Stylus Feature Patents (Class 346/139C)
  • Patent number: 5933178
    Abstract: Odd- and even-numbered conductors of recording electrodes, for example, first or second recording electrodes, are divided in the direction in which the conductor at the time of winding are stacked up to form different layers so as to increase the distance between the conductors of the adjoining recording electrodes and reduce the floating electrostatic capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Noboru Ueno, Akinori Ushikoshi, Fumito Komatsu, Yuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5530690
    Abstract: A multi-needle recording head has retaining members within an electrode support block, each retaining member serving to retain a recording electrode wire. The retaining members can not only lessen a stress generated by the hardening and contracting of a resin, but also prevent generation of defects such as cracks in the vicinity of recording electrodes on a head surface. Further, such multi-needle recording head is obtained by retaining the recording electrode wires by the retaining members, each retaining member having a pressure sensitive adhesive agent or an adhesive arranged at least on a surface thereof contacting the recording electrode wire, with the recording electrode wires wound around the winding jig before the recording electrode wires are cast into the electrode support block made of the electrically insulating resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Noboru Ueno, Yuki Nakamura, Fumito Komatsu, Toshitatsu Kawatsu
  • Patent number: 5351072
    Abstract: When a pen holder of a drawing head of an automatic lead supply apparatus is raised and lowered, and a knocking pipe of a pencil holder held by the pen holder strikes or is pressed against a knocking plate in order to repeatedly raise and lower the knocking pipe, a lead contained in the pencil holder is fed to a front end of the pencil holder. Before the lead feeding operation, a controller functions to finely oscillate the drawing head in order to prevent the lead from clogging the knocking pipe. As a result, a single lead will be properly and reliably guided to a lead chucking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignee: Mutoh Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Oguchi
  • Patent number: 5343232
    Abstract: There are disclosed a multiple-needle electrode head and its manufacturing method. The head comprises: a first head half body including at least two electrode substrates, each having needle-shaped electrodes formed in a row on its one surface and insulated from each other, the at least two electrode substrates being joined in the row direction and adhered onto a first side plate; and a second head half body including at least two electrode substrates, each having needle-shaped electrodes formed in a row on one surface and insulated from each other, the at least two electrode substrates being joined in the row direction and adhered to a second side plate. The first and second head half bodies are coupled so that the electrode substrates of each of the head half bodies are located inside and the electrodes of the first head half body and the electrodes of the second head half body are insulated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Ueno
  • Patent number: 5317342
    Abstract: The invention is a print head for a thermal or electrostatic printer, the print head being made from a high-density circuit. The high-density circuit includes conductors having a spacing less than about 0.005 inches, the conductors being disposed over a relatively large area. The circuit is defined by a pattern of grooves in a dielectric substrate, and a conductive material is deposited in the grooves, and heated so as to form a tight bond with the substrate. The resulting circuit is stable, rugged, and capable of producing an image of high resolution. The invention also includes a print head made from a multi-layered version of the circuit. The invention permits the production of black and white or color halftone images having very large numbers of grey scale levels, and exceptional resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Max Levy Autograph, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald C. Sedberry
  • Patent number: 5260717
    Abstract: A recording head including an electrically insulating layer, a plurality of recording electrodes and at least one return circuit electrode provided on the opposite sides of the insulating layer, the insulating layer and electrodes being adapted to be held, at a distal end of the head, in contact with the resistive layer. The electrically insulating layer has a surface waviness represented by maximum filtered waviness, of not larger than 0.40 .mu.m, where a high band cut-off value is 0.8 mm and a reference length is 2.5 mm, as measured in main scanning direction perpendicular to a stacking direction of the electrically insulating layer, the recording and return circuit electrodes. The insulating layer also has a surface roughness represented by center-line mean roughness, within a range of 0.02 .mu.m to 0.4 .mu.m, where a cut-off value is 0.8 mm and a measuring length is 2.5 mm, as measured in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Toshikazu Hirota, Nobuo Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5241325
    Abstract: Apparatus and techniques are disclosed for aligning the operation of the ink jet printhead cartridges of a multiple printhead ink jet swath printer that includes a print carriage that is movable along a horizontal carriage scan axis, (b) first and second ink jet printhead cartridges supported by the movable carriage for printing onto a print media that is selectively movable along a vertical media scan axis, and (c) an optical sensor supported by the movable carriage. Correction of misalignment along the media scan axis is performed by adjusting the position of the nozzle array of one printhead cartridge relative to the position of the nozzle array of another printhead cartridge along the media scan axis. A movable printhead is supported on the print carriage of the printer and is moved relative to the carriage by a rotatable cam that is supported by the carriage fixedly attached to a cam lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: Michael A. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 5231422
    Abstract: A recording head operable to apply an electric current to an electrically resistive layer, the head including two substrates each of which supports at least one electrode on one of opposite major surfaces thereof. At least one of the two substrates has an electrically insulating property and a lower wear resistance than the electrode(s) and each of the at least one substrate has a proximal portion, and a distal end portion extending from the proximal portion by a predetermined distance from the proximal portion for contact with said electrically resistive layer. The distal end portion has a thickness smaller than that of the proximal portion, as measured in a direction perpendicular to a direction of extension of the distal end portion. The two substrates are superposed on each other such that a non-electrode-supporting one of the opposite major surfaces of one of the two substrates faces an electrode-supporting one of the opposite major surfaces of the other substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Toshikazu Hirota
  • Patent number: 5225855
    Abstract: An apparatus for selectively setting the distance between the write head of an electrographic printing apparatus and a recording medium in combination with the use of a gas, present in the gap between the medium and the write head whereby the gas has a Paschen curve minimum lower than the Paschen curve for air. The combination of increasing the distance of the head from the medium along with the use of a gas as specified decreases the amount of flare while decreasing dropout and maintaining image density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Lorin K. Hansen, Stephen D. White
  • Patent number: 5212502
    Abstract: An exact constraint mounting is provided between the print head and the carriage of an ink jet printer. The mounting scheme includes three generally spherical alignment features on the carriage, a conical depression on the print head for cooperating with a first alignment feature to define a point, a trough on the print head for cooperating with a second alignment feature to define a line through the point, and a flat on the print head for cooperating with the third alignment feature to define a rotation about the line. The improved mounting system results in a highly precise, repeatable, stress-free mounting for the print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Bruce A. Bowling
  • Patent number: 5208987
    Abstract: A marking device which includes a hand-held housing and electrically powered means for vibrating the housing. An ink cylinder having a writing tip at its end is slidably supported within a cartridge casing, and a spring biases the cylinder outwardly on the casing. The casing is supported on the housing of the marking device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: Hart Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard P. Christen
  • Patent number: 5173718
    Abstract: A scanning head comprises a support member for supporting the head in pressing contact with a platen. The support member has lower strength portions spaced longitudinally of the head, and higher strength portions alternate with the lower strength portions. The support member is easily bendable at the lower strength portions, and the higher strength portions are urged by springs toward the platen. Thus, the head can come into intimate pressing contact with the platen even if the surface flatness of the support member as a whole is not strictly realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignees: Matsushita Graphic Rohm Co., Ltd., Communication SYstems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hajime Takayama, Tsutomu Yadera, Shigeo Ota, Hiroshi Okano
  • Patent number: 5164740
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet ejection device which is capable of ejection or ink (including hot melt ink) jet frequencies greater than 50,000 Hz. A cantilevered beam of selected shape is mounted at its base to a piezoelectric element which oscillates the base. The beam is shaped so that its moment of inertia is reduced toward its free end. The element is activated by an oscillating electrical signal the frequency of which is equal to or close to a natural frequency of oscillation of the beam. In the preferred embodiment herein a third or higher modal frequency is utilized. Because of the structural configuration of the cantilevered beam and the selected frequency of oscillation thereof, the tip of the beam oscillates over an amplitude which is significantly greater than the oscillation amplitude of the base. The beam is highly damped and made of low density material so that the tip amplitude is extremely responsive to variations in the base amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Inventor: Yehuda Ivri
  • Patent number: 5150525
    Abstract: A drawing device for use in a drafting machine includes one length of long casing; a lead guide fixedly secured to the leading end of the casing; one length of pipe member inserted from the other end side of the casing into the same in such a manner as to be axially slidably moved freely; a piece of chuck ring fixedly secured to the interior of the leading end portion of the pipe member; a piece of sleeve fitted closely over and fixedly secured to the outer peripheral surface of the other end side portion of the pipe member; one length of lead stock inserted from the other end side of the pipe member into the same in such a manner as to be slidably moved freely; and a lead chuck fixedly secured to the leading end portion of the lead stock in such a manner that its leading end side portion may be radially deformed or expanded and contracted in cooperation with the chuck ring, and is characterized by further comprising a regulating piece fitted over the rear end of the lead stock in such a manner as to be slida
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Iai
  • Patent number: 5148194
    Abstract: A liquid jet recording head comprises a recording apparatus having an orifice for discharging liquid and an energy generator for generating energy to discharge the liquid. Each recording head has an engaging member which is of complementary contour to an engaging member of another recording head. The engaging members are disposed in a different location on each recording head so that recording heads for different colors are located properly in the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naohito Asai, Kazuaki Masuda
  • Patent number: 5132705
    Abstract: A recording head including at least one electrode, and a substrate structure for supporting each electrode. Each electrode and the substrate are held in contact with a recording medium or a planar intermediate member interposed between the recording medium and the recording head, so that an electric current is applied to the recording medium or the intermediate member. The substrate has a distal end portion extending from a proximal portion for contact with the recording medium and the intermediate member. The distal end portion has a constant thickness smaller than that of the proximal portion, as viewed in a direction perpendicular to a direction of extension of the end portion. The distal end portion is made of a material whose wear resistance is lower than that of the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Toshikazu Hirota, Shigeki Okada, Natsumi Shimogawa
  • Patent number: 5119114
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a method and associated apparatus for allowing the carriage shafts of a pen plotter to be mounted and aligned quickly and accurately without the introduction of any bending stresses or intra-shaft misalignment. The shafts have conical indentations in the ends thereof. Laterally slidable end caps are bolted over the shaft ends and bolted in place in proper alignment with the shafts. An end cap on one end of the shafts has conical projections in the bottoms of bores therein aligned with and fitting into the shaft ends. An end cap on the other end of the shafts has bolts with conical ends threaded through the bottoms of bores therein aligned with and fitting into the shaft ends. The bolts through the end cap are tightened to hold the shafts in place. An alignment fixture holds the shafts in proper alignment while the end caps are aligned and tightened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Calcojmp Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Cary
  • Patent number: 5107277
    Abstract: A current-sensitized transfer type printer comprising an ink sheet including an ink layer, a conductive layer and a resistance layer which are stacked in this order, a feeding mechanism for feeding the ink sheet in a predetermined direction, a plurality of recording electrodes, each of which is in contact with the resistance layer of the ink sheet, a common electrode which is in contact with the resistance layer of the ink sheet, a power supply for supplying a current between each recording electrode which is selected in accordance with image information and the common electrode, the current flowing through the resistance layer and the conductive layer existing between each recording electrode which is selected and the common electrode, and a heater for heating the common electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Mori
  • Patent number: 5107283
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrostatic recording head comprising an electrode substrate made of an insulating material, a plurality of parallel recording electrodes made of a conductive material and formed on at least one of the side surfaces of the electrode substrate so that tip portions of the recording electrodes are in alignment, a rigid outer member made of an insulating material for covering both side surfaces of the electrode substrate to fix the electrode substrate, and an insulating resin layer filled into a space formed at least at a part of the tip portions of the recording electrodes between each of the side surfaces of the electrode substrate and the outer member, the insulating resin layer also filling gaps between every adjacent two of the recording electrodes, whereby substantially preventing electromigration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Noboru Ueno, Yuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5083139
    Abstract: The present invention enables simplification of the assembly of a thermal head capable of performing printing at a high density and with a high resolution. A stable support of electrodes is also provided, along with an improvement in characteristics. The thermal head includes a parallel flat cable composed of a plurality of electrode wires aligned in flat fashion in a polymer insulating coating. A supporting body is made of a bonding agent which is abundant in rigidity and which encapsulates the polymer insulating coating, or encapsulates the electrode wires with a portion of the polymer insulating coating removed, at an end portion of the parallel flat cable at a printing plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuo Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 5079566
    Abstract: An ink transferring printing mechanism includes an ink sheet having a resistance layer, a conductive layer and an ink layer which are stacked in this order, and a recording head. The recording head has a plurality of recording electrodes arranged in a line, each of which corresponds to a pixel in the image, a preheating electrode and a feedback electrode, each of said recording electrodes being positioned between the preheating electrode and the feedback electrode, at least each of the recording electrodes and the preheating electrode being integrated and stratified. Each of the recording electrodes, the preheating electrode and the feedback electrode are respectively in contact with the resistance layer of the ink sheet. A recording current corresponding to image information is supplied to each of the recording electrodes and a preheating current is supplied to the preheating electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Mori
  • Patent number: 5072116
    Abstract: A microprobe is constituted by a single crystal having an apex portion surrounded by facets having specific place directions and having specific crystal faces. The microprobe is provided on a part of a main surface of a substrate or a part of a thin film formed on the main surface. In one embodiment the microprobe is provided with a source electrode, a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a thin resistance, so as to form an MOS transistor for amplifying the microprobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1991
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisaaki Kawade, Haruki Kawada, Kunihiro Sakai, Hiroshi Matsuda, Yuko Morikawa, Yoshihiro Yanagisawa, Tetsuya Kaneko, Toshimitsu Kawase, Hideya Kumomi, Hiroyasu Nose, Eigo Kawakami
  • Patent number: 5065169
    Abstract: A printer includes an inkjet pen to eject ink drops for printing on the surface of a sheet, a carriage mounted to carry the pen back and forth on the sheet, and a skid-like spacer to ride upon the printed surface. The spacer maintains a preselected spacing between the pen and the printed surface and, also, maintains paper flatness at the localized area of printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Kent D. Vincent, John P. Ertel
  • Patent number: 5059985
    Abstract: A printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium by using an ink film which has an electrically resistive layer and a thermally fusible and transferable ink layer. The apparatus includes a thermal head which has a substrate, and a plurality of recording electrodes disposed on the substrate. Each electrode has an electrical contact portion for contacting the resistive layer of the ink film. The contact portions of pairs of electrodes cooperate to energize the electrically resistive layer of the ink film, so that the energized portion of the resistive layer generates Joule heat for heating the corresponding portion of the ink layer, thereby softening ink material and transferring the softened ink material onto the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Tetsuo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5049898
    Abstract: A disposable printing assembly includes a memory element in which data characterizing the assembly can be stored. This data can characterize the identity of the assembly, or one or more of its operational characteristics. Such operational characteristics for an illustrative ink jet printhead assembly may include the color of ink in the printhead, its amount, or the position of the ink jet orifice plate on the printhead body. This data can then be read from the printhead by a read/write element in a printer and can be used or displayed as desired. The datum characterizing the position of the orifice plate, for example, can be used to controllably delay certain of the firing signals provided to the printhead to compensate for any misalignment. The datum characterizing ink amount can be updated by the write head to reflect use of ink during printing and can warn the user of an impending exhaustion of ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Alan R. Arthur, Robert R. Beeson
  • Patent number: 5039232
    Abstract: A typewriter includes a carriage arranged for reciprocating travel, a receiving arrangement mounted on the carriage, a drive arrangement mounted on the carriage, and a ribbon cartridge receivable in and removable from the receiving arrangement and operatively connectable with the drive arrangement, and an XY-plotter receivable and removable from the receiving arrangement when the ribbon cartridge is absent from the receiving arrangement. The XY-plotter includes a stylus holder for supporting a plurality of styli; a first force-transmitting arrangement operatively connectable to the drive arrangement for moving the stylus holder such as to place a selected stylus in a standby writing position; and a second force-transmitting arrangement operatively connectable to the drive arrangement for moving the selected stylus in contact with the record carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: AEG Olympia Office GmbH
    Inventors: Gunter Kerzel, Arthur Kittel
  • Patent number: 5023700
    Abstract: A patterned structure including a plurality of patterned sheet members which have respective configurations and which are partially superposed on each other and which cooperate with each other to define a plurality of voids. At least one of the sheet members includes a thin-walled portion whose thickness is smaller than a thickness of the other portion. The thin-walled portion is formed by etching the appropriate sheet member or members. The thin-walled portion of one sheet member engages the corresponding thin-walled portion or the other portion of the other sheet member or members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Tetsuo Watanabe, Azuma Yamamoto, Kazuo Shirakawa, Takao Segawa
  • Patent number: 4991300
    Abstract: A lead automatic supply device for an X-Y plotter has a writing implement stocker connected to a first rotary drive device, and a lead supply stocker rotatably disposed above the writing implement stocker. The lead supply stocker is connected to a second rotary drive device, and a circular line passing through lead storage containers provided in the lead supply stocker and a circular line passing through writing implements retained on the writing implement holding portion of the writing implement stocker lie in the same cylindrical plane. A lead fall hole is provided in the bottom portion of each lead storage container, and an opening/closing mechanism is provided at the lower part of the lead fall hole for opening and closing the lead fall hole. An opening/closing control for controlling the opening/closing mechanism and a lead push down mechanism for pushing the lead downward from the mechanism are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Mutoh Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Isamu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 4990937
    Abstract: A device for supporting a print head includes a tabular print head capable of contacting a platen, the print head being mounted on a head-supporting plate retained by a supporting shaft. A central part of the supporting shaft is supported on a fixed receiver plate. The head-supporting plate is subjected to spring forces from two springs on both sides of the receiver plate. Side plates are provided with elongated grooves extending normal to a tangential direction at a contact point of the platen with the print head, and both ends of the supporting shaft extend through the grooves. Displacement takes place at both ends of the supporting shaft, corresponding to distortion and deflection of the platen in cooperation with the grooves. The laterally elongate print head uniformly contacts over its entire length against the platen with automatic equilibrium requiring no adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Seikosha Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Tashiro, Akira Matsushima
  • Patent number: 4980705
    Abstract: A plurality of recording electrodes are disposed in parallel form on an elastic metallic thin plate through an insulating layer, a protrusion made of a conductive material is formed in the proximity of the tip of each of recording electrodes, and notched grooves are formed between the recording electrodes to partition the recording electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiichi Akutsu, Hiroshi Fujimagari, Koichi Haga, Hiroo Soga, Koichi Saito
  • Patent number: 4972205
    Abstract: A thermal printing head according to the present invention comprises a heat sink plate carrying, on its one surface, heating elements and a presser cover. The presser cover receives heat from the heat sink plate with a time lag through screws used to mount the presser cover. The heat sink plate is further provided, on its opposite surface, with a compensating plate which serves to prevent or restrain the thermal head from bending due to the delay in heat transmission between the heat sink plate and the presser cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Nagato
  • Patent number: 4963886
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermal printing head which comprises an elongate heat sink plate, an elongate head circuit board mounted on the heat sink plate, a connector board partially overlapping the circuit board, and an elongate presser cover mounted on the heat sink plate to press the connector board into contact with the circuit board. The circuit board has a reduced number of connection terminals arranged locally at a central portion of the circuit board. The connector toward is correspondingly reduced in length. Thus, for pressing the connector board into uniform contact with the circuit board, it is only necessary to provide only a pair of pressure applying screws adjacent the central portion of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiko Fukuda, Yoshiaki Nagato, Tutomu Nakamura, Masato Sakai, Takashi Ueda
  • Patent number: 4959668
    Abstract: The invention proposes an electrical image producing device for use with printing image carriers of printing presses. The main components of the device are writing units designed in the form of electrodes which are able to be activated individually in accordance with the image to be produced by connection with a power supply. In the case of a purely electrical form of the device the writing units consist of a stylus which is able to be connected with the power supply via a photoconductor. For driving the stylus use is made of a light guide on which there is a magneto-optic light switching module controlled by current pulses. In one switched state the light switching module allows the passage of a light ray from a light source through the light guide, the light ray passing through the photoconductor and making it locally electrically conducting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1990
    Assignee: MAN Technologie GmbH
    Inventor: Alfred Hirt
  • Patent number: 4951070
    Abstract: There is described a cartridge mounting for locating a cartridge in a printer adjacent a print drum for receiving a charge image from the cartridge. The cartridge includes a spine and has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the print drum and an inner face adjacent the image receiving portion of the drum surface. The mounting has provision for locating the cartridge radially in relation to the axis of rotation of the drum and for biasing the cartridge towards the drum surface. Further provision is made for locating the cartridge tangentially in opposition to the direction of travel of the drum surface. Spacers extend from the inner face of the cartridge to abut the drum surface at a sliding contact, thus spacing the cartridge a predetermined distance from the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: 501 Delphax Systems
    Inventors: Sotos M. Theodoulou, Andrzej Maczuszenko, Sabir H. Bajwa, Duncan J. Gibbons, Wojciech Zalewski
  • Patent number: 4922269
    Abstract: A liquid jet recording head unit comprises a recording head, for forming flying liquid droplets which are discharged through an orifice by the action of energy generated by an energy generating member provided on a substrate and connected to an electrode on the substrate, and a support member having thereon an electrode for supplying an electrical signal to the energy generating member and a connector electrically connected to the electrode on the support member for electrically and mechanically connecting the recording head unit to a recording apparatus, wherein the electrode of the recording unit and the electrode of the support member are electrically connected to each other and the recording head is mechanically connected to the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masami Ikeda, Hirokazu Komuro
  • Patent number: 4905016
    Abstract: A recorder with a pencil pen which contains a plurality of pencil leads therein comprises means for causing a lead chuck mechanism of the pencil lead to hold and release the pencil lead and means for vertically moving a pencil lead displacement mechanism of the pencil pen. Those means are alternately activated by lead feed/eject means to eject a consumed unnecessary pencil lead and drive out a new pencil lead and hold it at a recording position. Since the pencil leads can be automatically ejected and driven out, a recording efficiency is improved and long period continuous recording is attained with a single pencil pen. A lead feed/eject holder is provided to eject a residual lead of the pencil pen, and a processing unit for processing the ejected residual lead is provided. Thus, the recording efficiency is further improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: Graphtec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Yukihiro Kaneko, Tikao Nakagawa, Masatoshi Noguchi, Takamichi Yoshikawa, Masashi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 4884084
    Abstract: A chart recorder is described, which is especially useful in recording the temperature of a cargo being shipped, which can be constructed at low cost and which provides a tamper-resistant and accurate record. The recorder includes a strip of pressure-markable paper having an inner portion wound into a roll and an outer portion forming a leader. The leader extends past a marking station, a transport that pulls the leader, a storage space within a housing that encloses the rest of the mechanism, and through an opening in the housing with the outer end of the strip attached to the outside of the housing. During recording, the chart is pushed by the transport station into multiple folds lying in the storage space of the housing. The strip can be removed by pulling on its outer end to pull it out of the housing. Pulling of the outer end releases the strip from the marking and transport stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Leon D. Rosen
    Inventor: Bart E. Greenhut
  • Patent number: 4881087
    Abstract: An electrostatic or thermal printhead and method of fabrication is provided in which dielectric material is disposed in a row of spaced depressions or in a single recess along the upper surface of an edge of a dielectric-coated conductive sheet. Electrodes are disposed along the edge of the sheet over the dielectric material and terminate at associated conductive pads or printhead circuitry on the sheet. In one embodiment, the edge is trimmed and left bare to form an inexpensive electrostatic printhead. In an alternative embodiment, resistive material is disposed over the edge to connect the electrodes to the conductive sheet to form an inexpensive thermal printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Dynamics Research Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph J. Bakewell
  • Patent number: 4881133
    Abstract: An arrangement for the recording of a digital information signal, in particular onto a plate-shaped, metallic recording carrier with the aid of a penetrating element is specified, in which the latter preferably has a pyramid shape with three side surfaces and three edges. The edge (6) forming the runner of the penetrating element lies, in its projection onto the recording carrier, in the direction of the velocity vector at the point of recording. The edge forms with the velocity vector an angle of >135.degree.. The projections of the two further edges onto the recording carrier lie perpendicular to the velocity vector. With the aid of such a penetrating element, an engraving of a digital signal is possible, which is read out by a laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: DMM Master Technik GmbH fur Informationstrager
    Inventors: Horst Redlich, Gunter Joschko
  • Patent number: 4881088
    Abstract: In a computer controlled automatic plotting device, an ink level detector is provided in a plotter pen cartridge. An ink-following object is provided in the plotter pin cartridge and is supported by the writing fluid. The ink-following object carries a magnet. As the ink-following object traverses down the inside of the plotter pen cartridge, the position of the magnet triggers a sensor at a predetermined level. The sensor then effects a visual or audible signal to alert an operator that the cartridge is running out of writing fluid. Alternatively, the sensor activates a control system to shut down the plotting device to permit replacement of the plotter pen cartridge with one having a new ink supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Inventors: Paul C. Fisher, Jr., Wiebe H. Van Der Meer, Paul C. Fisher
  • Patent number: 4872027
    Abstract: A dot-matrix printer is provided with different types of printheads which are interchangeably attachable to the printer carriage. The heads are provided with individual codes which are read by the printer control system and used to reconfigure its control function to suit the control requirements of the identified head. Such a system may include a microprocessor responsive to individual sets of instructions or programs providing new and different processing capabilities for printing control in response to the insertion of a new printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1989
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: William A. Buskirk, Carl J. Landsness, John D. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 4835552
    Abstract: A recording head of the present invention comprises an electrically insulating substrate having an elastic layer on a substrate, a plurality of recording electrodes arranged in a side-by-side relationship on the elastic layer, and a groove provided between the adjacent recording electrodes at least in the area near the front end of the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiichi Akutsu, Hiroo Soga, Hiroshi Saito, Koichi Saito, Kiyoshi Horie
  • Patent number: 4823148
    Abstract: A calligraphic writing system includes a plotter of the type having a pen carriage, a pen holder mounted on the carriage, a recording table, and means for moving the pen carriage relative to the table so that a pen mounted on the pen holder draws images on a sheet of paper or other medium mounted on the table. The pen has an asymmetric point. The pen and pen holder include positioning means arranged such that the pen may be mounted in the pen holder only in a predetermined and fixed annular position relative to the pen holder and will be maintained in that position when the images are being drawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Sieber, Joseph S. Sieber
  • Patent number: 4806034
    Abstract: A system for precisely positioning a printing element relative to a rotating drum, as in a drum printer, employs two position signals for alignment purposes. A pair of linear grids is disposed along a path of travel of the printing element for generating, with the aid of optical beam and sensor devices, a periodic electric signal which varies in accordance with printing element position. One of the grids is stationary and the second of the grids moves with a carriage supporting the printing element. An encoder positioned alongside the drum is operative with a set of markings having a variation in spatial frequency, or a grid overlay, to produce an alternating electric signal which varies in accordance with rotational position of the drum. Motors which rotate the drum as well as a lead screw which translates the printing element may be constructed as synchronous motors to permit phase locking to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Polaroid Corporation
    Inventor: William T. Plummer
  • Patent number: 4785318
    Abstract: An electrostatic recording head comprises a number of recording electrode styli arranged at spaces from one another, in a row, the electrode styli being divided along the row into sets each constituting an element region, each predetermined number of the element regions being put together along the row, thereby constituting groups, and a plurality of block electrodes arranged corresponding to the element regions. A wiring board includes a plurality of connectors with a plurality of wires for signal input, the connectors corresponding individually to the groups, each wire having a connecting terminal situated close to the recording electrode stylus of each corresponding group. Wires connect the connecting terminals and a plurality of specified recording electrode styli of the corresponding groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaji Nishikawa, Masashi Asano, Yutaka Adachi
  • Patent number: 4776097
    Abstract: In a graphics plotter having motor control logic for controlling a motor employed in the process of drawing a series of vector lines comprising a plot, an improvement to the logic for applying optimum control of the motor. The length of each next vector to be drawn is first calculated. The logic for controlling the motor is then self-adjusting as a function of whether the next vector line to be drawn is a short-length vector less than a pre-established length or a long-length vector longer than said pre-established length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: Sanders Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph J. Lake, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4775870
    Abstract: A non-impact printer has a movable printhead carriage for traversing a print medium and has a bracket, also serving as a heat sink, pivotally connected to the printhead carriage. A non-impact printhead is secured to the bracket and positioned to contact the print medium. A spring is positioned between the bracket and the printhead carriage to move the bracket and consequently the attached printhead into contact with the print medium. A printhead adjusting eccentric, causing relative motion between the printhead carriage and the bracket, enables vertical positioning of the printhead with respect to the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas R. Grimm, Jose I. Rodriquez, James E. Altic, Paily T. Varghese, Erik A. Treszoks
  • Patent number: 4774527
    Abstract: A printhead of a resistive ribbon printer has a column of electrodes formed on each of at least two edge surfaces. When the column of electrodes at one edge surface is worn out after being used for printing, the printhead is rotated so that the column of electrodes at the other edge surface is used for printing. Instead of the column of electrodes at each edge surface being the same size, the column of electrodes at one edge surface could be smaller than at the other edge surface so as to have a higher resolution for graphics whereby the position of the printhead is changed each time that higher resolution is desired and then returned to its initial position when alphanumeric printing is to occur. The printhead could have more than two edge surfaces with each having a column of electrodes for printing when at the printing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tony A. Hancock, Richard A. John, Ramon Lane, Omesh Sahni, James T. Welch, III
  • Patent number: 4758846
    Abstract: A heat pen comprising a first tube, a holder tube coiled with resistance wire and a metallic cylinder as a stylus. When the resistance wire is charged with electricity the metallic cylinder is heated to mark heat-sensitive recording paper. When the metallic cylinder is worn down by extensive usage, it is readily removed and replaced by a fresh metallic cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Regents for the University of Oklahoma
    Inventor: Richard L. Watkins
  • Patent number: 4739348
    Abstract: A recording technique for causing a magnetic toner to pass through needle-like recording electrodes by a magnetic force and forming a toner image on a recording medium by a signal voltage applied to each recording electrode uses an arrangement to allow smooth flow of the toner near the recording electrodes; namely openings are formed in a wiring member along the recording electrodes, and the toner passes through the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yujiro Ando, Haruo Fujii, Takashi Saito