Patents Issued in June 1, 2021
  • Patent number: 11020939
    Abstract: Nanofiber electrodes for electrochemical devices and fabricating methods of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a liquid mixture containing a catalyst, a first polymer of perfluoro sulfonic acid and a second polymer of polyethylene oxide, the first polymer of perfluoro sulfonic acid being pre-treated to remove protons in the first polymer by exchange with a cation species like Na+; and electro spinning the liquid mixture to generate electro spun fibers and deposit the generated fibers on a collector substrate to form a fiber electrode mat comprising a network of fibers, where each fiber has a plurality of particles of the catalyst distributed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Peter N. Pintauro
  • Patent number: 11020940
    Abstract: A lining plate having an outer decorative layer, a support layer having at least magnesium oxide or magnesium oxide with perlite and/or vermiculite and/or cellulose, a barrier membrane to reduce or avoid water and moisture intrusion, and a self-adhesive foam material layer with an adhesive surface to be placed on a surface to be lined, the layer being provided with a plurality of perforations. The support layer has a non-homogeneous density in its thickness, distinguishing a first thickness, following the decorative layer, and a second thickness, between the first thickness and the barrier membrane, in which the density in the first thickness is greater than the density in the second thickness. The support layer is provided with a reinforcing structure formed by meshes or by a fabric of a composite material located within the second thickness of the support layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: EURO TRADE FLOORING, S.L.
    Inventor: David Granados Pelaez
  • Patent number: 11020941
    Abstract: A window including a layer of optically clear structural polymer core and two layers of optically clear silicone applied to first and second sides of the core. A method is disclosed for manufacturing a window that comprises injection molding a layer of optically clear structural polymer and solidifying the structural polymer core. Optically clear silicone is then injected onto the entire surface of both of the first and second sides of the optically clear structural polymer core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: FORD MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul Kenneth Dellock, Thomas F Boettger, Talat Karmo, Stuart C. Salter, Michael Musleh
  • Patent number: 11020942
    Abstract: Provided are: a laminate having an outer surface thereof that is highly adhesive to a rubber material, and having sufficient gas barrier properties, interlayer adhesiveness and flex resistance; a multilayered structure including such a laminate; and a method for producing the same. A laminate including: a plurality of gas barrier layers (A) formed from a polymer including a gas barrier resin; and an elastomer layer (B) including at least one adhesive layer (B1), wherein a sum of number of the gas barrier layers (A) and number of the elastomer layer (B) is 5 or greater and 300 or less, the adhesive layer (B1) is laminated as at least an outermost layer, and the adhesive layer (B1) includes a styrene elastomer and is formed from a polymer having an iodine value of 200 or greater and 300 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: KURARAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Suzuki, Yasuhiro Nonaka
  • Patent number: 11020943
    Abstract: A kitchen wrap film comprising a barrier layer and an adhesive layer is disclosed where the thickness of the film is less than 25 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: FLEXOPACK S A.
    Inventor: Dimitris Ginosatis
  • Patent number: 11020944
    Abstract: A first multilayer shrink film has an outer polyester layer, an inner O2-barrier layer, and a tie layer between the polyester layer and the barrier layer. A second multilayer film an outer polyester layer, an inner polyamide layer, and a tie layer between the polyester and polyamide layers. The tie layer comprises a styrene-based polymer, and the tie layer in the second film comprises an anhydride functional styrene based copolymer. Included are a packaging article comprising the film, a packaging process utilizing the film, a process for making the film, and a packaged product comprising a packaging article made the film, with a product inside the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Cryovac, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Broadus, Bryan Freeman, J. Douglas Wilson, Randall Brush, Donny Kay, Sumita Sanjeevi Ranganathan, Kevin McCormick
  • Patent number: 11020945
    Abstract: A multilayer structure is provided, which includes a layer containing a saponified ethylene-vinyl ester copolymer, and a layer of a thermoplastic resin other than the saponified ethylene-vinyl ester copolymer provided on at least one side of the saponified ethylene-vinyl ester copolymer-containing layer with the intervention of an adhesive resin layer. An interface layer having a thickness (X) of 50 to 400 nm is present in an interface between the saponified ethylene-vinyl ester copolymer-containing layer and the adhesive resin layer. Alternatively, a viscosity increase rate in the interface between the saponified ethylene-vinyl ester copolymer-containing layer and the adhesive resin layer is 0.1% to 8%. Therefore, the multilayer structure has long-run durability, and is less liable to have poor appearance even if being produced by a multilayer coextrusion method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryohei Komuro
  • Patent number: 11020946
    Abstract: A building board, particularly a gypsum board, can have a high fastener sealability if protected by the combination of thin layers of an extruded polymer film and a thermoplastic coating layer. The combination of extruded polymer film and thermoplastic coating layer is designed such that the gypsum board can also tolerate overdriven fasteners, thus exceeding the requirements of ASTM D1970-15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CERTAINTEED GYPSUM, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Peet, Artemis Agelaridou-Twohig, Michael J. Lemberger, Todd P. DiNoia, Jean-Philippe Ndobo-Epoy
  • Patent number: 11020947
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a thermo-shrinkable polyester film with excellent UV absorbance and heat resistance. According to one embodiment of the invention, provided is a thermo-shrinkable polyester film comprising a first resin layer comprising polyester resin comprising residues of dicarboxylic acid components comprising aromatic dicarboxylic acid, and residues of diol components comprising 4-(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexylmethyl 4?-(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexanecarboxylate, and 4,4-(oxybis(methylene)bis)cyclohexane methanol; and a second resin layer comprising the polyester resin and a UV absorber, formed on at least one side of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SK Chemicals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seol-Hee Lim, Sung-Gi Kim
  • Patent number: 11020948
    Abstract: A decorative laminate lay-up includes a top layer of a radiation and thermally cured composition coated directly onto an untreated decorative paper layer, a paper layer impregnated with resin, and a core layer composed of one or more sheets of paper impregnated with resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: WILSONART LLC
    Inventor: Robert R. Krebs
  • Patent number: 11020949
    Abstract: The method of making a laminate (100) includes stretching a thermoplastic layer (102) so that it plastically deforms, relaxing the plastically deformed thermoplastic layer (102) to reduce its tensile strain, and subsequently laminating the thermoplastic layer (102) to a substrate (104) to make the laminate (100). The stretching, relaxing, and laminating are completed in-line. The thermoplastic layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, with the first surface of the thermoplastic layer bearing a plurality of male fastening elements. The second surface of the thermoplastic layer (100) is laminated to the substrate (104).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Gilbert, Neelakandan Chandrasekaran, Todd L. Nelson, Michael R. Gorman, Mark A. Peltier
  • Patent number: 11020950
    Abstract: A method for bonding a contact surface of a first substrate to a contact surface of a second substrate comprising of the steps of: positioning the first substrate on a first receiving surface of a first receiving apparatus and positioning the second substrate on a second receiving surface of a second receiving apparatus; establishing contact of the contact surfaces at a bond initiation site; and bonding the first substrate to the second substrate along a bonding wave which is travelling from the bond initiation site to the side edges of the substrates, wherein the first substrate and/or the second substrate is/are deformed for alignment of the contact surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: EV Group E. Thallner GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Wagenleitner, Markus Wimplinger, Friedrich Paul Lindner, Thomas Plach, Florian Kurz
  • Patent number: 11020951
    Abstract: A method for bonding a contact surface of a first substrate to a contact surface of a second substrate comprising of the steps of: positioning the first substrate on a first receiving surface of a first receiving apparatus and positioning the second substrate on a second receiving surface of a second receiving apparatus; establishing contact of the contact surfaces at a bond initiation site; and bonding the first substrate to the second substrate along a bonding wave which is travelling from the bond initiation site to the side edges of the substrates, wherein the first substrate and/or the second substrate is/are deformed for alignment of the contact surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: EV Group E. Thallner GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Wagenleitner, Markus Wimplinger, Friedrich Paul Lindner, Thomas Plach, Florian Kurz
  • Patent number: 11020952
    Abstract: A method for bonding a contact surface of a first substrate to a contact surface of a second substrate comprising of the steps of: positioning the first substrate on a first receiving surface of a first receiving apparatus and positioning the second substrate on a second receiving surface of a second receiving apparatus; establishing contact of the contact surfaces at a bond initiation site; and bonding the first substrate to the second substrate along a bonding wave which is travelling from the bond initiation site to the side edges of the substrates, wherein the first substrate and/or the second substrate is/are deformed for alignment of the contact surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: EV Group E. Thallner GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Wagenleitner, Markus Wimplinger, Friedrich Paul Lindner, Thomas Plach, Florian Kurz
  • Patent number: 11020953
    Abstract: A method for bonding a contact surface of a first substrate to a contact surface of a second substrate comprising of the steps of: positioning the first substrate on a first receiving surface of a first receiving apparatus and positioning the second substrate on a second receiving surface of a second receiving apparatus; establishing contact of the contact surfaces at a bond initiation site; and bonding the first substrate to the second substrate along a bonding wave which is travelling from the bond initiation site to the side edges of the substrates, wherein the first substrate and/or the second substrate is/are deformed for alignment of the contact surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: EV Group E. Thallner GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Wagenleitner, Markus Wimplinger, Friedrich Paul Lindner, Thomas Plach, Florian Kurz
  • Patent number: 11020954
    Abstract: A method of additive manufacturing comprises determining a first resonant frequency of an unflawed reference workpiece at a first partial stage of completion, fabricating a production workpiece to the first partial stage of completion via additive manufacture, sensing a second resonant frequency of the production workpiece in-situ at the first partial stage of completion, during the fabrication, analyzing the workpiece for flaws based on comparison of the first and second resonant frequencies, and providing an output indicative of production workpiece condition, based on the analysis. An additive manufacturing system comprises an additive manufacturing tool, a sensor, and a controller. The additive manufacturing tool is disposed to construct a workpiece via iterative layer deposition. The sensor is disposed to determine a resonant frequency of the workpiece in-situ at the additive manufacturing tool, during fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: JinQuan Xu
  • Patent number: 11020955
    Abstract: A method of method of forming or repairing a superalloy article having a columnar or equiaxed or directionally solidified or amorphous or single crystal microstructure includes emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of a diode laser fiber array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the article onto a powder bed of the superalloy to form a melt pool; and controlling a temperature gradient and a solidification velocity of the melt pool to form the columnar or single crystal microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Thomas Carter, Marshall Gordon Jones, Lang Yuan, Ning Zhou, Steven Jude Duclos
  • Patent number: 11020956
    Abstract: Ink-based digital printing systems useful for ink printing include a photoreceptor layer configured to receive a layer of liquid immersion fluid. The liquid immersion fluid includes dampening fluid, dispersed gas particles, and charge directors that impart charge to the solid particles. The photoreceptor surface is charged to a uniform potential, and selectively discharged using an ROS according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image. The charged liquid immersion fluid adheres to portions of the photoreceptor surface according to the electrostatic latent image to form a fountain solution image. The fluid portion of the fountain solution image can be partially transferred to an imaging member and/or transfer member to form a dampening fluid image, either or both of which may be electrically biased. The dampening fluid image is inked on the transfer member, and the resulting ink image transferred to a print substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Antonio St. Clair Lloyd Williams, David K. Biegelsen, David Mathew Johnson
  • Patent number: 11020957
    Abstract: A producing method of a base member provided with a printed layer, the method including: disposing a printing plate including a screen plate having an opening pattern and a frame body supporting the screen plate so that the printing plate is opposed to a printing target surface of the base member having at least one bent portion; disposing a squeegee so as to be opposed to a plate surface of the screen plate opposite to the base member; and forming the printed layer by extruding a printing material onto the printing target surface by the squeegee via the opening pattern of the screen plate in a state where the frame body is supported so as to be relatively movable with respect to the printing target surface in a normal direction of the printing target surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventor: Keisuke Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11020958
    Abstract: A foil reel mounting device for supporting a reel of stamping foil in a supporting module. The device includes a support having a recess to receive an axle of the reel of stamping foil. A retaining element mounted on the support and arranged to move between a closed position, in which the retaining element retains the axle of the reel in the recess, and an open position, in which the retaining element releases the axle of the reel from the recess. The retaining element is biased towards the closed position. Also, a supporting module has at least one foil reel mounting device and a stamping machine includes a supporting module or at least one foil reel mounting device. A method for loading and unloading a reel of stamping foil with such at least one foil reel mounting device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Inventor: Julien Chretien
  • Patent number: 11020959
    Abstract: A printing apparatus for printing using a printhead including a plurality of nozzles, each configured to discharge ink, and a plurality of sensors, corresponding to the plurality of nozzles, for detecting a discharge state of ink from the plurality of nozzles, judges a discharge state. The apparatus prints, based on print data, an image by driving the printhead under a first drive condition to discharge the ink from the printhead to a first area, discharges ink to a second area different from the first area by driving the printhead, based on inspection data, under a second drive condition different from the first drive condition, and judges a discharge state of each nozzle by monitoring an output from each sensor at a timing of driving the printhead under the second drive condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Murase, Yoshiaki Murayama, Satoshi Kitai, Masahiko Umezawa, Tomoki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11020960
    Abstract: In one example, a fault-tolerant printhead includes an array of fluid actuators. Each fluid actuator includes a fault sensor to detect a faulted fluid actuator and a per-fluid actuator memory to store a fault sensor state of the fluid actuator. The fault-tolerant printhead also includes an interface to read a state of each per-fluid actuator memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Martin, Daryl E. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11020961
    Abstract: A control method of a liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection head, a cap configured to seal a nozzle formation surface, and an ejection failure detector which performs a detection operation of detecting ejection failure of a nozzle, the control method including starting a vibration operation of continuously vibrating the liquid in the nozzle, after a liquid ejection operation is completed, starting the detection operation before a relative moving operation of relatively moving the liquid ejection head and the cap so as to face each other is completed, and stopping the vibration operation after the detection operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Fumiya Takino
  • Patent number: 11020962
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus is provided, comprising a liquid ejection head, a signal output circuit which outputs different signals depending on the number of ejection-defective nozzles in which any defective discharge of a liquid occurs, and a controller. The controller executes judgment to judge whether a first condition that any ejection-defective nozzle is absent in two or more nozzles for constructing a first nozzle group is satisfied, a second condition that all of the nozzles are the ejection-defective nozzles is satisfied, or a third condition that only some of the nozzles are the ejection-defective nozzles is satisfied, on the basis of the signal outputted from the signal output circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakano, Zenichiro Sasaki, Yuta Toda
  • Patent number: 11020963
    Abstract: A fluidic die may include at least one fluidic passageway, at least one electrode disposed within the at least one fluidic passageway, and control circuitry to activate the electrode within the fluidic die. An impedance sensed at the electrode corresponds to a particle concentration within the fluid. The control circuitry activates the electrode during a separate pulse group assigned to the activation of the electrode among at least one other pulse group assigned to an activation of at least one fluid actuator within a column group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Martin, Daryl E. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11020964
    Abstract: A fluid ejection system includes a group of actuators and a controller. The controller can determine an operational mode of the fluid ejection system. Examples of operational modes include a service mode. In response to determining the fluid ejection system is in the service mode, the controller can modify a firing event sequence of each actuator in the group of actuators. The modification of the firing event sequence can be based in part on determining the fluid ejection system is operating in the service mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Vincent C Korthuis, James Gardner, Eric T Martin
  • Patent number: 11020965
    Abstract: Ink in a print head is heated to a target temperature by driving heating elements included in a print head. After heating control is completed, operation that is performed using power stored in a power storage unit is started. The target temperature in the heating control is determined in such a manner that the temperature of the print head when the operation is started is a set temperature or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Kobayashi, Kenichi Oonuki, Satoshi Seki, Tsukasa Doi
  • Patent number: 11020966
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head substrate including a base including a surface having a first and second heat generation elements, a conductive first covering portion, a conductive second covering portion, an insulating layer disposed between the first heat generation element and the first covering portion, and between the second heat generation element and the second covering portion, a fuse portion, first wiring electrically connected to the first covering portion through the fuse portion, the first wiring electrically connecting the first covering portion to the second covering portion, a terminal electrically connected to the first covering portion and the second covering portion through the first wiring, second wiring, and electric connection portions provided between the fuse portion and the terminal in a current path passing through the first wiring, the electric connection portions parallelly connecting the first and second wiring to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuzuru Ishida, Maki Kato, Yoshinori Misumi, Tsubasa Funabashi, Takahiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 11020967
    Abstract: A printhead includes a number of inkjet slivers molded into a moldable substrate. The overmolded inkjet slivers form at least one die. The printhead also includes a number of wire bonds electrically coupling the inkjet slivers to a side connector. The side connector electrically couples the inkjet slivers to a controller of a printing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Chien-Hua Chen, Michael W Cumbie
  • Patent number: 11020968
    Abstract: There are provided a head chip and a method of manufacturing the same, a liquid jet head, and a liquid jet recording device each capable of suppressing a stray capacitance to improve the image quality. The head chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a head chip having an actuator plate adapted to apply pressure to liquid to jet the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SII PRINTEK INC.
    Inventors: Tomoki Ai, Yuki Yamamura, Tooru Mine
  • Patent number: 11020969
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes pressure chambers arranged in a first direction, first communicating portions, a first common channel extending in the first direction, second communicating portions, a second common channel extending in the first direction, and a damper film. The second common channel includes a first portion and a second portion connecting the first portion and the second communicating portions. The second portion extends from the first portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction toward the pressure chambers and is located to a side of the first common channel opposite to the pressure chambers in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The damper film is located to a side of the second portion opposite in the third direction to the first common channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taisuke Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11020970
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head including nozzles ejecting a liquid, a flow path member including flow paths that communicate with the nozzles, and an electric substrate stacked on the flow path member in a first direction. The flow path member includes pipes that protrude in the first direction from a surface facing the electric substrate, the flow paths respectively being formed inside the pipes. Through holes through which the pipes are inserted are provided in the electric substrate. The through holes include a first through hole and a second through hole. The pipes include a first pipe that includes a first contact surface that contacts an internal circumferential surface of the first through hole and a second pipe that includes a second contact surface that contacts an internal circumferential surface of the second through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Haruki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11020971
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head including an orifice plate including an ejection orifice, an element substrate including an energy-generating element, and a flow path wall member for formation of a flow path, the flow path wall member being disposed between the element substrate and the orifice plate, wherein the orifice plate includes a first surface and a second surface which is opposite to the first surface and which is disposed facing the element substrate, the first surface includes a first diamond-like carbon film, respective contact angles ?1 and ?2 to pure water, of the first surface and the second surface, satisfy a relationship of Expression 1 defined in the specification, and composition in the first surface of the first diamond-like carbon film satisfies all relationships of Expression 2 to Expression 5 defined in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiko Minami, Kenji Takahashi, Masaya Uyama
  • Patent number: 11020972
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge head including: an individual channel member including individual channel rows; a first common channel member including first common channels and a first partitioning wall, and a damper joined to the first common channel member with adhesive. The damper has first portions that are elastically deformable and overlap with the first common channels and a second portion joined to the first partitioning wall and connected to the first portions. The second portion is thicker than the first portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11020973
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric device including: a substrate (10) on which a plurality of recesses (12) are provided; a vibrating plate (50) which is provided on one surface side of the substrate; and a piezoelectric element (300) which is provided over the vibrating plate (50) and on which a first electrode (60), a piezoelectric layer (70), and a second electrode (80) are laminated from the substrate (10) side, in which the first electrode (60) is formed to have a first width which is smaller than a dimension of the recess in a parallel arrangement direction in the parallel arrangement direction of at least one recess (12), and the piezoelectric layer (70) is extended to the outer side of the first electrode (60) in the parallel arrangement direction and has a second width which is greater than the first width and smaller than a width of the recess (12) in the parallel arrangement direction, the vibrating plate (50) contains a zirconium oxide layer (52), and when an area of the zirconium oxide layer (52) corres
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Nakayama, Yasuhiro Itayama, Naoto Yokoyama, Eiju Hirai, Motoki Takabe
  • Patent number: 11020974
    Abstract: A connection arrangement is between first and second members pivoted together between open and lockable positions. The first member has a first connector and the second member has a second connector, said connectors being adapted to connect by linear movement between them. The first member has a user-actuatable handle adapted, when the first and second members are in said lockable position: during a first movement of the handle, to engage a latch member of the first member with a catch on the second member; and, during a second movement, to move the first and second connectors with respect to one another in a first linear direction between a disengaged and an engaged position of the connectors. A block element on the first member is arranged to prevent said first and second movements of the handle when said first and second members are not in said lockable position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daniel Gonzalez Perello, Kurt Vandenbergh, Joan Sanjuan, Francesc Roure Pastor, Santiago Forcada
  • Patent number: 11020975
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a transport unit that transports a medium along a transport path, a liquid ejecting head that performs recording on the transported medium by ejecting liquid from a nozzle formed at a nozzle surface, a mounting portion on which a liquid storage portion for storing the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting head is mounted, and a first discharge port that delivers the medium on which the recording is performed toward a media processing apparatus that performs processing on the medium, in which the mounting portion is disposed at a position higher than the nozzle surface, and a first transport path which is a portion of the transport path from a position corresponding to the liquid ejecting head to the first discharge port passes above the mounting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nakamura, Izumi Nozawa
  • Patent number: 11020976
    Abstract: In an example implementation, a print supply cartridge comprises a microcontroller to receive a timing challenge and enable authentication of the cartridge by providing a challenge response. The challenge response is provided in a challenge response time that falls within an expected time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jefferson P. Ward, Stephen D. Panshin
  • Patent number: 11020977
    Abstract: A printer includes an ink cartridge holding unit that holds a plurality of ink cartridges each including an ink pack and an IC chip that stores ink information, and an access unit that performs wireless communication with the IC chip of the ink cartridges held by the ink cartridge holding unit, and a printer controller, in which the IC chip stores a chip ID, and the printer controller acquires the chip ID from the IC chip of each of the plurality of ink cartridges, and executes, based on the chip ID that is acquired, processing related to the ink information with the IC chip of each of the plurality of ink cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11020978
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a printing-fluid consuming apparatus in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached thereto in a first posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes a front surface, a rear surface, a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply port, an upper surface, an electrical interface disposed at the upper surface, and a locking surface. The printing-fluid cartridge inserted in the printing-fluid consuming apparatus is pivotable between the first posture and a second posture. The electrical interface is positioned closer to the supply port than the locking surface is to the supply port in the insertion direction. The electrical interface is positioned rearward relative to the pivot center in the insertion direction. The locking surface is positioned upward relative to the storage chamber and closer to a rearmost point of the printing-fluid cartridge than to the electrical interface in the insertion direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumio Nakazawa, Suguru Tomoguchi, Kosuke Nukui, Hiroaki Takahashi, Akihito Ono, Takahiro Miyao
  • Patent number: 11020979
    Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a liquid discharge device that determines the amount of liquid stored in each of a first liquid chamber of cartridge and a second liquid chamber of the tank. Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a liquid discharge device that deactivates an alarm or enables previously disabled printing after the cartridge is replaced and then the liquid is reliably determined to have flown into the second liquid chamber of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 11020980
    Abstract: A droplet-discharge-apparatus includes a first-head, a first-ink-container storing first-ink, a second-head, a second-ink-container storing second-ink, a cleaning-liquid-container storing cleaning-liquid, a common-flow-path-system, a cleaning-liquid-flow-path, a first-pomp feeding the first-ink from the first-ink-container to the second-ink-container through the common-flow-path-system, a second-pomp feeding the cleaning-liquid from the cleaning-liquid-container to the first-ink-container through the cleaning-liquid-flow-path and the common-flow-path-system, a first-valve controlling a liquid flow rate between the common-flow-path-system and the first-ink-container, a second-valve controlling a liquid flow rate between the common-flow-path-system and the second-ink-container, a third-valve controlling a liquid flow rate between the common-flow-path-system and the cleaning-liquid-flow-path, and a control-unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kinya Ozawa, Takayuki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11020981
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a liquid supply unit configured to supply liquid to a liquid ejection head, a first supply passage, a second supply passage, a return pipe and a short-circuit pipe serving as a liquid flow passage, and a pump mechanism. A controller executes an ejection control for supplying the liquid from a pressure chamber to the liquid ejection head by opening first and second valve bodies and closing third and fourth valve bodies, a first circulation control for circulating the liquid through the liquid ejection head by closing the first and fourth valve bodies, opening the second and third valve bodies and operating the pump mechanism, and a second circulation control for circulating the liquid through the short-circuit pipe by closing the second valve body while opening the first, third and fourth valve bodies and operating the pump mechanism with an air vent mechanism released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11020982
    Abstract: A method of recirculating fluid in a printhead die is provided. The recirculation is performed for at least one nozzle, such that the recirculation finishes before the corresponding at least one nozzle completed ejection of a drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Joan Vidal, Jr., Lluis Abello
  • Patent number: 11020983
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejecting device that includes an ejecting unit configured to eject liquid and a control unit that performs control to apply the liquid to a medium. The ejecting unit is configured to eject, as the liquid, ink, that contains a color material, and inhibitor for inhibiting penetration of the color material into the medium. The control unit is configured to select a first printing mode in which applying the ink to the medium without applying the inhibitor to the medium, and a second printing mode in which applying the inhibitor to the medium and applying the ink to the medium applied with the inhibitor. The control unit causes an amount of the ink applied per unit area in the second printing mode to be smaller than an amount of the ink applied per unit area in the first printing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Murai
  • Patent number: 11020984
    Abstract: White-balance is improved when printing on colored media, while minimizing the time and use of costly materials required by present approaches. In an embodiment, the typical solid white fill or background layer is altered by including in the white layer one or more of the other colors already available in the printer to shade this layer. Thus, a small amount of cyan, for example, helps balance a pink-ish (red) media; yellow is used for blue media; and magenta is used for green media; as well as combinations thereof. A combination of transparent process inks and opaque white helps to maintain brightness (luminosity).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Peter Heath, Joseph A. Lahut, Dwight Cram, Bryan Ko
  • Patent number: 11020985
    Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a pixel value group consisting of pixel values of a plurality of pixels included in a predetermined target area in image data; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a threshold value group consisting of a plurality of threshold values corresponding to the plurality of pixels; a calculation unit configured to calculate a target number of dots indicating a number of dots to be arranged within the target area; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a pixel position at which a dot is expected to be formed by a non-ejectable nozzle in the image data as a non-ejectable nozzle position; and determination unit configured to determine arrangement of dots in the target area based on a priority level determined based on the pixel value group and the threshold value group, the target number of dots, and the non-ejectable nozzle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryosuke Otani, Tomoya Kiriyama, Hisashi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11020986
    Abstract: A print apparatus includes a conveyor configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path in a first direction. The print apparatus also includes a print head on the conveyance path, a main scan direction of the print head crossing the first direction. The print apparatus further includes a print controller configured to control the print head that in a first print mode prints images on the sheet using a first print reference position on a first end of the print head in the main scan direction and a first image direction parallel to the first direction, and in a second print mode prints images on the sheet using a second print reference position on a second end of the print head in the main scan direction and a second image direction parallel and opposite to the first image direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Chikahiro Saegusa
  • Patent number: 11020987
    Abstract: An ink pressure modulation method is presented in a direct-to-shape printing system for applying images on the exterior of an axially symmetrical media object that has a contoured, varying exterior surface, such as occurs on curved wine bottles and sports equipment like bats. The method varies ink pressures based on the movement positions of each print head as they move over the surface of the media object. A movement-based formula is presented to allow for continuous updating of pressures in ink tank manifolds to allow independent changes in pressure to each inkjet print head during printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: LSINC Corporation
    Inventors: James Richard Bullington, Christopher Shea Curry
  • Patent number: 11020988
    Abstract: Provided is a technique that enables proper sorting of discharged print media by suppressing curling of each of the print media sufficiently. A determining unit determines a curling suppressing operation to be executed such that in a case where sorting operation is executed, the suppressing operation having a higher effect of suppressing curling is executed than in a case where the sorting operation is executed. Then, a print control unit controls a print head to perform printing on print media while executing the suppressing operation determined by the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto, Kentaro Muro