Drying Or Curing Patents (Class 347/102)
  • Patent number: 9573399
    Abstract: Provided is an air jet emission method used in a recording apparatus. The recording apparatus performs predetermined printing by ejecting ink droplets from a recording head provided in an apparatus body onto a medium. The medium is fed into the apparatus body while being guided by a guide and is transported from an upstream side, which is one side with respect to the apparatus body, toward a downstream side, which is an opposite side with respect to the apparatus body. The air jet emission method comprises: emitting a jet of air onto a surface of the transported medium at a predetermined area over a heating device at the upstream side, thereby blowing dust off the surface of the transported medium. The heating device is provided in the guide so as to apply heat to the transported medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Suzuki, Toshinobu Yamazaki, Masahiko Sato
  • Patent number: 9566741
    Abstract: An imprint method of forming a pattern of a resin on a substrate held on a holding surface. An uncured resin on the substrate is brought in contact with a mold. A partial region of the substrate is thermally deformed by irradiating the region with light so as to change an outer circumferential shape of the region. The uncured resin is cured on the region by irradiating light having a wavelength different from the deforming light. The mold is released from the cured resin on the region in contact with the mold. In at least a portion of a period during the deforming step, a region different from the region is held at a first suction force, while the region is held at a second suction force less than the first. The first suction force and the second suction force act between the substrate and the holding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Nakagawa, Noriyasu Hasegawa, Yosuke Murakami, Takahiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9566806
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a printhead configured to print an image by discharging ink to a first surface as a front surface of a printing sheet and a second surface as a back surface of the printing sheet; a conveyance roller configured to perform a first conveyance operation of conveying a printing sheet to a position facing the printhead, and a second conveyance operation of conveying the printing sheet in a direction opposite to a conveyance direction in the first conveyance operation after the image is printed on the first surface of the printing sheet; a reversing roller configured to reverse the printing sheet conveyed by the second conveyance operation; and a control unit configured to control a driving speed of the reversing roller based on an ink discharge amount on the first surface of the printing sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motoyuki Taguchi, Noriyuki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9566816
    Abstract: A method for printing on an object, for instance on an object made of a foamed material, includes applying ink to a surface of the object in accordance with digital image information in an inkjet printing process and irradiating the ink by electromagnetic radiation, preferably containing an IR proportion, to cure or dry the ink. The ink is directly heated by the irradiation and the material of the surface is indirectly heated by the irradiation by thermal conduction from the ink, causing the material in a region to experience a volume change. In this way, it is possible to simultaneously print on the material and to provide the material with a relief structure/to digitally emboss it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Matthias Schloerlholz
  • Patent number: 9546291
    Abstract: Provided is a photocurable ink composition for inkjet printing which is favorably cured with light from a light-emitting diode (LED), favorably adheres to a polyvinyl chloride sheet such as a tarpaulin and a vinyl chloride resin sheet, suppresses the occurrence of cockling, and has both safety and favorable ejection stability at room temperature when ejected from an inkjet head for low-viscosity ink, and a printed material. The present invention is a photocurable ink composition for inkjet printing containing photopolymerizable compounds and a photopolymerization initiator. The photopolymerizable compounds are vinyloxyethoxyethyl acrylate and benzyl acrylate, and contained in specific amounts. The photopolymerization initiator is a compound that expresses an initiator function when irradiated with light having a wavelength within the range of 450 to 300 nm. The photocurable ink composition has a flash point of 70° C. or higher and a viscosity at 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: SAKATA INX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Mizutani, Takuya Myose, Tadashi Hirose
  • Patent number: 9527307
    Abstract: Systems and methods of applying a gaseous inhibitor into a printing region to hinder the curing process of ink on the print heads caused by the presence of stray light in the printing environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC.
    Inventor: Paul Edwards
  • Patent number: 9527311
    Abstract: There is provided a drying device. A drying unit is configured to dry a recording medium having an image formed thereon by an image forming unit. A detection unit is configured to detect a moisture content ratio of a print part having predetermined density and size and formed on the recording medium and a moisture content ratio of a blank part, which is a region of the recording medium on which an image is not formed, before the recording medium having the image formed thereon is conveyed to the drying unit by a conveyance unit. A control unit is configured to control at least one of a drying strength of the drying unit and a conveying speed of the conveyance unit on the basis of the moisture content ratio of the print part and the moisture content ratio of the blank part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinobu Hamazaki, Motoharu Nakao, Satoshi Hasebe
  • Patent number: 9528012
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electron beam ink comprising a radiation curable material selected from the group consisting of a curable monomer, a curable oligomer, and mixtures thereof; and a surfactant, which is suitable for use in an indirect printing method. The present disclosure also provides a method of printing using an electron beam curable ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michelle N. Chretien, Jennifer L. Belelie, Naveen Chopra, Barkev Keoshkerian, Marcel P. Breton
  • Patent number: 9527309
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid discharging apparatus that includes a supporting portion that supports a medium, a liquid discharging portion that discharges liquid onto the medium which is transported on the supporting portion, and a drying portion that has a drying path through which the medium passes and dries the liquid landing on the medium, in which a length of the drying path is variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Toya
  • Patent number: 9523959
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transferer, a fixer, a determiner, a blower, and a controller. The exposure unit exposes an image bearing member to light according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing unit is configured to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image. The transferer transfers the toner image onto a recording medium. The fixer heat fixes the toner image to the recording medium. The determiner determines a state of at least one of a temperature and a humidity inside the image forming apparatus. The blower generates airflow inside the image forming apparatus. The controller reduces the airflow volume of the blower based on a determination result of the determiner as the degree of the occurrence of dew condensation increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventor: Shintaro Kawai
  • Patent number: 9511605
    Abstract: A system includes a print head including multiple nozzles formed in a bottom surface of the print head. The nozzles are configured to eject a liquid onto a substrate. The system includes a gas flow module configured to provide a flow of gas through a gap between the bottom surface of the print head and the substrate. The gas flow module can include one or more gas nozzles configured to inject gas into the gap. The gas flow module can be configured to apply a suction to the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel W. Barnett, Steven H. Barss, Jaan T. Laaspere, Christoph Menzel, Matthew Aubrey
  • Patent number: 9513586
    Abstract: The image heating apparatus includes a tubular shaped film; a backup member configured to be brought into contact with an outer surface of the film; a heater having an elongated shape and being configured to be brought into contact with the film, the heater including a substrate and a heat generating resistor formed; a first heat conductive member having a higher thermal conductivity than the substrate and being configured to be brought into contact with a surface of the heater, the first heat conductive member including divided first heat conductive members arranged with a gap formed therebetween; a pinching member configured to pinch the first heat conductive member; and a second heat conductive member provided in a region of the gap so as to be brought into contact with both of the heater and the pinching member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Narahara, Toru Imaizumi, Yasuhito Minamishima, Kenichi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9505938
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides swellable pre-treatment compositions, printable media, and related methods. As such, a swellable pre-treatment coating for a print medium can include an evaporable solvent, a matrix, and a wax. The matrix can include from 10 wt % to 20 wt % of a fixer, from 25 wt % to 35 wt % of aluminum chlorohydrate, from 0.5 wt % to 10 wt % of a first binder, from 20 wt % to 30 wt % of a second cross-linkable binder, and from 1 wt % to 5 wt % of a cross-linker. The wax can be present at from 10 wt % to 20 wt %, The weight percentages of the matrix and the wax are based on a total amount present in the swellable pre-treatment coating after removal of the evaporable solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Bor-Jiunn Niu, Haigang Chen, Jason Swei, Sandeep Bangaru
  • Patent number: 9505235
    Abstract: A recording method includes ejecting an ink on an recording medium, wherein the ink includes a colorant, polymer particles, water, and an aqueous organic solvent, has a static surface tension of equal to or less than 30 mN/m, and has a fluctuation range of a dynamic surface tension from after 1 millisecond to after 1 second of from 0.2 mN/m to 2.0 mN/m when measuring the dynamic surface tension by a maximum bubble pressure method, and wherein the recording medium has a maximum liquid absorption amount of the ink within a contact time of 500 milliseconds measured by a dynamic scanning liquid absorption meter of equal to or greater than 5 ml/m2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mami Hatanaka, Hiroyuki Ueki, Reika Abe
  • Patent number: 9505236
    Abstract: When an inkjet printer includes suction means for sucking the outside air into the inkjet printer, a heated recording medium is rapidly cooled by the air flowing in a vicinity of a discharge port for the recording medium. This causes fluctuations in surface temperature, resulting in degraded image quality. Accordingly, the inkjet printer has both a configuration capable of directly sucking, into a carriage, the outside air sucked into an apparatus, and a configuration of preventing the air from passing through an inside of the carriage. Thus, a temperature of the inside of the carriage can be reduced effectively. In order to prevent a reduction in temperature of the recording medium in the vicinity of the discharge port, a heater is arranged so as to increase a heating capacity of heating. Through temperature control on the heater based on a temperature of a region that is easily reduced in temperature, a local reduction in temperature of the recording medium is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: OKI Data Infotech Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9505238
    Abstract: A method includes printing an image on substrate by a printhead using ultraviolet (UV) curable ink. The method includes selectively applying a first amount of UV radiation by a first region of a light source to a first area of the image after a first amount of time passes from printing the first area to form a first gloss level area having a glossy finish. The method also includes selectively applying a second amount of UV radiation by a second region of the light source to a second area of the image after a second amount of time passes from printing the second area to form a second gloss level area having a matte finish. At least one of the second amount of UV radiation is greater than the first amount of UV radiation and the first amount of time is greater than the second amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Alex Andrea-Tallada, David Ramirez-Muela, Xavier Quintero-Ruiz, Carmen Blasco-Cortes
  • Patent number: 9498975
    Abstract: A recording material includes applying a first ink including a first polymerized compound using an inkjet method, polymerizing the first polymerized compound using ultraviolet light irradiation to form a first layer, applying a second ink containing a second polymerized compound and metal powder on the area on which the first layer is formed using the inkjet method, and polymerizing the second polymerized compound using ultraviolet light irradiation to form a second layer. A discharged volume of the first ink in the area is 2.0 to 20.0 g/m2. A time from landing of the first ink droplets until ultraviolet light irradiation is 0.0010 to 1.0 second. A discharged volume of the second ink in the area is 80 to 200 volume % compared to the discharged volume of the first ink. A time from landing of the second ink droplets until ultraviolet light irradiation is 5.0 to 60.0 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ogawa, Hiroshi Takiguchi, Naoyuki Toyoda
  • Patent number: 9493324
    Abstract: A detacher for detaching from a roll a spool supporting the roll, and the detacher includes a detacher body; and a plurality of hooking parts disposed on a circumference of the detacher body to engage a plurality of projections of a flange disposed at an end of the spool. With the hooking parts engaging the projections of the flange, the roll and the detacher are relatively displaced so that the spool is detached from the roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Hashiuchi
  • Patent number: 9493664
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method including recording a secondary color image on a recording medium using a first ink and a second ink, wherein the first ink contains a first self-dispersible pigment having a functional group that contains a phosphonic acid group and is bonded to a particle surface of the pigment, the second ink contains a second self-dispersible pigment having a functional group that contains at least one acidic group of a sulfonic acid group and a carboxylic acid group and is bonded to a particle surface of the pigment. The method includes a step of overlappingly applying the first ink and the second ink in this order to the recording medium. The time difference between applications of the first ink and the second ink to the recording medium is 30 milliseconds or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Itaru Tsuji, Yuki Nishino
  • Patent number: 9475667
    Abstract: A printer includes a medium storage section that stores a medium; a recording transport path that is a transport path transporting the medium that is fed from the medium storage section and extends on an upstream side and a downstream side of an ink jet recording head; a switchback path that transports a recording sheet in a reverse direction of a transporting direction by switching back the recording sheet after transporting the recording sheet that has passed through the recording transport path and bends the recording sheet by making a first surface facing the ink jet recording head be an inside of the recording sheet; and an invert path that inverts the switchback recording sheet by bypassing the recording sheet on an upper side of the ink jet recording head and makes the medium be confluent with the recording transport path at a position on an upstream side of the ink jet recording head. A second transport path is formed along a fourth transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Kodama
  • Patent number: 9475313
    Abstract: A pretreatment liquid application drying device includes a conveying unit configured to convey a continuous recording medium; an application device configured to apply a pretreatment liquid on the recording medium; a heating drying device disposed at a downstream side of the application device in a recording medium conveying direction, including first and second drying units that are connected in a separable manner, the first and second drying units respectively configured to dry one side and the other side of the recording medium; and a cockling suppressing mechanism configured to curve the heated recording medium in the conveying direction, the cockling suppressing mechanism being provided on at least one of an upstream and a downstream side in the conveying direction near the heating drying device. A part of the cockling suppressing mechanism moves in conjunction with a separating and connecting movement of the heating drying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ebihara, Kuraichi Fukaya, Yutaka Nagasawa, Shinji Nagayama
  • Patent number: 9469127
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for applying an image onto a receiving medium, wherein the gloss of the image is controlled by controlling the temperature of the receiving medium. The invention further relates to an ink jet apparatus. The invention further relates to a method for determining a job setting of a print job for obtaining an image having a desired gloss level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: OCE-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Peter M. A. Wetjens, Gerardus C. P. Vercoulen, Hendrik J. A. Ogrinc
  • Patent number: 9469771
    Abstract: An ultraviolet ray-curable clear ink composition includes a polymerizable compound; and a photopolymerization initiator, in which the polymerizable compound contains a vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylic acid ester represented by the following formula (I) and 5% by mass to 25% by mass of urethane oligomer with respect to the total mass of the ink composition. CH2?CR1—COOR2—O—CH?CH—R3??(I) (in the formula (I), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R2 represents a divalent organic residue having 2 to 20 carbon atoms; and R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic residue having 1 to 11 carbon atoms).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Mizutaki, Hiroki Nakane, Eiji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9469137
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for determining an operational range of colorant densities and heating powers that result in successful drying for a print media that is based on a drying quality of test images printed by a printing system. One embodiment comprises a printing system that applies colorant onto a continuous-form medium and applies heat to the medium based on a heating power. The printing system prints a plurality of test images onto the medium, where one or more of a colorant density and a heating power vary for each of the printed test images. The printing system determines a drying quality for the printed test images, and calculates an operational range of colorant densities and heating powers for the medium based on the drying quality of the printed test images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Casey E. Walker, Scott R. Johnson, Stuart J. Boland, William Edward Manchester, David M. Price
  • Patent number: 9463649
    Abstract: A printer comprises a plurality of printheads, at least one auxiliary dryer positioned immediately adjacent the plurality of printheads and configured to control spread of ink drops ejected by the plurality of printheads, a main dryer positioned to dry ink on the media after the media has passed the at least one auxiliary dryer, at least one actuator to drive media transport and move media past each of these components, and a controller. The power of the main dryer is higher than the power of the auxiliary dryer. The controller is operatively connected to each of the components and is configured to control the operation of the at least one auxiliary dryer with reference to the type of media being printed and the type of ink being ejected. A method for operating the printer is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Chu-Heng Liu, Anthony S. Condello, Jeffrey J. Folkins
  • Patent number: 9457593
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head ejects liquid from a plurality of ejection orifices thereof for recording while being moved relative to a recording medium. The liquid ejecting head includes a gas discharge port configured to allow gas to be discharged therefrom. The gas discharge port is disposed on a downstream side of the ejection orifices in a direction of relative movement of the recording medium as viewed from the liquid ejecting head. The gas discharged from the gas discharge port joins an airflow that forms a vortex on an upstream side of the ejection orifices in the direction of relative movement. The vortex is generated by the liquid ejected from the ejection orifices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Ishida, Ken Tsuchii, Nobuhito Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Arimizu, Yumi Komamiya, Arihito Miyakoshi
  • Patent number: 9454123
    Abstract: An erasing apparatus includes a path configured to carry a sheet, and an erasing unit arranged on the path and configured to erase an image on the sheet by heating the sheet. The erasing apparatus further includes a fan configured to blow air downstream from the erasing unit in a sheet carrying direction, and a shutter disposed between the fan and the erasing unit and movable to control the amount of air blown by the fan from reaching the erasing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9446606
    Abstract: An aqueous ink for inkjet includes water; a hydrosoluble organic solvent; a pigment; and a particulate resin. The hydrosoluble organic solvent includes 2,3-butanediol and 1,2-propanediol at a weight ratio (2,3-butanediol/1,2-propanediol) of from 98/2 to 60/40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ichiroh Fujii, Naohiro Toda, Tomohiro Nakagawa, Hidefumi Nagashima, Juichi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9446613
    Abstract: A medium supporting device includes a flexible medium supporting section that supports a medium, a supporting base that supports the medium supporting section in contact with a first contact section and a second contact section, and a tension applying section that applies tension to the medium supporting section between the first contact section and the second contact section. The first contact section and the second contact section extend in a cross direction, intersecting with the tension applying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichiro Nakano, Osamu Hara, Eiji Kumai
  • Patent number: 9440459
    Abstract: A printer comprises at least one printhead having a plurality of inkjets, a dryer having an array of radiators including a plurality of rows of radiators and a plurality of columns of radiators, a media transport configured to move media past the at least one printhead and the dryer, and a controller operatively connected to the at least one printhead, the dryer, and the media transport. The controller is configured to activate selectively the radiators in the array of radiators to heat the portions of the surface of the media on which ink has been ejected. A method for operating the printer is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Fromm, Steven M. Russel, Brian C. Cyr, Jorge M. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9434186
    Abstract: In one example, a print substrate edge holder includes a first part to hold down the edge of a print substrate without covering any part of the substrate in the print zone and a second part overlapping the first part to collect printing fluid dispensed past the edge of the print substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, LP.
    Inventors: Antonio Gracia Verdugo, Francesc Melia Sune, Ezequiel Jordi Rufes Bernad
  • Patent number: 9434158
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes an image forming section that records an image by applying ink, a heating-drying processing section that dries ink droplets applied to the sheet P, a sensor that is provided on a downstream side of the image forming section in the conveying direction and detects an ambient temperature outside the heating-drying processing section in the device, and a control unit that controls the ambient temperature outside the heating-drying processing section in the device. In the case where the ambient temperature is in a target range, the control unit switches the inkjet recording device to a recording mode in which set temperature of the heating-drying processing section is used as a target value corresponding to the time of recording from a standby mode in which set temperature of the heating-drying processing section is used as a target value corresponding to the time of standby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Houjou
  • Patent number: 9434184
    Abstract: A paper feed device is disposed near an opening formed on a housing of for an image forming apparatus. The paper feed device includes a paper feed tray on which papers can be stacked, upper and lower guide plates disposed on a downstream side from the opening to form a paper transfer path therebetween, a drive shaft extended along a paper width direction perpendicular to the paper transfer direction, a paper feed roller attached to the drive shaft for feeding out a paper from the paper feed tray to the paper feed path, and a pair of elastic rollers coaxially attached to the drive shaft on either side of the paper feed roller. The pair of elastic rollers covers a space between the upper and lower guide plates. Each diameter of the elastic rollers is made slightly smaller than a diameter of the paper feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teruaki Hashizume, Kentaro Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 9427994
    Abstract: A method of tensioning a print medium on a drum comprising: supporting the medium on the drum; rotating the drum; and applying a gaseous flow to the medium on the drum, the gaseous flow having a major component that is tangential to the drum and in a direction that is opposite to the linear direction of the surface of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Vladimir Naivelt
  • Patent number: 9427976
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing on a processing target surface side of a processing object; a recording unit that ejects ink on the processing target surface side of the processing object; an acquiring unit that acquires setting information, in which an adjustment target area for adjusting surface roughness and surface roughness of the adjustment target area on a surface of an ink layer formed with the ink are set; and a plasma control unit that controls the plasma processing unit to perform plasma processing on a processing area corresponding to the adjustment target area, on the processing target surface side of the processing object, with an amount of plasma energy for obtaining the set surface roughness on the surface of the ink layer formed on the processing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9421809
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides pre-treatment coatings, media substrates, and related methods. As such, a pre-treatment coating can include an evaporable solvent, a matrix, and a wax. The matrix can include a binder and a fixer, and the wax can include wax particles dispersed within the matrix. At least a portion of the wax particles can have a particle size that is greater than a thickness of the matrix when the pre-treatment coating is applied to a media substrate at a basis weight from 0.5 gsm to 20 gsm and the evaporable solvent removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Bor-Jiunn Niu, Jason Swei, Haigang Chen, Sandeep K Bangaru
  • Patent number: 9403383
    Abstract: A printer comprises an applicator, a primer dryer, a plurality of printheads, an auxiliary dryer configured to at least partially dry ink ejected by the plurality of printheads, a main dryer configured to dry ink ejected by the plurality of printheads, a media transport configured to move media past each of these components, and a controller. The controller operates the applicator to apply a predetermined amount of primer to a surface of media, the primer dryer at a predetermined temperature to dry the primer, the plurality of printheads to eject ink to the surface of media, the auxiliary dryer at a predetermined temperature to at least partially dry the ink ejected by the printheads to control the spread of ink, and the main dryer to dry the ink image. The controller uses a plurality of set points corresponding to printing process parameters identified for each print job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Chu-Heng Liu, Anthony S. Condello, Jeffrey J. Folkins, Christopher G. Lynn, Daniel J. McVeigh, Jason Hang, Joseph M. Ferrara, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9387699
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection section that ejects a liquid, a medium supporting section that supports a medium onto which the liquid is ejected, a heater that is disposed at a position which is not in contact with the medium supporting section and is configured to emit a thermal energy, a heat receiving section that receives the thermal energy emitted from the heater, and a stop section that stops the heater when a temperature of the heat receiving section becomes a predetermined temperature or higher, wherein the heat receiving section is disposed at a position on a first direction side with respect to the heater and between the heater and the medium supporting section, when the first direction is defined as a direction which is directed from the heater to the medium supporting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneyuki Sasaki, Hiroshi Yoshida, Eiji Kumai
  • Patent number: 9375953
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head that ejects liquid onto a recording medium, a transporting device that transports the recording medium along a supporting surface of a supporting member, and a preheating device that preheats the recording medium to the upstream side of the recording head in a transporting direction of the recording medium. The preheating device includes a preheating unit that increases the amount of heat per unit time which is applied to the recording medium as the recording medium is moved toward the downstream side in the transporting direction. The supporting member includes the supporting surface and bending portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9375951
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device is provided. Two rails are each provided on left and right sides of a printer head, and three LED modules are provided on inner rows In and one LED module is provided on outer rows of the rails. These LED modules can move on the rails in a sub scanning direction. At a position, the LED modules become adjacent in a main scanning direction, whereby a total quantity of light becomes “200”. At other positions, the quantity of light is “100”. In this invention, providing the LED modules movably on the outer rows enables to configure a curing section at an arbitrary position, so that a required quantity of light can be obtained, whereby the printing speed does is not decreased; and further, the number of the LED modules can be suppressed, and cost for an ultraviolet lamps of a carriage can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 9372452
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a light source that emits laser light; a condensing member including a lens having a first surface from which the laser light enters and a second surface from which the laser light emerges, the lens condensing the laser light that has entered from the first surface and emitting the laser light from the second surface; and a roller provided in contact with the condensing member and that transports a recording medium advanced into a position between the roller and the condensing member. A portion of the second surface is made of a material that blocks the laser light. In a section perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the roller, a plane of contact between the roller and the condensing member includes at least a part of the portion made of the material that blocks the laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shogo Kamiya, Norio Ogawahara, Keisuke Hidaka
  • Patent number: 9352589
    Abstract: A modification device includes: a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing on a processed object such that a surface of the processed object has a predetermined water contact angle; and a cooling unit that cools the surface of the processed object at least from when the plasma processing is performed to when ink is discharged such that a surface temperature of the processed object during discharge of the ink to the processed object is a temperature at which a target water contact angle range is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Katoh, Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka, Haruki Saitoh
  • Patent number: 9346290
    Abstract: A first irradiation section has a light source and an emitting member. The light source generates radiation, and the emitting member is located between a first irradiation point and a virtual plane that extends through the edge of a nozzle surface closest to the first irradiation section tangentially to a curved surface. The radiation generated by the light source goes out through the emitting member. A control section controls a transportation speed in such a manner that ink dots formed at a dot formation point should move to the first irradiation point in a second time period that is equal to or shorter than a first time period. The first time period is the time period from the time immediately after the ink dots are formed to the time when the diameter of the ink dots reaches twice the nozzle pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Tanaka, Kazuhito Hori
  • Patent number: 9346289
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: an apparatus main body that has a transportation unit which transports a recording medium and a liquid droplet ejection head which ejects an ink onto the recording medium; a curing unit that has a curing heater which heats and cures the ink on the recording medium; and a support mechanism that connects the apparatus main body and the curing unit, and displaceably supports the curing unit to be in an unfolded state and to be in a folded state where a depth which is the total length of the apparatus main body and the curing unit is shorter than that in the unfolded state in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the apparatus main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Kumai
  • Patent number: 9340042
    Abstract: A drying device includes: an irradiation unit that irradiates, with laser light, a printing medium onto which ink droplets have been ejected from a droplets ejecting unit; and a control unit that controls the irradiation unit so that a temperature of ink on the printing medium becomes an ink target temperature that is determined using a thermal deformation temperature of the printing medium as a reference in case the thermal deformation temperature of the printing medium is lower than or equal to an ink drying temperature, and becomes an ink target temperature that is determined using the ink drying temperature as a reference in case the thermal deformation temperature of the printing medium is higher than the ink drying temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Zengo, Takuma Ishihara, Akira Sakamoto, Yukari Motosugi, Jun Isozaki
  • Patent number: 9340033
    Abstract: A printing process for a wood-based flat element may involve a preliminary step of graphic composition using an electronic processor and relative software, and a printing step to print a surface of the wood-based flat element using an ink-jet printer of a single-pass type. The ink-jet printer may be controlled by the electronic processor. The ink-jet printer may be provided with print heads. For each color employed in the ink-jet printer, the number of print heads may be that required to cover the entire width of the surface to be printed. During the printing step, the wood-based flat element may be maintained at rest while the ink-jet printer performs a motion relative to the wood-based flat element to print the entire surface. The motion of the ink-jet printer may result in the wood-based flat element passing below the print heads, such that the entire surface of the wood-based flat element is printed in a single pass of the wood-based flat element below the print heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Inventor: Dante Frati
  • Patent number: 9327520
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a first nozzle which elects a first ink used to print an image on a medium and cured by irradiation of light; a pre-curing light source which emits a pre-curing light to dots formed as the first ink ejected from the first nozzle is landed onto the medium; a second nozzle which ejects a second ink used to coat a surface of the medium and cured by irradiation of light onto the medium after being irradiated by the light from the pre-curing light source; and a main-curing light source which emits a main-curing light to the medium, wherein the irradiation energy of the light emitted to a unit area of the medium from the pre-curing light source is changed according to whether the second ink is ejected from the second nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Onishi, Toyohiko Mitsuzawa
  • Patent number: 9327530
    Abstract: A controller is configured in duplex printing to: determine a reverse conveying speed corresponding to a printing schedule based on a printing condition; determine a switching timing corresponding to the printing schedule; and switch an operation of a common conveyer at the determined switching timing between a paper feeding conveying operation and a paper refeeding conveying operation. The paper feeding conveying operation is for receiving an unprinted sheet at a paper feeding conveying speed and conveying the unprinted sheet to a printing unit. The paper refeeding conveying operation is for receiving a sheet with a front side printed at the determined reverse conveying speed and conveying the sheet with the front side printed to the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Hara, Hideaki Inoue
  • Patent number: 9327521
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a plurality of line heads that discharge light curable inks onto a recording target material, a plurality of first light irradiators that are located at downstream side of transportation direction relative to the respective line heads in the transportation direction and emit light to the recording target material, a drum that is located at the downstream side relative to the first light irradiators in the transportation direction and forms a part of the transportation path, and a second light irradiator that is located opposite to a portion of the drum with which the transported recording target material makes contact and emits light to the contact portion. In the recording apparatus, the first light irradiators emit light for provisionally curing the discharged light curable inks, and the second light irradiator emits light for permanently curing the light curable inks, which have been provisionally cured, on the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidemasa Kanada, Masato Mitsuhashi, Koji Higuchi, Toshimitsu Hirai, Mitsuhiro Isobe
  • Patent number: 9327522
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a first print head that discharges a first liquid that is cured through irradiation of light from a nozzle towards the recording medium; a second print head that discharges a second liquid in which a content rate of a tri-functional or higher polyfunctional monomer is different from that of the first liquid and that is cured through irradiation of light from a nozzle towards the recording medium, and is provided at a different position in the transport direction from the first print head; and an irradiator that irradiates the recording medium with light, and is arranged between the print heads in the transport direction, in which the irradiator emits light having directionality in a direction receding in the transport direction from a print head that discharges a liquid with a higher content rate from the print heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Hayashi, Kazuhito Hori