Patents Issued in September 27, 2018
  • Publication number: 20180272704
    Abstract: A method, includes receiving native image data at a processor for a printing system having a jet stack including a nozzle plate with an array of jets, formatting the native image data by pixels for each jet within the array of jets to produce ordered image data, scanning the ordered image data to determine timing and frequency of any pre-fire sequences needed for each jet, replacing a portion of the ordered image data for jets that need pre-fire sequences with a predetermined trigger sequence followed by a number and pattern of pre-fire pulses to produce modified image data, and transmit the modified image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: DAVID L. KNIERIM
  • Publication number: 20180272705
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a driving waveform generating device comprises an input module, a setting module, and a generating module. The input module inputs setting data for setting a driving waveform. The setting module sets an order of waveforms constituting the driving waveform based on the setting data for the driving waveform of each gradation. The generating module generates the driving waveform of a desired gradation based on the setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Shunichi Ono, Noboru Nitta
  • Publication number: 20180272706
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a liquid discharge head comprises a number of times controller and a discharge amount controller. The number of times controller controls the number of times droplets are discharged for one pixel based on input image data. The discharge amount controller controls a discharge amount of the droplet based on the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Noriyuki Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20180272707
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inkjet head includes a pressure chamber connected to a nozzle, an actuator corresponding to the pressure chamber and configured to change a volume of the pressure chamber, and a drive circuit configured to drive the actuator causing two or more ink droplets to be consecutively discharged from the nozzle. The drive circuit applies in sequence a first drive waveform for expanding the pressure chamber, a second drive waveform having a first pulse width, a third drive waveform for releasing the pressure chamber from an expanded state, a fourth drive waveform having a second pulse width, and a fifth drive waveform for contracting the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Noboru NITTA
  • Publication number: 20180272708
    Abstract: A printhead module includes a plurality of rows of printhead nozzles, at least some of the rows including at least one displaced row portion, the displacement of the row portion including a component in a direction normal to that of a pagewidth to be printed, wherein the displaced row portions of at least some of the rows are different in length than the displaced row portions of at least some of the other rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsuo SAKAIDA, Takeshi ASANO, Atsushi HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20180272709
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a nozzle to discharge a liquid, an individual chamber communicating with the nozzle, a supply channel communicating with the individual chamber to supply the liquid to the individual chamber, and a discharge channel communicating with the individual chamber to discharge the liquid in the individual chamber. A fluid resistance of the supply channel is greater than a fluid resistance of the discharge channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Junichi IWATA, Takahiro YOSHIDA, Yukio OTOME, Tomoaki MURAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20180272710
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes an ejecting section including a pressure chamber filled with liquid, a communicating flow channel communicating with a nozzle which ejects the liquid filling the pressure chamber, and a piezoelectric element driven with a drive signal, a circuit substrate provided above the ejecting section, a switch circuit which is provided on the circuit substrate, and a reserve chamber which reserves the liquid to be supplied to the pressure chamber. The piezoelectric element is provided in a sealed space defined by a plurality of members including the circuit substrate, the pressure chamber includes an inlet port allowing the liquid within the reserve chamber to flow into the pressure chamber, an outlet port allowing the liquid within the pressure chamber to flow to the reserve chamber, and a supply port allowing the liquid within the pressure chamber to be supplied to the communicating flow channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Motonori CHIKAMOTO, Toru MATSUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20180272711
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an ink jet head (liquid ejecting head) includes an actuator plate and a cover plate (see FIG. 8). As illustrated in FIG. 1, channel grooves for a discharge channel (ejection channel) and a non-discharge channel (non-ejection channel) in a Z-direction are formed on a front surface of the actuator plate, so as to be alternately arranged in an X-direction, by cutting with a dicing blade or the like. The discharge channel and the non-discharge channel are formed to have a groove width W of smaller than 70 ?m, in order to correspond to high density of nozzles. In the embodiment, the discharge channel and the non-discharge channel are formed to have a groove width of 55 ?m, 50 ?m, or 40 ?m, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Hitoshi NAKAYAMA, Takeshi SUGIYAMA, Daichi NISHIKAWA, Eriko MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20180272712
    Abstract: Channel grooves for a discharge channel and a non-discharge channel are formed in the surface of an actuator plate by cutting. The discharge channel includes an extension portion and a raise-and-cut portion, and the non-discharge channel also includes an extension portion and a raise-and-cut portion. In an embodiment, an electrode clearance groove is formed in advance by cutting with a dicing blade or the like. After the electrode clearance groove is formed, an electrode is formed by plating. Since plating is performed after the electrode clearance groove is formed, a clearance groove electrode is integrally formed with an AP-side common pad in the electrode clearance groove, and thus the clearance groove electrode and the AP-side common pad are short-circuited. Thus, an electrode separation portion is formed by cutting a short-circuited portion of the clearance groove electrode and the AP-side common pad through cutting or irradiation with laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Hitoshi NAKAYAMA, Takeshi SUGIYAMA, Daichi NISHIKAWA, Eriko MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20180272713
    Abstract: A plate-like detection plate portion that undergoes strain due to contact with an object is used for detecting the presence of an object that can come into contact with a liquid ejecting unit with relative movement between a medium and the liquid ejecting unit, and is provided with a piezoelectric film sensor that outputs an electric signal corresponding to strain of the detection plate portion. The piezoelectric film sensor includes a detection film portion in which a piezoelectric element that causes a voltage change corresponding to the strain is arranged, and an output circuit portion that converts the voltage change of the detection film portion into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal. The output circuit portion is provided on a second plate surface, which is a rear surface of a first plate surface facing the medium, of the detection plate portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Kenji OTOKITA, Seiji IHARA
  • Publication number: 20180272714
    Abstract: A discharge channel and a non-discharge channel are formed to have a similar shape, that is, to include extension portions and raise-and-cut portions continuing from end portions of both the extension portions, respectively. Then, imparting of a catalyst, washing of an unnecessary catalyst, plating, and the like are performed on a target surface, as a plating step. In an embodiment, an electrode clearance groove is formed after the plating step. Since channel grooves for the discharge channel and the non-discharge channel have a similar shape, it is possible to cause a water flow to uniformly flow in the channels when washing is performed, and thus to avoid an occurrence of a situation in which a lump is formed in the channel groove by plating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Hitoshi NAKAYAMA, Takeshi SUGIYAMA, Daichi NISHIKAWA, Eriko MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20180272715
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus of the present disclosure includes a recording head, a cap portion, and a moisture-retaining agent supply mechanism. The cap portion caps the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki FUKUNAGA, Masaki MURASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20180272716
    Abstract: The controller obtains temperature data based on a temperature sensor when the controller is in an energized state and stores temperature history information of the obtained temperature data in a storage. The controller determines whether there occurs a non-energized state after a previous purge operation, estimates the temperature data in the non-energized state based on the temperature history information when the non-energized state exists after previous execution of the purge operation, and sets a purge condition of a next purge operation based on an elapsed time from previous execution of the purge operation and the temperature history information stored in the storage, sets the purge condition based on the estimated temperature data in the non-energized state in addition to the elapsed time and the temperature history information when there exists the non-energized state after the previous execution of the purge operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAGI, Tatsuya SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20180272717
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a maintenance apparatus includes a first suction nozzle having a first suction port facing a first nozzle row through which a first liquid can be ejected, the first nozzle row including nozzles aligned in a first direction on a nozzle plate, and a second suction nozzle having a second suction port facing a second nozzle row through which a second liquid can be ejected, the second nozzle row including nozzles aligned in the first direction on the nozzle plate and parallel to the first nozzle row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Kazuhisa KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20180272718
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes an ejection opening; a passage in which an energy generation element is disposed; an ejection opening portion that allows communication between the ejection opening and the passage; a supply passage for allowing the liquid to flow into the passage; and an outflow passage for allowing the liquid to flow out to the outside. An expression of H?0.34×P?0.66×W>1.7 is satisfied when a height of the passage is set to H, a length of the ejection opening portion is set to P, and a length of the ejection opening portion is set to W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Shingo Okushima, Seiichiro Karita, Takatsuna Aoki, Noriyasu Nagai, Eisuke Nishitani, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20180272719
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a center frame that supports a recorder which performs recording on a medium; and at least two side frames positioned with the center frame interposed therebetween. The two side frames include: a first sub-frame to which both of a first feeder and a second feeder that feed a medium are mountable, the second feeder differing from the first feeder in the position from which to feed a medium; and a second sub-frame to which one of the first feeder and the second feeder is mountable. The second sub-frame includes a support portion that supports a power transmission unit which transmits drive power from a motor to the first feeder or the second feeder, the motor being a drive source necessary to feed a medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Keisuke SASAKI, Kazuo SAITO
  • Publication number: 20180272720
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge section configured to discharge liquid onto a medium, a holding section capable of holding a waste liquid container capable of containing waste liquid exhausted from the liquid discharge section, a sensor capable of detecting a state in which a containing amount of the waste liquid container has reached a threshold value, and a calculation section configured to calculate a waste liquid amount based on an exhaust amount of the waste liquid exhausted by the liquid discharge section. In the case where the sensor has detected the state in which the containing amount has reached the threshold value, the calculation section calculates the waste liquid amount by adding the exhaust amount of the waste liquid exhausted after the detection of the state by the sensor to the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Akira MASHIMA, Seijun HORIE
  • Publication number: 20180272721
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge body having a liquid storage chamber, a liquid supply sleeve having a distal end portion, a seal portion disposed at the distal end portion of the liquid supply sleeve, a cap fixing the seal portion, and a snap-fit mechanism configured to engage the cap with one of the cartridge body and the liquid supply sleeve. The snap-fit mechanism includes engagement surfaces and a pair of projections. Each projection includes a pair of engagement pawls configured to be engaged with the corresponding engagement surfaces at a tip end portion of each projection. The pair of engagement pawls of each projection includes a first engagement pawl protruding in a crossing direction, and a second engagement pawl protruding in a direction opposite to a direction in which the first engagement pawl protrudes in the crossing direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihito ONO
  • Publication number: 20180272722
    Abstract: An ink tank for an inkjet printer is described. The ink tank has a top end and a bottom end and includes an ink conduit connecting the inside of the tank to the outside and extending inside the tank from the top end by a first distance; an air conduit connecting the inside of the tank to the outside and extending inside the tank from the top end by a second distance, the second distance being less than the first distance; a vent connecting the inside of the tank to the outside, an inside opening of the vent being located at a third distance, less than the second distance, from the top end; and an ink outlet connecting the inside of the tank to the outside, an inside opening of the ink outlet being located at a fourth distance, greater than the second distance, from the top end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Bryan Murphy, Aidan O'Reilly, Coilin Hegarty, John Oliver
  • Publication number: 20180272723
    Abstract: At least one of making an ink replenishing operation easy and making it possible to select one out of a plurality of types of ink replenishment containers in order to perform ink replenishment is achieved. An ink replenishment assist apparatus includes a plug detachably mounted to the ink inlet of an ink tank and a conduit. The conduit has a first opening open to the inside of the ink tank in an in-use state of the ink replenishment assist apparatus, a second opening positioned on an opposite side to the first opening, and open to the outside of the ink tank, and a channel that brings the first opening and the second opening into communication with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi SHINADA, Tadahiro MIZUTANI, Taku ISHIZAWA, Noriyuki FUKASAWA, Tadashi WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20180272724
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge casing having a liquid storage chamber defined by a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall; and a liquid supply portion; a top wall; and an accessed member. The liquid supply portion has a liquid supply hole extending from the liquid storage chamber to the outside in a frontward direction. The front, rear, first side, and second side walls are formed of a material permitting the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to be visually recognized from the outside. Each of the front, rear, first side, and second side walls includes a portion forming an outer wall of the cartridge casing exposed to the outside of the cartridge casing. The accessed member is disposed upward relative to the liquid storage chamber and accessed from the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke NUKUI, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Takahiro MIYAO, Akihito ONO, Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Fumio NAKAZAWA
  • Publication number: 20180272725
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge casing; and a liquid supply portion. The cartridge casing has a liquid storage chamber configured to store a liquid therein. The cartridge casing has an inner surface defining the liquid storage chamber. The liquid supply portion has a liquid supply hole extending in a frontward direction from the liquid storage chamber to an outside in an operational posture of the liquid cartridge. The frontward direction is perpendicular to a gravitational direction. The inner surface includes a side surface and a bottom surface in the operational posture of the liquid cartridge. The bottom surface has a curved region connected to the side surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro MIYAO, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Fumio NAKAZAWA, Akihito ONO, Kosuke NUKUI
  • Publication number: 20180272726
    Abstract: Provided is technology for improving a mechanism for attaching a cartridge to a printer. A cartridge includes a main body that includes a front face, a rear face that opposes the front face, a lower face, an upper face that opposes the lower face, and two side faces, a liquid container that is provided inside the main body, and contains liquid, a liquid supply port that is provided in the front face, and is connected to a liquid introduction portion of a printer so as to supply the liquid contained in the liquid container, a cartridge-side electrical connector that is provided in the front face, and is to be connected to a device-side electrical connector of the printer while receiving a biasing force from a terminal portion, and a lock mechanism that is provided in the rear face, and restricts movement of the cartridge in an attached state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takumi Nagashima, Hiroyoshi Ozeki
  • Publication number: 20180272727
    Abstract: A cartridge includes: a case; an accommodation part inside of the case; a liquid leading-out port; a cartridge side electrical connection part; and a cartridge side fixation structure. Engagement of the device side fixation structure and the cartridge side fixation structure restricts moving the case in a state of being imparted with the force directing to ?Z direction. The cartridge side fixation structure and the cartridge side electrical connection part overlap with each other at least in a part when the cartridge is viewed in Z directions. A width of the cartridge in the Z direction is smaller than a width in Y direction and a width in the X directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi NAGASHIMA, Hiroyoshi Ozeki, Hiroyuki Kawate, Atsushi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20180272728
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into a cartridge attachment section includes: a cartridge body having a liquid storage chamber, and a liquid supply portion configured to supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside. The liquid supply portion includes: a front end face facing frontward, an outer peripheral surface extending rearward from the front end face, and at least one guide provided at the outer peripheral surface. Each of the at least one guide is guided by corresponding at least one projection of the cartridge attachment section during attachment of a liquid supply tube of the cartridge attachment section to the liquid supply portion at a time of attachment of the liquid cartridge to the cartridge attachment section. Each of the at least one guide includes: a first guide portion, and a second guide portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito ONO, Akinari ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20180272729
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus including a casing, a liquid consuming section, and a tank. The tank includes a box-shaped body having a light-transmitting property and having five walls and a partition wall; a film adhered to rear end portions of the walls; and a positioning section disposed at least on an outer surface of each of the upper and lower walls, or of each of the right and left walls. In a state that the liquid consuming apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the box-shaped body is positioned at a posture at which the positioning section is brought into contact with the casing to thereby allow the front wall to be exposed from a side surface of the casing which extends in a direction crossing the horizontal plane, and at which the rear end portions are located inside the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinori IGARASHI
  • Publication number: 20180272730
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head, includes a nozzle from which liquid is discharged, an individual chamber communicating with the nozzle, a supply channel communicating with the individual chamber, the liquid flowing through the supply channel in a first direction, and a filter disposed upstream of the supply channel, the liquid filtering through the filter in a second direction. The first direction intersects the second direction, and the supply channel includes an inlet disposed at a position overlapping the filter in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Toshimichi ODAKA, Takahiro YOSHIDA, Takakazu KIHIRA, Takayuki NAKAI
  • Publication number: 20180272731
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording head that performs recording; a carriage that has a recording head on the bottom and is movable in a width direction intersecting a medium transport direction; at least one ink tank loaded on the carriage, above the recording head, the ink tank storing ink to be supplied to the recording head and having a filling port from which ink can be poured from a refilling container. The ink tank has, at least in one portion thereof, a level checking portion formed of a transparent material through which the liquid level in the liquid container can be viewed. The carriage has a first viewing portion through which the level checking portion of the ink tank can be viewed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Naomi KIMURA, Shoma KUDO, Takashi KOASE
  • Publication number: 20180272732
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a controller configured to: control a head to discharge liquid in accordance with a discharge instruction; update a first count value to a value corresponding to an amount of liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction after a cartridge is mounted to a cartridge holder in a direction of approximating to a threshold value A; receive a first signal from a sensor; receive a second signal from the sensor; and when the first count value upon the receiving of the second signal reaches a threshold value ?, operate a notification device in response to an updated first count value updated after the receiving of the second signal reaching the threshold value A. The threshold value A is more distant from an initial value of the first count value than the threshold value ?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Kenta HORADE
  • Publication number: 20180272733
    Abstract: An apparatus specifies authority of a user who is logged onto the apparatus. The apparatus enables displaying a first display item for purchasing a consumable based on at least the presence or absence of the specified authority of logged in user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Akihiro Moriya
  • Publication number: 20180272734
    Abstract: An example of a printing fluid supply connector is described that has a first connector and a second connector, where each of the first and second connectors is to fluidly connect to a respective replaceable reservoir of printing fluid. The printing fluid supply connector also has an outlet to fluidly connect to a printer and a selector to selectively fluidly connect one of the first and second connectors to the outlet in response to an electrical control signal or to fluid pressure at the first and second connectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Francesc Ros Cerro, Marc Bautista Palacios, Macia Sole Pons, Emilio Jose Gongora Canada
  • Publication number: 20180272735
    Abstract: A liquid circulation apparatus includes a main tank that stores a liquid, an upstream tank connectable to an upstream side of an inkjet head, a downstream tank connectable to a downstream side of the inkjet head, a pump configured to supply the liquid from the main tank at an amount larger than a sum of an amount of liquid passing through the inkjet head and an amount of liquid ejected from the inkjet head. The upstream tank includes a first upstream liquid chamber configured to be at a hydrostatic position higher than a nozzle of the inkjet head and connected to the pump, a second upstream liquid chamber configured to be connected to the inkjet head, and a third upstream liquid chamber connected to the main tank. The downstream tank includes a first downstream liquid chamber configured to be at a hydrostatic position lower than the nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Jun TAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20180272736
    Abstract: A valve unit includes a flow path member having an opening surface that has a flow path opening of a liquid flow path, a valve having a sealing surface configured to seal the flow path opening, and a sealing member disposed on one of a peripheral portion of the flow path opening in the opening surface and a portion of the sealing surface facing the peripheral portion. The sealing surface is configured to be moved forward and backward relative to the opening surface to open and close the flow path opening. The sealing member is configured to be in contact with the peripheral portion of the flow path opening and the sealing surface when the valve is closed. The sealing member includes a fluorinated polyether.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Kei TADACHI, Satoshi NAGATOYA, Hiroyuki TSUCHIYA
  • Publication number: 20180272737
    Abstract: A liquid supplying apparatus includes a support table on which a container for storing liquid can be placed, a liquid flow path detachably connected to the container, a movable section configured to push up the container placed on the support table. A force of the movable section pushing up the container is smaller than a weight of the container at full capacity. As the residual amount of liquid decreases, the container placed on the support table is pushed up by the movable section and displaced while remaining connected to the liquid flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Akira MASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20180272738
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes: a pressurized space and a depressurized space for circulation of ink along a circulation path; a main connection path and an adjustment path connecting the pressurized space and the depressurized space to each other; an air pump configured to send air from the depressurized space to the pressurized space though the main connection path or the adjustment path; a changeover device configured to change over between the main connection path and the adjustment path; and a controller. The controller drives the air pump with the main connection path being set to generate preset pressures respectively in the pressurized space and the depressurized space and then controls the air pump with the adjustment path being changed over to maintain pressures in the pressurized space and the depressurized space respectively at the preset pressures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi SUGITANI
  • Publication number: 20180272739
    Abstract: A liquid circulation apparatus includes a circulation channel through which a liquid is circulated via a liquid discharge head including a supply port and a discharge port. The circulation channel includes a first manifold communicating with the supply port of the liquid discharge head, a second manifold communicating with the discharge port of the liquid discharge head, a supply channel connecting the first manifold and the supply port of the liquid discharge head, and a discharge channel connecting the second manifold and the discharge port of the liquid discharge head. A fluid resistance from the first manifold to the supply port of the liquid discharge head via the supply channel is smaller than a fluid resistance from the second manifold to the discharge port of the liquid discharge head via the discharge channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sawase, Takahiro Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20180272740
    Abstract: A liquid circulating apparatus includes a circulation route configured to circulate liquid through a liquid ejecting head, the circulation route including: a supply-side tank leading to a supply port of the liquid ejecting head; and a discharge-side tank leading to a discharge port of the liquid ejecting head, wherein the liquid is circulated by setting pressure in the supply-side tank higher than pressure in the discharge-side tank, and a sum of the pressure in the supply-side tank and the pressure in the discharge-side tank is set smaller when initial filling for filling the circulation route with the liquid is performed than when the liquid is circulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio OTOME, Takahiro YOSHIDA, Takayuki NAKAI, Ryuji YOSHIDA, Junichi IWATA
  • Publication number: 20180272741
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge casing having a liquid storage chamber; a first wall; a second wall; and an air communication passage. The first wall is positioned upward relative to the liquid storage chamber. The second wall is positioned upward relative to the first wall. The air communication passage has a first communication hole in communication with the liquid storage chamber and a communication opening open to an atmosphere. The air communication passage includes: an air chamber defined by the first wall and the second wall and in communication with the liquid storage chamber through the first communication hole; a second communication hole formed in the second wall; and a labyrinth path. The labyrinth path is positioned upward relative to the air chamber, and has one end in communication with the second communication hole and another end in communication with the communication opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Takahiro MIYAO, Fumio NAKAZAWA, Naoya OKAZAKI, Akihito ONO, Kosuke NUKUI, Hiroshi TAIRA, Toyonori SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20180272742
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes a cartridge body including: a liquid storage chamber, a liquid supply portion providing a liquid supply hole supplying the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to an outside, an air communication passage communicating liquid storage chamber with an atmosphere, a front wall, a rear wall spaced apart from the front wall, a lower wall connecting a lower end of the front wall and a lower end of the rear wall, and an upper wall extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The air communication passage includes an air communication pipe having one open end positioned downward relative to a highest liquid level and upward relative to an up-down center portion of the liquid storage chamber. The highest liquid level is defined in a state where a maximum permissible amount of liquid is stored in the liquid storage chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20180272743
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a plurality of nozzles to discharge a liquid, a plurality of individual chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles, a plurality of discharge channels communicating with the plurality of individual chambers, a plurality of supply-side common chambers connected to the plurality of individual chambers, and a plurality of discharge-side common chambers connected to the plurality of discharge channels. The plurality of discharge-side common chamber has a same fluid resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Takayuki Nakai, Toshimichi Odaka, Takakazu Kihira, Takahiro Yoshida, Shiomi Andou, Yukio Otome, Katsuya Ishii
  • Publication number: 20180272744
    Abstract: In a method for operating an inkjet printing machine, a condition of an ink is determined. A sedimentation and/or agglomeration of a pigmented ink is determined by refractometry, i.e. the value of the refractive index of the ink is measured with a refractometer and compared with a stored value with computer assistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: MATTHIAS SCHLOERHOLZ
  • Publication number: 20180272745
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes head units each having an upstream head and a downstream head. The downstream head is adjacent to the upstream head as seen in a width direction of a recording medium, and is positioned downstream from the upstream head as seen in a transport direction. Each of the upstream and downstream heads includes a plurality of nozzles, and some of the nozzles in the upstream head and some of the nozzles in the downstream head overlap each other in widthwise position. A controller for the inkjet printer includes a ratio changing part for changing a usage ratio between the nozzles in the upstream head and the nozzles in the downstream head in an overlap region that is a widthwise range in which the overlapping ones of the nozzles are present. The occurrence of color irregularities in the overlap region is suppressed by appropriately setting the usage ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: YOSHIKAZU ICHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20180272746
    Abstract: A liquid droplet discharging apparatus includes a printing unit that moves a discharging head in a scanning direction and prints a test pattern on a medium by discharging a liquid droplets from nozzles of the discharging head, a transporting unit that intermittently transports the medium in a transporting direction, and a reading unit that reads the test pattern. The printing unit prints the test pattern by overlapping a transportation reference pattern and a transportation deviation pattern, in order to correct at least any one of a transportation amount of the medium being transported by the transporting unit and a discharging position to which the liquid droplets are discharged from the nozzles. The reading unit reads a completed part of the test pattern at the same time as printing the test pattern by the printing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: So YOKOTA
  • Publication number: 20180272747
    Abstract: A printer includes a processor and a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements to print an image having a plurality of print lines on a printing medium on the basis of printing data, wherein in an initial control period, for any printing data, the processor causes the thermal head to perform a division printing for each of the print lines that are to be printed in the control period, the division printing being such that for each print line to be printed, the plurality of heating elements are divided into a plurality of subgroups and the respective subgroups of the heating elements are activated in a time-divided manner, and wherein in a normal period after the control period, the processor causes the thermal head performs a non-division printing for at least some of the print lines that are to be printed in the normal period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaki ITO
  • Publication number: 20180272748
    Abstract: A printer includes a processor; a thermal head driver circuit that drives a thermal head for printing on a printing medium; a motor driver circuit that drives a motor configured to convey the printing medium; and a power supply circuit that includes a capacitor and a first switching circuit to charge the capacitor, the power supply circuit supplying electrical power to the thermal head driver circuit and the motor driver circuit via the capacitor, wherein the processor, when stopping operation of the printer, performs a control process of discharging the capacitor via the motor driver circuit and the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirokazu HASEGAWA, Toshiaki KANAMURA, Yoshimasa YOKOYAMA, Yasushi MURAI
  • Publication number: 20180272749
    Abstract: An information processing device is connected to a first reading device to read a recording medium to generate first data, a writing device to write on the recording medium based on second data, and a second reading device to read the recording medium to generate third data. The information processing device includes a first retrieval unit to obtain the first data; an identifying unit to identify the recording medium based on the first data; a second retrieval unit to obtain, upon detecting that the writing device writes on the recording medium, the third data; a determination unit to determine whether the second data differs from the third data; a calculation unit to calculate a number of times of writing on the recording medium; a storage unit to store the calculation value; and an evaluation unit to evaluate the recording medium based on the calculation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Kazutaka YAMAMOTO, Daisuke TEZUKA, Yukari SUMITA
  • Publication number: 20180272750
    Abstract: A drawing apparatus includes a processor determining the aspect ratio of the surface area of a target nail of a finger or a toe, and entering a first fitting mode to modify the aspect ratio of at least one nail design in accordance with the surface area of the target nail and to fit the at least one nail design to the surface area of the nail. The rate of modification of the aspect ratio of the at least one nail design is within a modification threshold of the at least one nail design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuichi YAMASAKI
  • Publication number: 20180272751
    Abstract: A drawing apparatus includes a drawing head drawing a pattern on the surface of a target nail of a hand or foot; and a processor. The processor controls the drawing head to scan a plurality of times across an area on the surface of the nail and to draw the pattern on the area during each of the plurality of scanning operations of the drawing head based on a curvature of the nail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuichi YAMASAKI
  • Publication number: 20180272752
    Abstract: In one example, a system for a partially dried inkjet media conditioner includes a partially dried Inkjet media conditioner, including: a first connector to couple a first end of the conditioner to a printing device, a second connector to couple a second end of the conditioner to a finishing device, and a constrained path extending through the conditioner to receive partially dried inkjet media from the printing device and provide the partially dried Inkjet media to the finishing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Alan Shibata, Steve O Ramussen, Matthew RaisanenVancouver, Jeffrey G Bingham, Sam Sing, Aurelio Maruggi
  • Publication number: 20180272753
    Abstract: In one example, a system for partially dried inkjet media fusers include a plurality of fusers aligned to receive partially dried inkjet media from a printing device, wherein the plurality of fusers each comprise a top roller and a bottom roller to apply pressure to the received partially dried inkjet media, and a finisher to receive the partially dried inkjet media from the plurality of fusers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Steve O. Rasmussen, Mark H. MacKenzie, Bradley B. Branham, Jeffrey G. Bingham