Patents Issued in April 3, 2018
  • Patent number: 9931823
    Abstract: Devices, methods and systems disclosed herein relate to the application of a protective film on a surface of an electronic device that instantly reduces air bubbles and eliminates the waiting time usually required when using a wet fluid solution. In one embodiment, a flange may be configured to couple to the protective film. The flange may aid in the accurate application of the protective film to the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SUPERIOR COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Shraddha Patel, Charlie LaColla, Vivian Chou
  • Patent number: 9931824
    Abstract: A method of laying up a segment on a layup surface using a layup head that is mobile with respect to the layup surface, the layup head supporting a spool of a tape of material which includes at least one layer to be laid up from which said segment is cut and at least one interliner, the method including applying the tape of material against the layup surface and removing the interliner using a separator. The tape of material is pressed firmly by a press roller against the layup surface before the interliner is removed as the layup head moves in an advancing movement. A layup head for implementing the method and a layup machine including the layup head are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Denis De Mattia, Bruno Burel
  • Patent number: 9931825
    Abstract: A composite acoustic liner has a septumized cellular core. Septa are installed in the core as the individual core cells are being formed. Individual tools are used to both form the cells of the core and index the septa within the cells. The septa and the cellular core are cocured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Inventors: Noel Timothy Gerken, Eric Herrera, Nicholas John Patz
  • Patent number: 9931826
    Abstract: A device for manufacturing circumferentially closed tubular tube bodies, comprising conveying means for conveying the substrate in a conveying direction, and also comprising tube-forming means which are designed to form a web-like substrate, which has a first and a second longitudinal edge, into a tubular form in which, in the circumferential direction, the first and the second longitudinal edge form or delimit a contact region, in particular abutting or overlapping region, which extends in the conveying direction, wherein the tube-forming means effect the shaping of the substrate into the tubular form in a shaping region and comprise welding means for welding the tubular form at a weld circumferential position, first sensor means, which are upstream of the shaping region; in the conveying direction, for detecting the position of the substrate web, setting means for setting the position of the substrate web transversely with respect to the conveying direction, and first control means which are designed to act
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Packsys Global (Switzerland) Ltd.
    Inventor: Julius Läubli
  • Patent number: 9931827
    Abstract: A structural repair includes a tell-tale optical witness that allows the health of the repair to be visually monitored. The optical witness includes a stress sensitive fluorescent dye that shows changes in local strain/stress patterns when the repair is subjected to electromagnetic energy of a particular wavelength. The dyes fluoresce more or less strongly as a function of the local stress/strain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Gary E. Georgeson, Kenneth Harlan Griess, Russell Lee Keller, Everett A. Westerman
  • Patent number: 9931828
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing device includes an optical device and a controller that controls the optical device. The controller includes a dividing section that divides an area of a vat that is irradiated with light of a projector into a plurality of blocks, a counting section that counts a number of times of irradiation with light of the projector, a first determination section that determines whether or not the number of times counted by the counting section has reached a predetermined threshold value, a light output section that changes when it is determined by the first determination section that the number of times has reached the predetermined threshold value from a first energy to a second energy lower than the first energy an energy of light to be output from the projector to the photo-curable resin of the block for which determination has been made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kouichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9931829
    Abstract: A composite film includes a substrate that is not responsive to relative humidity, and also one or more layers of hygromorphic material. The hygromorphic material expands in response to an increase in relative humidity and contracts in response to a decrease in relative humidity. In some cases, the composite film is bi-layer or tri-layer. The composite films are fabricated such that they undergo a desired bending pattern in response to changes in relative humidity. In some cases, these bending patterns are combinations of two bending primitives: a smooth curve and a sharply angled curve. These two primitives are combined to create a variety of shape transformations including 1D linear transformation, 2D surface expansion and contraction, 2.5D texture change and 3D folding. Any type of hygromorphic material may be employed, including living gram positive and gram negative bacterial cells, yeast cells, plant cells, mammalian cells, cell debris, or hydrogel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Lining Yao, Wen Wang, Jifei Ou, Chin-Yi Cheng, Guanyun Wang, Hiroshi Ishii, Daniel Wang, Helene Steiner, Clark Della Silva
  • Patent number: 9931830
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a printing form and a process for preparing a polymeric printing form from a curable composition that includes a multifunctional urethane in a specified reactive group equivalent weight range, and an initiator. The process includes coating the curable composition onto a supporting substrate, such as a print cylinder, to form a layer, curing the layer with heat or by exposure to actinic radiation, and engraving the resulting cured layer to form at least one printing cell in the cured layer. The process prepares novel polymeric printing forms, particularly novel polymeric gravure printing forms, having a cured polymer-based composition layer that is engravable, resistant to solvent inks, and capable of printing gravure-quality images. The present invention shortens the time to prepare gravure printing cylinders and removes the need for and disposal of toxic heavy metals such as copper and chrome associated with conventional gravure print cylinder preparation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: E I DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven W Shuey, Adrian Lungu, Mukesh C Shah, Garret D Figuly
  • Patent number: 9931831
    Abstract: A web printing apparatus includes a transfer device which transfers highly reactive ink/varnish onto a web, and a fixing device which fixes, on the web, the highly reactive ink/varnish transferred by the transfer device. The fixing device includes only a light irradiation device which irradiates the web with light in the wavelength range, in which no ozone is generated, to cure the highly reactive ink/varnish on the web without thermal drying of the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: KOMORI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9931832
    Abstract: There is described a multicolor letterpress printing press, in particular a numbering press, comprising a printing group (50) with at least a first letterpress (e.g. numbering) cylinder (51) and a second letterpress cylinder (52) which are inked by an associated inking system (60, 71, 72, 81, 81 a, 81 b, 82, 82a, 82b). The inking system (60, 71, 72, 81, 81 a, 81 b, 82, 82a, 82b) comprises (i) a first inking device (81) supplying ink to a first chablon cylinder (71), (ii) at least a second inking device (82) supplying ink to a second chablon cylinder (72), and (iii) an ink-collecting cylinder (60) contacting the first and second chablon cylinders (71, 72) and the first and second letterpress cylinders (51, 52). The ink-collecting cylinder (60) collects a first ink pattern (A, D) from the first chablon cylinder (71) and a second ink pattern (B, C) from the second chablon cylinder (72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: KBA-NotaSys SA
    Inventor: Johannes Georg Schaede
  • Patent number: 9931833
    Abstract: A printing system includes an identification module to identify a number of the encoder pulses generated by an encoder at a rate corresponding to a speed of a media during a time interval. The printing system also includes an alignment module to at least one of change the number of encoder pulses or scale the encoder pulses generated by the encoder based on an amount of variation between the number of encoder pulses detected and the number of encoder pulses to maintain the number of encoder pulses constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David C Collins, Matthew J Gelhaus, Carlos Millan-Lorman, Bruce A Stephens
  • Patent number: 9931834
    Abstract: A printing control method for a printing apparatus that includes a controller, such that the controller: sets a plurality of first regions along a first direction on a print medium that is conveyed, and a plurality of second regions between two first regions of the plurality of first regions, on the basis of print data; and causes ink to be discharged from a print head to the plurality of first regions so as to print on the basis of the print data and also causes ink to be discharged from the print head to the second region determined on the basis of an indicator value for predicting poor discharging of ink in the print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fumihiro Osakabe
  • Patent number: 9931835
    Abstract: A system for detecting friction between an object, that is being printed in a printer, and a print head moving relative to the object, comprising: an acoustic sensor system arranged to detect an acoustic noise signal generated by the printer; a recording system arranged to record the noise signal while the print head moves relative to the object; and an electronic processing system arranged to detect, in the recorded noise signal, correlated with the reciprocating movement of the printhead over the printed object, a signature that is characteristic of an event of friction between the print head and the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: OCÉ HOLDINGS B.V.
    Inventors: Cédric T. Valade, Riadh Fezzani
  • Patent number: 9931836
    Abstract: Provided is an ink jet recording apparatus including: a base metal pigment ink composition; and a first nozzle that ejects the base metal pigment ink composition, in which the base metal pigment ink composition contains a flat base metal pigment of which a 50% average particle diameter D50 is in a range of 100 nm to 1 ?m, and an organic compound of which a surface tension at 20° C. is 35 mN/m or greater, and an ejection interval T1 after the base metal pigment ink composition is ejected from the first nozzle and before the base metal pigment ink composition is ejected again from the first nozzle is within 100 ?s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Toyoda, Masaru Terada
  • Patent number: 9931837
    Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes modules to communicate an input signal to an ink sample to obtain an ink signal, compare the ink signal to a reference value, and identify an indicator of nozzle chamber operation corresponding to the ink signal. A module may be contained on an inkjet printhead die, such that the device may generate the input signal on the inkjet printhead die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development, L.P.
    Inventors: Daryl E Anderson, Eric T Martin, Peter James Fricke, James Michael Gardner
  • Patent number: 9931838
    Abstract: An inkjet printing method includes: setting a first region to be printed at a constant print density within a target region to be printed; setting a second region within the target region and closer than the first region to an edge of the target region, wherein the second region is to be printed at a print density that varies according to a position; generating control data for a plurality of nozzles provided on an inkjet head in order to print the first region and the second region; and driving the inkjet head according to the control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dongjun Lee, Minsoo Kim, Jongwon Kim, Seungdon Lee, Hyunjin Lee
  • Patent number: 9931839
    Abstract: In some examples, a printhead drop detector comprises a plurality of drop detection units to detect any drops passing through a sampling volume between the radiation source and the radiation detector. A radiation detector of a first drop detection unit and a radiation source of a second drop detection unit is arranged on a first side of the sampling volume and a radiation source of the first drop detection unit and a radiation detector of the second drop detection unit is arranged on the second side of the sampling volume. The distance between the first drop detection unit and the second drop detection unit is based on an angle of a beam producible by the first radiation source such that the beam is wide enough to cross into a portion of the sampling volume corresponding with the second drop detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jose Francisco Bravo de Vega, Francisco Gomez, Jordi Bas, Alejandro Mielgo
  • Patent number: 9931840
    Abstract: Print head jet stack heating and temperature measurement systems and methods are disclosed that both heat the jet stack and determine a temperature of the jet stack. The heating and temperature determination are performed by a flex circuit that includes multiple layers. One of the layers heats the jet stack and another one of the layers provides data that determines the temperature of the jet stack. The heating layer and the temperature sensing layer are separated by an insulative material in the flex circuit. The temperature of the jet stack can be sent to a print head controller that then determines whether to increase or decrease the temperature of the jet stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Curtis Douglass Keller, Gautam Dhar, David Lyell Knierim, Chad David Freitag, Jonathan Robert Brick, Douglas Dean Darling, Nasser Alavizadeh, Bradford Stewart, William Bruce Weaver
  • Patent number: 9931841
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid jet head includes: a groove formation step of forming ejection grooves and non-ejection grooves alternately in the upper surface of an actuator substrate; a cover plate processing step of forming a recessed portion in the upper surface of a cover plate and slits penetrating from the bottom surface of the recessed portion to the lower surface opposite to the upper surface; an electrode formation step of forming conductive films on the both side surfaces and front surface of the ejection grooves, the both side surfaces of the non-ejection grooves, the inner surfaces of the slits and the recessed portion, and the lower surface of the cover plate; and a substrate joining step of joining the lower surface of the cover plate to the upper surface of the actuator substrate so as to communicate the slits with the ejection grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SII Printek Inc.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Kubota, Taihei Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9931842
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a substrate having pressure generating chambers; drive units configured to apply pressure vibration to the pressure generating chambers; and a head casing having first and second areas mutually exclusively disposed as viewed from the substrate, the first areas being disposed in a staggered arrangement as viewed from the substrate, the head casing storing the drive units in the first areas as viewed from the substrate, the head casing having recesses disposed in the second areas as viewed from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fujio Akahane
  • Patent number: 9931843
    Abstract: A print head includes a substrate having a hole, a circuit on the substrate, the circuit having traces and a hole corresponding to the hole in the substrate, the hole forming a fluid path, and a raised structure on the substrate around the fluid path, the raised structure positioned to seal the circuit from the fluid path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan R. Brick, Chad D. Freitag, Garry A. Jones, Jon G. Judge, David R. Koehler, Chad J. Slenes, Peter J. Nystrom, Gary D. Redding, Mark A. Cellura
  • Patent number: 9931845
    Abstract: A liquid ejection module and a liquid ejection head capable of suppressing unevenness in printing are provided. Accordingly, openings are disposed so that a center position of at least one of openings in a plurality of ejection opening rows is not disposed on the same line extending in a print medium movement direction in a relative movement with respect to center positions of the other openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takatsugu Moriya, Shintaro Kasai, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Akiko Saito, Koichi Ishida, Tatsuya Yamada, Shuzo Iwanaga, Ayako Tozuka, Tomoki Ishiwata, Tomohiro Sato
  • Patent number: 9931846
    Abstract: A print device includes a head, a cap, a suction portion, an absorption member, and a plate-shaped member. The head has an ejection surface. The ejection surface has a plurality of nozzles formed in the ejection surface and is directed in a predetermined direction. The cap has a frame-shaped wall portion and a suction opening. The suction portion is connected to the inside of the cap via the suction opening. The absorption member is arranged in a position surrounded by the frame-shaped wall portion and is configured to absorb liquid. The plate-shaped member is surrounded by the frame-shaped wall portion and is arranged in a position facing the absorption member. The plate-shaped member is extending along an inner end surface of the frame-shaped wall portion and has a hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsunori Nishida
  • Patent number: 9931847
    Abstract: A printer is disclosed herein. The printer has a printhead having a plurality of ink nozzles for ejecting ink, a servicing mechanism for capturing the ejected ink from the ink nozzles, to service the printhead, and a control device coupled to the printhead and the servicing mechanism for regulating the servicing. As part of the regulation, the control device continues feeding a substrate towards the printhead during an idle period. The idle period of the printhead can be a duration when printing on the substrate is suspended. Further, the control device regulates ejection of ink from the ink nozzles towards the substrate during the idle period and operates the servicing mechanism during the idle period. In an example, the servicing mechanism captures the ink before the ink reaches the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Wagner, Thomas M Sabo, Ronald A Askeland, Gonzalo Gaston Llado, Alyssa Michelle Siegman, Lawrence H White, Alex Andrea Tallada, Brian J Keefe, Maria Magdalena Martinez Ferrandiz, Daniel Vincent Keane, Yi Hong Tor, Marian Dinares Argemi, Francisco Lopez Moral, Xavier Bruch, Chandrasekhar Nadimpalli
  • Patent number: 9931848
    Abstract: A digital printing machine includes a printing material transport device, an inkjet print head having a nozzle plate, and a capping element. The inkjet print head is adjustable into a first print head position relative to the capping element and the capping element is adjustable into a capping position relative to the inkjet print head. The capping element temporarily covers the nozzle plate when the inkjet print head is in the first print head position and the capping element is simultaneously in the capping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Mueller, Jochen Renner, Matthias Zapf, Ralf Steinmetz, Michael Oestreicher, Burkhard Wolf, Manfred Haeussler, David Ehrbar
  • Patent number: 9931849
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a plurality of nozzles configured to eject liquid onto a conveyed object conveyed by a conveyance unit, based on input image data; and a control unit configured to control a number of droplets in first flushing for ejecting the liquid outside a region corresponding to the image data and a number of droplets in second flushing for ejecting the liquid inside the region corresponding to the image data in addition to ejection based on the image data. The control unit is configured to control the number of droplets in the first flushing and the number of droplets in the second flushing based on at least a length of the image data in a direction in which the conveyed object is conveyed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuuta Katoh, Shino Sasaki, Yukihito Niino
  • Patent number: 9931850
    Abstract: A housing and a cover member are injection-molded and these housing and cover member are joined within a pair of mold. When the housing and the cover member are joined by molten resin, a mold for suppressing deformation is positioned at a face of the housing opposite to a face receiving a pressure of the molten resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Iwano, Yukuo Yamaguchi, Mikiya Umeyama, Satoshi Oikawa, Hiromasa Amma, Satoshi Kimura, Naoko Tsujiuchi, Yasushi Iijima, Kyosuke Toda
  • Patent number: 9931851
    Abstract: A fluidic dispensing device includes a fluid reservoir containing fluid. A stir bar is located in the fluid reservoir and has a magnet. A generator generates a rotating magnetic field to interact with the magnet. A controller determines a range of a predetermined phase lag between an angular rotational position of the stir bar and an angular rotational position of the rotating magnetic field, determines a status of a present phase lag based on the range of the predetermined phase lag, and takes predetermined action based on the status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michael A. Marra, III, Steven R. Komplin
  • Patent number: 9931852
    Abstract: A liquid supply apparatus is configured to have detachably installed therein a liquid container 51 including an ink bag 82 that is flexible at least in part and a flow channel member 91 that is in communication with the ink bag 82, and to supply a liquid held in the ink bag 82 to a liquid jet apparatus. The liquid supply apparatus includes an ink inlet portion 143 configured to be connected to the flow channel member 91 and to introduce liquid from the flow channel member 91 in a state where the flow channel member 91 is connected, and a first supporting portion 151 configured to support at least the flow channel member 91 of the ink container 51. The first supporting portion 151 is moveable between at least a connected position and a disconnected position of the flow channel member 91 and the ink inlet portion 143.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutomo Tsukahara, Hiroyuki Kawate, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Tokujiro Okuno
  • Patent number: 9931853
    Abstract: An ink storage apparatus for a printing system includes at least one ink container defining a storage volume for holding a predetermined volume of printing ink, the ink container being elongate and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional profile perpendicular to a longitudinal axis thereof. The cross-sectional profile is elliptical or oval. The ink storage apparatus in a printing system includes at least one ink container defining a storage volume for holding a predetermined volume of printing ink, and an agitator device arranged within the storage volume of the ink container for agitating the ink. The agitator device includes at least one agitator member which is configured to rotate about an axis. The agitator member includes a paddle element having a generally planar rectangular configuration, and a plurality of fin elements which are configured or arranged to extend out of a plane of the paddle element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: OCE-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Antonius J. J. Van Gerven, Lamberdina J. A. M. Driessen-Olde Scheper, Hermanus J. P. M. Philipse
  • Patent number: 9931854
    Abstract: A disclosed example apparatus to install a pen in an imaging device includes a first guide on a first component of the imaging device to guide the pen in a first direction toward a second component of the imaging device during installation of the pen in the imaging device. The example apparatus also includes a second guide on the second component to receive the pen from the first guide during the installation of the pen. The first guide and the second guide define a gap therebetween and at least one of the first and second guides causes the pen to pass the gap without catching. The second guide is to guide the pen into an installed position in the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David Woodlock, Mark G. Miranda
  • Patent number: 9931855
    Abstract: A liquid storage container for storing a liquid has a label member attached to a surface thereof. A bonding face of the label member that is bonded to the surface includes a first area and a second area having a low bonding strength. The second area covers a liquid supply port. A score line is formed on the label member, and the score line extends along a boundary between the first area and the second area and is formed in the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeki Fukui, Masanori Kaneko, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Yasuo Kotaki, Tatsuo Nanjo, Masafumi Seki
  • Patent number: 9931856
    Abstract: A printing fluid cartridge includes a front face oriented toward a first direction, a printing fluid supply portion positioned at the front face, a rear face positioned opposite the front face and oriented toward a second direction opposite the first direction, at least one electrical interface positioned between the front face and the rear face, and an engagement surface facing in the second direction. The at least one electrical interface is offset from the printing supply portion with respect to a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The at least one electrical interface is positioned closer to the front face than the engagement surface is, and the at least one electrical interface and the engagement surface intersect a plane which is parallel with the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kanbe, Hirotake Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9931857
    Abstract: An expendable supply includes a memory that stores a timing of a last warning after a recommended limit. A warning generator of a printer determines whether to generate a warning upon occurrence of certain operations. The warning generator generates a warning when the last warning generation time is not stored in the memory of the expendable supply upon detection by a printer detector, or upon the last warning generation included in a first time period is stored in the expendable supply memory at the detection by the detector and the first time period has elapsed at the detection by the detector. A warning is not generated upon the timing of the last warning generation included in the first time period is already stored in the expendable supply memory upon detection by the detector and the first time period having not elapsed at the detection by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Ohtaka, Tomoki Matsumura, Naoto Tajima
  • Patent number: 9931858
    Abstract: A self-weight pressure control valve includes a hollow case main body with an opening, a partitioning wall dividing the case main body into first and second pressure chambers in communication with the opening, a communication opening in the partitioning wall and communicating the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber to each other, a valve rod including a rod portion inserted through the communication opening to pass the partitioning wall, and a valve portion located in the first pressure chamber, and a pressure sensitive film covering the opening of the case main body, coupled with a tip of the rod portion of the valve rod, and flexibly deformable toward the rod portion. When the pressure sensitive film is not flexibly deformed toward the rod portion, the communication opening is maintained in a closed state by the valve portion by use of a self-weight of the valve rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Ueda
  • Patent number: 9931859
    Abstract: In one example, a processor readable medium has instructions thereon that when executed cause a printer to: introduce an unsaturated printing fluid into a channel through which fluid may pass to a printhead; dispense unsaturated printing fluid with the printhead to remove air from the channel; and then introduce regular printing fluid into the channel; and dispense printing fluid with the printhead until regular printing fluid is dispensed from the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: James W. Ring, Rhonda Lynn Wilson
  • Patent number: 9931860
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes an ink tank, a print head, an ink flow passage, a degassing device, a circulation flow passage and a circulation pump. The print head discharges ink supplied from the ink tank through the ink flow passage. The degassing device is disposed midway in the ink flow passage and removes air from the ink. The circulation flow passage has two ends respectively connected to two sides of the degassing device. The circulation pump is disposed midway in the circulation flow passage and returns the ink flowing out of the degassing device to a position to flow in the degassing device. The ink flow passage between an outflow port from the circulation flow passage and an inflow port thereto and the circulation flow passage are formed such that the ink is movable at approximately a constant speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tokimatsu, Mitsuru Obata, Shinya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9931861
    Abstract: A printing control apparatus includes a defective nozzle detecting section that detects a defective nozzle included in the plurality of nozzles; and a complementing section that forms a complementary dot which complements dots of a first raster to be recorded using the defective nozzle on at least one of a second raster and the first raster using a complementary nozzle included in the plurality of nozzles. The complementing section includes an adjusting section which sets main scanning being performed after the defective nozzle is detected as a first main scanning, sets main scanning being performed M times after the defective nozzle is detected as a M-th main scanning, and allows a usage rate of ink in the first main scanning to be greater than a usage rate of ink in the M-th main scanning, regarding the usage rate of ink discharged using the same complementary nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Fukazawa, Akito Sato, Naoki Sudo, Hiroki Sato
  • Patent number: 9931862
    Abstract: A printing unit includes a thermal head, a platen roller, a head support member and a guide member. The platen roller is abutted against the thermal head with the recording sheet therebetween and rotated to feed the recording sheet. The head support member pivotably supports the thermal head around a pivot shaft so as to move the thermal head toward the platen roller. The head frame pivotably supports the head support member via the pivot shaft and rotatably supports the platen roller. The guide member guides the recording sheet between the thermal head and the platen roller. The thermal head and the guide member are positioned with respect to the head frame through the pivot shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Murata
  • Patent number: 9931863
    Abstract: A mobile image forming apparatus and an image compensation method of the mobile image forming apparatus are provided. The mobile image forming apparatus includes a surface measurer configured to measure an area touched by the mobile image forming apparatus among a surface area on which a print image is to be printed, an image processor configured to retrieve at least one of curvature data and moisture data from the measured result, and compensate the print image based on the at least one of the curvature data and moisture data retrieved, and an image former configured to print the compensated print image on the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-woo Kang, Kyu-suk Lee, Tae-sik Yun
  • Patent number: 9931864
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming an image on the nail of a user comprises a handle body having an outer gripping surface and an inner surface defining a clear bore extending completely therethrough and an image transfer body formed of a transparent pliable material having an outer surface corresponding to the clear bore of the handle body and an image transfer surface extending from the handle body. A kit may include the apparatus and a plate containing at least one image location having a depression adapted to contain a portion of paint to be transferred to a user's nail. A user locates a portion of paint in depression of the plate, presses an image transfer surface on the image transfer body on the portion of paint to transfer the portion of paint to the image transfer surface and applies the image transfer surface to a nail of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Inventors: Debrah Gail Duxbury, Nigel Duxbury
  • Patent number: 9931865
    Abstract: A holding apparatus includes an insertion space into which an object, namely a finger or a toe including a nail, is inserted; and a plurality of pressing members disposed in the insertion space along an insertion direction of the object into the insertion space, that hold the object inserted into the insertion space in the insertion space. In such a holding apparatus, the insertion space includes an object holding wall provided at a position capable of contacting the object inserted into the insertion space; each of the plurality of pressing members is capable of movement in a first direction pressing the object to a side of the holding wall and a second direction opposite the first direction, and is biased toward the first direction; and a biasing force biasing the a first pressing member of the plurality of pressing members disposed relatively at a back side in the insertion direction is greater than biasing forces biasing the other pressing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daisuke Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9931866
    Abstract: An interleave member including a media control conforming surface and a media, crash prevention surface. The media crash prevention surface to periodically contact and guide the media to the media control conforming surface. The media control conforming surface conforming to a surface of the media control member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David Olsen, Thomas W Ruhe, Robert Reiss, Alan Shibata, Todd M Gaasch, Raymond C Sherman, Robert Yraceburu, Hunter Cantrell
  • Patent number: 9931867
    Abstract: A printer ribbon supply spindle assembly is provided. The ribbon spindle has multiple segments contiguous to each other. The spindle assembly includes a commutator disposed circumferentially on the first segment of the ribbon spindle and two carbon brushes connected to a voltage source and disposed generally in electrical contact with and on either side of the commutator. The voltage source, the carbon brushes, and the commutator complete an electrical circuit. C-shaped conductive springs are disposed over each of the multiple segments. The c-shaped conductive springs compress when covered by a printer ribbon and become in electrical contact with the commutator and adjacent compressed c-shaped springs, forming additional parallel circuits. An electronic element is disposed at the center of the c-shaped conductive springs. Measuring a change in the circuit due the additional parallel circuits with the electronic element indicates the printer ribbon width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Datamax-O'Neil Corporation
    Inventors: Yaw Horng Yap, Teck Siong Soh, Boon Kheng Lim, Aravindkumar Harinarayanan
  • Patent number: 9931868
    Abstract: A recording apparatus which includes a transport belt which transports a medium; a pressing roller which presses the medium to the transport belt; and a support unit which can support the transport belt, in which at least a part of a portion of the support unit, which faces the pressing roller through the transport belt is subjected to friction relief processing. By setting to a recording apparatus with such a configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in friction force between the transport belt and the support unit which can support the transport belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9931869
    Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure a media transport device is described. The device includes a number of drive rollers coupled to a frame. A number of media rollers are also coupled to the frame. The media rollers are in contact with, and rotated by, the number of drive rollers. Media rollers in a first set have a first diameter and media rollers in a second set have a second diameter that is different from the first diameter. The device also includes a number of pinch rollers coupled to the frame. The pinch rollers are in contact with the number of media rollers to form a number of nips through which media passes along a feed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Josep Ortiz Mompel, Javier Deocon Mir, Eduardo Martin Orue, Joaquim Brugue Garvi
  • Patent number: 9931870
    Abstract: A printer can suppress paper lifting away from the platen surface even when conveying strong paper (regardless of paper strength) (a printer that can suppress paper uplift from the platen and is not easily affected by the type of paper). A printer 40 in which the platen surface 42a is on the inkjet head 21 side of a plane C through position A where paper 11 is held by a conveyance roller 36, and position B where the paper is held by a discharge roller, has: on the printhead 21 side of the plane C between the platen 42 and conveyance roller 36, at least one entry angle control unit 44 that contacts the paper 11 conveyed toward the platen surface 42a, and controls the entry angle of the paper 11 to the platen surface 42a; and on the printhead 21 side of the plane C between the platen 42 and the discharge roller 37, at least one exit angle control unit 46 that contacts the paper 11 conveyed in the direction away from the platen surface 42a, and controls the exit angle of the paper 11 from the platen surface 42a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei Kurotobi, Nobuhiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 9931871
    Abstract: A discharge apparatus includes: a discharge mechanism including a discharge port and discharging a recording medium from the discharge port in a first direction; a receiving member having a receiving surface which receives the recording medium discharged from the discharge port; an abutting member having an abutting surface which abuts against an upstream end or a downstream end in the first direction of the recording medium received by the receiving surface; and guide members extending upward beyond the receiving surface and guiding the recording medium which is discharged from the discharge port to fall toward the receiving surface, from both sides in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the receiving surface. The guide members respectively include protruding portions protruding inward in the second direction and extending in a longitudinal direction of the guide members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichi Hirata
  • Patent number: 9931872
    Abstract: A method for printing by means of a flatbed printer including a flatbed surface for placing a plurality of pieces of media to be printed upon, the plurality of pieces of media having different thicknesses, a control unit for controlling the printing of digital images on the plurality of pieces of media, a gantry constructed to move over the flatbed surface in a first direction and extending in a second direction, a print head configured to eject recording material on the plurality of pieces of media and attached to the gantry, the method including the steps of dividing the flatbed surface into a plurality of strips extending in the second direction over a length of the flatbed surface in the second direction, storing a position of each of the plurality of strips in storage of the control unit, for each strip coupling in storage a thickness range to the strip, the thickness range including a maximum allowed thickness for a piece of media to be placed in the strip on the flatbed surface and a minimum allowed th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: OCÉ-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventor: Anne A. Wind
  • Patent number: 9931873
    Abstract: In an inkjet printer, from one side of a main scanning direction, first through fourth ultraviolet irradiation devices arrayed in the main scanning direction at least partially overlap first and second recording heads. A distance in the main scanning direction between a middle position in the main scanning direction of the first recording head and a middle position in the main scanning direction of the first ultraviolet irradiation device is equal to a distance in the main scanning direction between the middle position of the first recording head and a middle position in the main scanning direction of the second ultraviolet irradiation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventor: Youichirou Ogawa