstream member that contacts an upper surface of the sheet fed from the sheet roll at an extreme upstream side in a direction of conveyance of the sheet, and a trailing end detector rotatable by contacting the sheet extended between the core of the sheet roll and the extreme upstream member. The trailing end detector detects a trailing end of the sheet roll upon being rotated upward to a position above a line connecting the extreme upstream member and a lowest part of the core of the sheet roll having a minimum diameter usable in the sheet feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Masato Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9457597
    Abstract: A printer and its blade withdrawal mechanism, comprising: a fixing board, used for fixing a down cutter, the lower end of the fixing board can be pivotally installed on an installing support; a balance unit; a locking unit; and a manipulation unit, which is installed on the installing support, located at one side of the combination of the fixing board and the down-cut blade, and can move downward by two segment travels under the effect of external force, at the first segment travel, it can act on the balance unit, while at the second segment travel, it can act on the locking unit. The invention can simplify the handling of the faults such as paper jam, and improve the handling efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Shenzhen Zhengtong Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Duoyong Jiang
  • Patent number: 9457598
    Abstract: A digital printing apparatus including a sheet supply device, printing cylinder, inkjet nozzle portion, sheet delivery device, and conveyance devices. The sheet supply device supplies sheets one by one at a predetermined period. The printing cylinder includes at least one gripper device that grips and holds the sheet, and conveys the sheet while one edge of the sheet supplied from the sheet supply device is held by the plurality of gripper devices. The inkjet nozzle portion discharges ink droplets onto the sheet. The conveyance devices include a plurality of gripper devices including one reversing gripper device that grips and holds the other edge of the sheet, and conveys the sheet printed on one surface, which is received from the printing cylinder in a double-sided printing mode. The sheet is turned by reversing the obverse/reverse surface of the sheet by the reversing gripper device in the process of conveyance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: KOMORI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Suda, Satoshi Murakami, Kazuya Takahagi, Masaharu Ito, Yasuhiro Suzuki, Atsushi Saita, Hayato Kondo, Yuji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 9457599
    Abstract: A printer is disclosed. The printer determines the width of media to be printed on. When the width of the media is below a threshold the printer prints using multiple printing passes where the amount of ink is divided between the multiple printing passes with a first distribution. When the width of the media is not below the threshold the printer prints using multiple printing passes where the amount of ink is divided between the multiple printing passes with a second, different distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Chee Tee Tang, Tao Long, Sook Shin Chang, Kok Chai Chong
  • Patent number: 9457600
    Abstract: A conveyance device including an upstream roller that supplies a sheet medium to be processed to a conveyance path; a downstream roller that conveys the supplied medium to a processing position; and a control unit that, in order to convey the sheet medium at a constant speed, controls driving the upstream roller and the downstream roller using the constant speed as a target speed. The control unit changes the target speed of the upstream roller to eliminate a conveyance difference, which is the difference between the length of media conveyed by the upstream roller and the length of media conveyed by the downstream roller from the start of the conveyance operation, based on the conveyance difference in each conveyance operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Norio Horaguchi
  • Patent number: 9457601
    Abstract: A tape cassette includes a box-like housing, a tape mounted within the housing, a hole and a first indicator portion. The housing includes a top wall having a top surface, a bottom wall having a bottom surface and opposing the top wall, and a front wall having a specified height and being formed along peripheries of the top wall and the bottom wall. The hole is provided in the front wall. The first indicator portion includes at least one first aperture and indicates a first element among a plurality of elements of a type of the tape. The first indicator portion is provided in a portion, spaced from the front wall, of the bottom wall. The hole and the one first aperture is located to intersect a virtual line orthogonal to the front wall when viewing along a vertical direction orthogonal to the top wall and the bottom wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Akira Sago, Takashi Horiuchi, Yasuhiro Iriyama, Yasuhiro Shibata, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Masato Kato, Teruo Imamaki
  • Patent number: 9457602
    Abstract: An inkjet printer is provided that is configured to store a plurality of pieces of gap information respectively corresponding to a plurality of examined sections discretely arranged along a head moving direction on a recording sheet, each of the plurality of examined sections including a corresponding one portion of top portions and bottom portions on the recording sheet, and calculate interpolation gap information to be interpolated over a whole width in the head moving direction of at least one of a plurality of segments, each of which has a width in the head moving direction defined by two adjacent sections of the plurality of examined sections, based on the stored gap information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 9457603
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling media sheets in a printer includes a number of cooling units, a conveyor having a first conveyor path adapted to feed the media sheets successively through the cooling units, and a switch adapted to deflect selected ones of the media sheets into a second conveyor path. The switch is disposed upstream of a last one of the cooling units and downstream of a first one of the cooling units. The second conveyor path bypasses the last one of the cooling units. The conveyor includes a decelerating mechanism configured to decelerate the sheets in the first conveyor path between the first one of the cooling units and the last one of the cooling units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: OCE-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Wilhelmus J. Aerts, Peter G. La Vos
  • Patent number: 9457604
    Abstract: A tape cassette for use with a label printer having a plurality of tape type detecting switches that includes a housing having a front wall, a tape feed exit on the front wall, a top surface, and a bottom surface, a tape included at least partially in the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, a recess on the front wall extending from the bottom surface towards the top surface, and an aperture on the front wall. The aperture is positioned downstream, in a tape feed path direction, of the recess, and is configured to receive one of the tape type detecting switches. The tape feed path direction is a direction in which the tape is configured to be fed along a portion of the tape feed path proximate to the front wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Masato Kato, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Iriyama, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 9457605
    Abstract: An inexpensive small-sized screen printing machine having low redundancy and high production efficiency and applicable to a dual conveying-type component mounting machine. A pair of substrate supporting tables juxtaposed in a specific direction is provided. Screen printing is alternately performed by a single print executing section in a common area which can be shared by the two substrate supporting tables. In doing so, when one substrate supporting table located at a print position among the pair of substrate supporting tables starts exiting the print position, the other substrate supporting table starts entry to the print position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasushi Miyake, Takeshi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9457606
    Abstract: A treatment liquid, which contains a water-soluble organic solvent, at least two cationic resins, and water, wherein the cationic resins have a cationization degree of 4 meq/g or greater at pH of 4.0, and a repeating unit represented by the following structural formula 1: and the cationic resins have mutually different weight average molecular weights in the range of 5,000 to 25,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Katsuragi
  • Patent number: 9457607
    Abstract: A image forming method is provided to form a high-quality color image having a wrinkle-like texture. A first primer layer 31 is formed by way of discharging first ink, which is photo-curable ink, onto a medium 40 in such a way as to make a perforated coat, and fully hardening the first ink by light irradiation; and a second primer layer 32 is formed by way of discharging second ink onto the medium 40 on which the first primer layer is already formed; and a color ink layer 33 is formed by way of discharging color ink onto the second primer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Hara
  • Patent number: 9457608
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a color erasing apparatus capable of erasing the color of an image formed with a color erasable material on a sheet comprises a color erasing section configured to erase the color of an image formed on the sheet; a control panel configured to set a reading area of the sheet; and a reading section configured to read the image of the area set on the sheet and determine the state of the image erased by the color erasing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeo Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9457609
    Abstract: An apparatus for turning pages of an open book includes a mechanism and a roller. The mechanism turns a page held at a departure position to a destination position. The roller conveys the page from a middle point of turning operation by the mechanism to the destination position while rotating to roll up the page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9457610
    Abstract: A system includes a board comprising a first surface comprising an area identified for allowing a user to identify prescriptions, an area identified for allowing a user to identify times for taking the prescription, and an area identified for allowing a user to removably mark the board upon dispensing pills into a weekly or monthly pill organizer. A first plurality of strips movably and releasably is attachable to the first surface of the board in the area identified for labeling prescription medications. The first plurality of strips comprises a front surface operable for allowing a user to removably label prescription medications. A second plurality of strips is movably and releasably attachable to the first surface of the board in the area identified for labeling times for taking the prescription medications. The second plurality of strips comprising a front surface operable for allowing a user to removably label times for taking the prescription medications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Inventors: Colleen A. Hagadorn, Kathleen A. Bauer
  • Patent number: 9457611
    Abstract: A pocket device including a major panel and a pocket panel coupled to the major panel and defining a pocket with the major panel. The pocket panel has a lateral dimension greater than a lateral dimension of the major panel at at least one position to thereby define a laterally-extending gap therebetween, which enables expansion of the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: ACCO BRANDS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Edward P. Busam
  • Patent number: 9457612
    Abstract: The embodiments herein disclose a compass device for drawing arcs and circles without the need for accessing the center. The device comprises a chassis fixed with two guide wheels at two ends. A protractor is fixed to the guide wheel for setting an angle for the wheel. An offset wheel is installed under the offset axis frame mounted with a tool holder and arranged perpendicular to the chassis. A laser pointer is mounted on the offset axis frame for identifying a desired part of the arcs and circles. A balance wheel is attached to the balance base for maintaining a stability of the compass. A marker is inserted in a tool holder for marking the arcs and circles. The device is configured to vary an angle of the angled wheel continuously to change a curvature of radius at every instant in a curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Inventor: Farhad Ghorbanloo
  • Patent number: 9457613
    Abstract: The present invention relates to cyanoacrylate compositions in non-flowable and gel forms. More particularly, the present invention relates to non-flowable cyanoacrylate compositions which can be packaged in a convenient pocket-sized applicator dispenser for use in spreading the cyanoacrylate compositions onto substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Henkel IP & Holding GmbH
    Inventor: Shabbir Attarwala
  • Patent number: 9457614
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing an article notably enabling a decorative film to be fixed to a final support is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: CORSO MAGENTA
    Inventors: Stanislas Chevallier, Jerome De Dinechin
  • Patent number: 9457615
    Abstract: A paint tray includes a body having a base portion and sidewalls forming a paint well. Each sidewall has an upper top portion. The upper top portions collectively define an upper rim of a mouth of the well. A barred shaped member is hingedly connected to the upper top portion of a first sidewall such that the barred shaped member pivots relative to the body between first and second positions. In the first position, the barred shaped member is disposed within and surrounded by an inner perimeter of the upper rim of the mouth of the paint well. In the second position, the barred shaped member extends away from the upper rim and neither extends over nor within the mouth of the paint well. The paint tray is fabricated out of a molded material, and preferably comprises molded plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: ZIBRA, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Sherman
  • Patent number: 9457616
    Abstract: Wire wheel assembly apparatus for, and a method of providing, a wire wheel assembly for use with a tubeless tire. A wire wheel element comprises a wheel centre element, a spoke ring element, and a plurality of spoke elements extending between the wheel centre element and the spoke ring element. The spoke ring element is configured to allow a first rim element comprising a first rim tire flange and a second rim element comprising a second rim tire flange to be assembled with said wire wheel element into a wire wheel assembly in which a tire receiving region is defined between said first rim tire flange and said second rim tire flange. A first rim element and a second rim element configured to be assembled with said wire wheel element. A sandwich arrangement and a cantilever arrangement of a wire wheel assembly are disclosed. A split-rim wire wheel is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Inventor: Charles William Tomkins
  • Patent number: 9457617
    Abstract: A vehicular wheel is formed by casting and includes a hub; a rim; and a plurality of spokes which extend toward the rim in the radial direction from the hub and are arranged in the circumferential direction. The wheel further includes connecting portions on an inner peripheral surface of the rim respectively connecting the plurality of spokes to the rim. Weight-mounting surfaces are formed at the center of the inner peripheral surface of the rim in the widthwise direction and arranged between respective connecting portions. The weight-mounting surfaces are formed so as to be substantially parallel to a rotational center line of the wheel. A molding seam which is formed at an interface between split faces of a wheel mold is arranged at a position spaced away from the weight-mounting surface in the widthwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keita Mikura, Hidetoshi Toyoda
  • Patent number: 9457618
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein improve airflow around bicycle wheels by providing for one or more of: (1) a optimum leading edge width of a rim for preventing early stall in cross winds, while still allowing for sufficient stability without undue drag, while not unnecessarily increasing the rotating wheel and drag on the frame; (2) a sidewall shape with a subtle camber angle at the leading, which defines a rate of radius change at the max width of the rim—which further defines the max width and placement along the chord length for optimizing the aerodynamic properties of the rim; (3) a continuous rate of change of curvature at a spoke face, which fundamentally improves the performance and stability by generating a side force at higher yaw angles; and (4) wheel sets with a wider front rim relative to a narrower rear wheel to assist in flow attachment in high crosswind areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: ENVE COMPOSITES, LLC
    Inventor: Simon Smart
  • Patent number: 9457619
    Abstract: A hub for a motor vehicle wheel provides a cylindrical portion that extends in an axial direction, and a flange extending in a radially outer direction from an axially outer end of the cylindrical portion. The hub includes a core of metallic material which extends into the cylindrical portion and in the flange of the hub, and a covering body of plastic material applied over the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Aurelio Nervo, Davide Antonio Olivieri, Laura Sguotti
  • Patent number: 9457620
    Abstract: A roller platform for use in a tire inflation cage includes a frame and at least one roller assembly and facilitates the rotation of a rim-wheel within the tire inflation cage. The roller platform includes a frame having members that are spaced so that the tire stop on a tire inflation cage fits between the frame members. The roller platform includes cross members that are spaced so that the cross members fit between adjacent bars of a tire inflation cage and so a bar fits between the cross members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SUMMIT TOOL COMPANY
    Inventors: Roger Kliskey, Rockford Tyson