Physical Handling Patents (Class 347/104)
  • Patent number: 11964837
    Abstract: A method of operating a device to receive a print medium is disclosed. Rotation of a receiving device to receive a print medium is detected, whereby the rotation is caused by an external force. An assisting force is applied to further rotate the receiving device in response to the detected rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ezequiel Jordi Rufes Bernad, Lluis Valles Casanova, Joan Marti Velasco Figueras
  • Patent number: 11964476
    Abstract: A print device includes a supply unit, a print unit, a conveyer, a tensioner, and a rotor. The conveyer is configured to nip and to convey, with a pair of rollers, a long medium in a conveyance direction. The tensioner is configured to contact a second surface of the medium to cause the medium to bend. The tensioner is pivotably supported at a position upstream of the conveyer in the conveyance direction. The rotor is rotatably supported at a position upstream of the conveyer in the conveyance direction, and positioned downstream, in the conveyance direction, of an upstream end portion, in the conveyance direction, of the tensioner. The rotor is positioned such that an upper end of the rotor and a nipped point are at a same height. The rotor is configured to contact the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiya Tomatsu, Mitsugi Tanaka, Yoji Tsujishita, Masayuki Okumura
  • Patent number: 11932038
    Abstract: An authentication mark system and method are provided for authentication of an object having indicia associated therewith. The authentication mark system includes an inkjet printer configured to propel microscopic ink drops onto the object to form a pattern of ink on the object. A microscope camera has a lens directable at the pattern of ink on the object. The microscope camera records an enlarged image of the pattern of ink on the object. A processor is operatively connected to the microscope camera and is configured to transmit the enlarged image of the pattern of ink and the indicia associated with the object to a database for secure storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Inventor: Aharon A. Karan
  • Patent number: 11932033
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing section that performs printing on a medium containing calcium carbonate, a transport section that rotationally drives a transport belt that forms at least a portion of a transport path in which the medium is transported, a voltage supply section that supplies a charging voltage to a charging roller for charging the transport belt, a detection section that detects whether or not charging abnormality has occurred in the transport belt, and a determination section that determines whether abnormality has occurred in the voltage supply section or the transport belt, or abnormality has occurred in the voltage supply section and the transport belt, based on a rotation amount of the transport belt and the detection result of the detection section. The transport belt is coated with melamine resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Matsumoto, Toru Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 11932032
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a voltage supply section that supplies a charging voltage for charging a transport belt, a detection section that detects whether or not charging abnormality has occurred in the transport belt, and a determination section that determines a cause of the charging abnormality. The determination section determines that the cause of the charging abnormality is abnormality of the voltage supply section, when the movement period includes the period for which the detection section detects the charging abnormality and does not include the period for which the detection section does not detect the charging abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Matsumoto, Toru Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 11932009
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing section that performs printing on a medium containing calcium carbonate, a transport section that rotationally drives a transport belt that forms at least a portion of a transport path in which the medium is transported, a voltage supply section that supplies a charging voltage to a charging roller for charging the transport belt, a detection section that detects whether or not charging abnormality has occurred in the transport belt, a determination section that determines whether a cause of the charging abnormality is abnormality of the voltage supply section or abnormality of the transport belt, and a machine learning section that performs machine learning of a determination condition in the determination section, based on a learning model in which a rotation amount of the transport belt and a detection result of the detection section are associated with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Matsumoto, Toru Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 11912047
    Abstract: A hybrid printing machine is described having both silk screening stations and a direct-to-garment digital printing station with a raster image processor to control a portion of a printing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: M&R Printing Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Hoffman, Jr., Geoff Baxter
  • Patent number: 11897258
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a conveyor; a first conveyance path through which a print medium is conveyed in a first conveyance direction; an image recording device; a cutter provided downstream of the image recording device and configured to cut the print medium into a first print medium having a first region and a second print medium having a second region; and a controller configured to cause the printing apparatus to: record an image in the first region; after the recording, cut the print medium into the first and second print medium; after the cutting, discharge the first print medium to an outside; after the discharging, convey the second print medium in a second conveyance direction; and after the conveying, record an image in the second region of the second print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11890877
    Abstract: A food product platform, system and method for supporting a food product thereon during printing. The platform has a first surface for supporting the food product thereon, the first surface having a surface topography configured to securely support the food product thereon; and a second surface supporting an attachment mechanism for removably coupling to a reciprocal attachment mechanism on a receiving arm of a printer, wherein the attachment mechanism prevents movement of the platform with respect to the receiving arm when coupled to the receiving arm. The food product platform is removably connectable to the receiving arm manually and without the use of tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Primera Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert P. Cummins, Todd Britz, Erick Hagstrom
  • Patent number: 11884063
    Abstract: A friction reduction system for reducing friction of an intermediate transfer member (ITM) of a printing system, while the ITM is guided along the printing system by a guiding arrangement. The friction reduction system includes a fluid reservoir mounted within the printing system, a fluid depositing arrangement disposed along the ITM, and a control mechanism, adapted to control depositing of fluid, from the fluid depositing arrangement onto the guiding arrangement or onto at least a portion of the ITM. Depositing of the fluid reduces friction between the ITM and the guiding arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: LANDA CORPORATION LTD.
    Inventors: Helena Chechik, Shoham Livaderu, Matan Bar-On, Zohar Goldenstein
  • Patent number: 11872806
    Abstract: A printer includes a recording unit, a platen unit, and a driving unit. The platen unit includes a support surface, a negative pressure chamber, a first suction port, a second suction port, and a third suction port, and a partition mechanism. The partition mechanism includes a shutter member, a lever member, and a coupling unit. The driving unit includes a motor and a cam. The coupling unit couples the shutter member and the lever member with a predetermined idle angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Ito, Haruna Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11845263
    Abstract: Provided is a technique that enables proper sorting of discharged print media by suppressing curling of each of the print media sufficiently. A determining unit determines a curling suppressing operation to be executed such that in a case where sorting operation is executed, the suppressing operation having a higher effect of suppressing curling is executed than in a case where the sorting operation is executed. Then, a print control unit controls a print head to perform printing on print media while executing the suppressing operation determined by the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto, Kentaro Muro
  • Patent number: 11813848
    Abstract: A printer includes a printer body, a hopper, an open-and-close cover, a paper support, and a support holder. The hopper pushes paper up while supporting the paper. The open-and-close cover is able to be opened from and closed toward the printer body. The paper support is provided in such a way as to be able to be housed inside and drawn away from the open-and-close cover, and is configured to support the paper by being drawn out. The support holder supports the paper, together with the hopper and the paper support. The support holder switches between an upright orientation for being housed into the printer body and a tilted orientation for supporting the paper together with the hopper and the paper support by the opening and closing of the open-and-close cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Inventors: Toshio Miyake, Masaki Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11815840
    Abstract: A printer includes a case including an input port for rolled paper, a cover provided to be rotatable between a closed position of the input port and an open position of the input port, a holding portion that holds the rolled paper, a biasing member that biases the holding portion in a first direction, a stopper mechanism that stops rotation of the holding portion in the first direction, and a linkage mechanism that rotates the holding portion in conjunction with the rotation of the cover. When the cover is in the closed position, the holding portion rotates in the first direction in accordance with an outer diameter of the rolled paper by a biasing force of the biasing member. When the cover rotates from the closed position to the open position, the holding portion rotates together with the cover against the biasing force of the biasing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohei Daimon, Takeo Komiyama, Hiroyuki Yasuda, Katsunori Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11787208
    Abstract: A printing device and method is described comprising: controlling movement of a printing medium along a printing medium path to position the printing medium relative to at least one printhead to allow printing on the printing medium by the at least one printhead; and applying a plurality of respective elastic forces in a direction substantially perpendicular to the printing medium path, wherein the respective elastic forces are applied by a plurality of elastic elements of a modular assembly arranged laterally across a width of the printing medium path, wherein the printing medium acts against the elastic forces of the respective elastic elements of the modular assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eduard Lores Garcia, Martin Urrutia Nebreda, Andres Cano de la Fuente
  • Patent number: 11787204
    Abstract: There is provided a printer including: a printing part which is provided with: a conveyor configured to convey a medium in a conveying direction, a printing head having a plurality of nozzles from which an ink of a specified color is discharged and of which positions in the conveying direction are mutually different, the printing head being configured to discharge the ink from the plurality of nozzles to the medium so as to form dots in the medium, and a facing member configured to be capable of facing a print surface of the medium on an upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the plurality of nozzles of the printing head; and a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shingo Saito
  • Patent number: 11787168
    Abstract: A releasing system for a printing machine includes a pallet configured to support a substrate for receiving indicia printed thereon. A layer is disposed intermediate the pallet and the substrate. A releasing station selectively stretches the layer to release a surface of the substrate from a state of adhesion with the pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: SCRIBE OPCO, INC.,
    Inventors: Steve Rosato, Andrew Chollett, Tim Sull
  • Patent number: 11780245
    Abstract: A recording device has: a recording head configured to perform recording on a medium; a medium storage below the recording head configured to store the medium to be recoded; a supply path comprising a first curved supply path curved so as to be convex upward and transporting the medium fed out of the medium storage in a reversed direction via the first curved supply path; and a reversing path comprising a second curved path curved so as to be convex downward and transporting the recorded medium into a direction including a vertically upward component via second curved path from a direction including a vertically downward component; wherein the supply path joins the reversing path, and the first curved path and the second curved path overlap when viewed horizontally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Misawa, Toshihiro Imae
  • Patent number: 11776111
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes circuitry configured to: acquire, as a first image, a read image of an image formed on a medium; generate a second image based on document data; detect reference points from the second image; compare the first image with the second image to calculate an amount of positional deviation of the medium for each of the reference points; detect, based on the amount of positional deviation, a malfunction of a conveying device that conveys the medium; cause an image forming apparatus to print a correction chart for correction of conveyance of the medium, in response to detection of the malfunction of the conveying device; calculate, from a read image of the correction chart, an amount of fluctuation in conveyance of the medium performed by the conveying device; and calculate a correction value for the calculated amount of fluctuation in conveyance of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiro Koyama
  • Patent number: 11752784
    Abstract: A printing system having a vacuum transfer belt conveyor includes a fixed or movable perforated platen that supports workpieces, e.g., substrates, boards or other parts, to be printed. The printing system is configured to apply vacuum action through apertures or perforations defined through the perforated platen. In an embodiment, the print system is configured to mitigate deflection of ink drops, through the implementation of both a passive system, which reduces air flow in the region below the a print bar that includes one or more printheads, as well as an active system, which distributes the workpieces, e.g., substrates or boards, with respect to perforations in the transfer belt. In some embodiments, the perforated platen is comprised of a plurality of modular plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Juan Escudero Gonzalez, Eduardo Bueno Espinal
  • Patent number: 11745519
    Abstract: A direct heat vacuum platen having a main case with an open top portion, a print surface having a main top configured to fit over the open top portion of the main case, the main top having a rectangular arrangement of suction ports configured to secure an above print substrate using suction provided from vacuum fans attached to the main case, heating elements attached to a bottom portion of the main top, a thermoregulator having a thermostat controller attached to temperature sensors and the heating elements within the main case, and a power controller having a power slot attached to a power switch and main fuse holder, a fan fuse holder, the thermostat controller and the suction fans. The suction ports are configured to hold a print substrate of a desired size. The usage of the internal vacuum fans reduces noise and power usage when compared to external vacuum apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Inventors: Said Canales, Victor Pena
  • Patent number: 11745524
    Abstract: There are provided a medium support section that forms a support surface that supports a medium before feeding; a feeding roller that sends out the medium supported by the medium support section in a feeding direction; and an apparatus main body, the medium support section is configured to switch between a stored state of being stored in the apparatus main body and a protruding state, the protruding state being a state where protrudes from a first side surface which is one of side surfaces that form a periphery of the apparatus main body, and in the protruding state of the medium support section, a downstream end of the support surface in the feeding direction is at a position close to a second side surface, which is a side surface opposite to the first side surface, between the first side surface and the second side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Nomoto, Toshihiro Kumagai, Masaharu Iwamoto, Keiichi Okamura
  • Patent number: 11738574
    Abstract: A printing system comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid to a deposition region. Print media are held against a movable support surface via vacuum suction, and the movable support surface transports the print media through the deposition region. A vacuum plenum comprises a vacuum platen over which the movable support surface moves. The vacuum platen has platen holes that communicate the vacuum suction from the vacuum plenum to the movable support surface. An airflow restriction mechanism forms a high impedance zone in the vacuum platen, the high impedance zone comprising a subset of the platen holes. The airflow impedance through the high impedance zone is relatively high compared to the airflow impedance through another subset of the platen holes, which are part of a low impedance zone. The high impedance zone may be located near the printhead to reduce airflow through uncovered platen holes near the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Chu-Heng Liu, Douglas K. Herrmann, Jason M. LeFevre, Paul J. McConville, Seemit Praharaj
  • Patent number: 11731439
    Abstract: A printer includes: a first ink storage unit and a second ink storage unit; an ejection head; a carriage configured to move the ejection head and the second ink storage unit; a tube coupling the first and the second ink storage unit to each other; a first exterior member positioned in front of the carriage; and a cutter configured to move in a scanning direction between the carriage and the first exterior member, wherein an opening is formed in the first exterior member at a position in front of the cutter, an inner surface of the first exterior member includes a first slide contact surface with which the tube can be brought into slide contact, and the first slide contact surface is positioned in an opening region where the opening is formed in the scanning direction and in a region above the opening in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koki Fukasawa, Tomosuke Gomi
  • Patent number: 11718091
    Abstract: An ink ejection timing adjustment method on an inkjet recording apparatus includes an information acquiring step of acquiring at least recording medium information with a reading sensor, a printing step of printing a test pattern on a recording medium on a conveying belt, a calculating step of calculating a delay time by adding to a default set time a correction time corresponding to a correction value for ink ejection timing entered based on the printed position of the test pattern, and a setting step of setting the delay time as a predetermined time at the lapse of which after, as a result of the conveying belt turning, an opening passes a reading position a recording head starts to eject ink to the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Katsuo Mikashima, Yuichiro Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 11718112
    Abstract: A printer includes a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid to a print target, a holder configured to hold the print target, and a height detector configured to detect the print target on the holder at a first height and at a second height lower than the first height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsu Morino, Muneyuki Okeguchi
  • Patent number: 11661294
    Abstract: A recording device includes a first transportation path along which a medium is transported, a recording unit configured to record on the medium on the first transportation path, a second transportation path branching from the first transportation path, a flap located at the junction and configured to be moved to a first position to open the first transportation path and to a second position to close the first transportation path, and a driving section. After the medium passes the junction, the flap is positioned at the second position to come in contact with the medium traveling upstream along the first transportation path and guide the medium to the second transportation path. The flap is moved to the first position by a driving force of the driving section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Waki, Yuki Komatsu, Kenji Oshima
  • Patent number: 11645486
    Abstract: An information processing device includes an acquisition unit acquiring pre-printing image data that is obtained by digitizing, as an image, the fabric before the printing process is performed and at least one of pre-drawing image data that is obtained by digitizing, as an image, the fabric after the pre-processing is performed and before the image is drawn and post-drawing image data that is obtained by digitizing, as an image, the fabric before the post-processing is performed and after the image is drawn, a storage unit storing derivation data indicating a correspondence relationship between the pre-printing image data, the pre-drawing image data or the post-drawing image data, and a recommended parameter for at least one of the pre-processing device and the post-processing device, and a control unit deriving, based on the derivation data, the recommended parameter from the pre-printing image data, the pre-drawing image data or the post-drawing image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Aoki, Tsuneyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11642899
    Abstract: A printer includes a recording unit, a glue belt, a feeding unit, a suction unit, and a duct unit. The recording unit performs recording on a medium. The glue belt includes a support face capable of supporting the medium. The feeding unit feeds air toward the support face. The suction unit sucks air flowing from the support face. Air discharged from the suction unit flows through the duct unit. The duct unit is provided with an opening portion that adjusts a pressure difference between a pressure inside the duct unit and a pressure outside the duct unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Washio
  • Patent number: 11642902
    Abstract: A control unit configured to perform multi-pass printing provided that a region of a printing medium including a first region, a region downstream of the first region is a second region, and a region downstream of the second region is a third region, in a first period in which the first region is a target of printing, causes a velocity of paper feed to be slower than in a third period in which the third region is a target of printing; in the first period, causes a standby time of the printing head to be longer than in the third period; and in a second period in which the second region is a target of printing, changes the standby time so that the standby time approaches the standby time in the first period from the standby time in the third period as the first region approaches the printing head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Asada, Kazuya Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11618269
    Abstract: A medium-discharging device includes: a medium-discharging section that discharges a medium; a medium-receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section; a light-emitting section that emits light to the medium-receiving tray; and a control section that controls the light-emitting section, in which the medium-receiving tray is configured to switch between a first state in which the medium-receiving tray is stored in an apparatus main body that includes the medium-discharging section and a second state in which the medium-receiving tray protrudes from the apparatus main body, and the control section controls the light-emitting section in accordance with a state or operation of the medium-receiving tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Saito, Hiroki Shinagawa, Satoru Orii, Katsumi Yamada, Nobuhisa Nomoto
  • Patent number: 11611672
    Abstract: In a case where a recording medium is to be stopped on a conveyance path and a length of the recording medium is a first length, a first controller stops a first motor upon a sensor detecting the front end of the recording medium, and a second controller stops a second motor upon the sensor detecting the front end of the recording medium. In a case where the recording medium is to be stopped on the conveyance path and the length of the recording medium is a second length, the first controller stops the first motor upon the sensor detecting the front end of the recording medium, and the second controller continues driving of the second motor even if the sensor detects the front end of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11602942
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording unit configured to perform recording on a recording medium that is a long medium, a supporting part disposed opposite to the recording unit and configured to support the recording medium, a cutting part configured to cut the long medium into a single sheet medium, a guide member configured to guide the recording medium, a winding unit configured to wind up the long medium, and a medium housing unit configured to be detachable and house the single sheet medium. The guide member is displaceable to a first supporting position in which the guide member supports the recording medium being conveyed to the medium housing unit and a second supporting position in which the guide member supports the long medium being conveyed to the winding unit, the second supporting position being located above the first supporting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shun Ito
  • Patent number: 11597223
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head, a holder, a remover, a charger, a static eliminator, and a cleaner. The head discharges a liquid onto a medium to perform printing on the medium. The holder holds the head. The remover is disposed on the holder to remove a foreign substance on the medium. The charger charges the remover before the printing. The static eliminator eliminates static electricity from the remover after the printing. The cleaner cleans the remover after the static electricity has been eliminated therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuuta Aoki
  • Patent number: 11590769
    Abstract: A tape printing device includes a platen shaft that engages with a platen roller; a thermal head that prints on a tape sandwiched with the platen roller engaged with the platen shaft; a head holder that has a rotating shaft and rotatably holds the thermal head about the rotating shaft; and a pressing member that is provided to be rotatable about the rotating shaft together with the thermal head and presses the thermal head against the platen roller, in which the pressing member has a convex portion that protrudes toward the thermal head and presses the thermal head against the platen roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Motai, Hirosuke Yasuki, Keisuke Taruya
  • Patent number: 11541673
    Abstract: An aqueous ink printer is operated to insert media sheets from a first supply tray into a plurality of media sheets from a second tray on which ink images are being formed by the printer to absorb condensed vapors on media guides. The media sheets from the first tray are uncoated media and the media sheets from the second tray are coated media. In some embodiments, the inserted media sheets are printed with an ink image that has areas that contact the media guides with a greater ink density than other areas of the ink image that do not contact the media guides. Additionally or alternatively, the inserted media sheets are printed with an ink image that has areas that contact the media guides with an ink color that is different than an ink color used in other areas of the ink image that do not contact the media guides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Linn C. Hoover, John Baker, David S. Derleth
  • Patent number: 11546484
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit, a reversing unit, a writing unit, and a control unit. The printing unit forms an image on a sheet-like medium to which a wireless tag is attached. The reversing unit reverses a front and back of the medium. The writing unit writes data on the wireless tag. The control unit controls the reversing unit so that the medium is reversed twice upon the writing of data on the wireless tag failing and controls the printing unit so that an image indicating that the writing of data fails is formed on the medium reversed twice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 11529818
    Abstract: In example implementations, a printer module is provided. The printer module includes a co-axial split drive roller, a first motor, a second motor, and a print bar. The co-axial split drive roller includes a first roller and a second roller that are movably coupled at a center of the co-axial split drive roller. The first motor is coupled to the first roller. The second motor is coupled to the second roller. The print bar is coupled to the housing over the co-axial split drive roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Ronald R. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11511538
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including: a conveyor, a recording head, a carriage and a controller. In a case that the controller causes a not less than two copies of a same image to be recorded, at a time of recording of a first copy of the not less than two copies, the controller generates first discharge data, obtains blank information, and performs the recording of the first copy by a multi pass recording based on the first discharge data, regardless of the blank information. At a time of recording of a second copy of the not less than two copies, the controller generates second discharge data and performs the recording of the second copy by at least one of a single pass recording and the multi pass recording, based on the second discharge data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 11512418
    Abstract: A fixation/transfer device for control of dye waste in a dye sublimation process. The device comprises a textile inlet, a textile outlet, a heat press or calender, an endless belt for driving the textile from the textile inlet to the textile outlet through the heat press, the heat press being held at a temperature sufficient to cause sublimation of the printing dye, and a cleaning station for cleaning the endless belt, the cleaning station being located downstream of the textile outlet and upstream of the textile outlet. The feed belt may be heated at the cleaning station so that sublimation may assist cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Kornit Digital Ltd.
    Inventors: Allon Shimoni, Alon Feldman
  • Patent number: 11491810
    Abstract: A recording device includes a recording head configured to discharge a liquid as a droplet, a carriage on which the recording head is mounted, a driving unit that causes the carriage to reciprocate along a guide shaft, and a control board on which a semiconductor element is mounted. In a state in which the carriage is positioned at one end of the guide shaft, the control board is disposed below the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Murata, Yosuke Nakano, Atsuhiko Takeuchi, Katsuhiko Otani
  • Patent number: 11485156
    Abstract: A recording device includes a recording head, a transport roller set, and a controller that controls a driving source that drives a transport driving roller. The controller judges whether a rear end that is an upstream end of a medium in a transport direction crosses a kicking region set in a range present downstream of a nipping position of the transport roller set in a transport direction. When the controller judges that the rear end does not cross the kicking region, the controller adjusts a feeding amount for at least one of a plurality of transport operations to be performed until the rear end reaches the kicking region in such a manner that the rear end of the medium crosses the kicking region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Yoshino, Hiroki Shinagawa
  • Patent number: 11458746
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a feeding unit, a conveyance unit, a cutting unit, and a control unit. The conveyance unit nips the print medium conveyed from the feeding unit by a first roller and a second roller, and conveys the nipped print medium. The cutting unit cuts the print medium. The control unit: (1) performs control to make a command speed of the first roller lower than a command speed of the second roller until a printhead printing reaches near a trailing edge of a printing length after printing has started, (2) performs control to make the command speed of the first roller higher than the command speed of the second roller when the printing has reached near the trailing edge of the printing length, and (3) subsequently controls the cutting unit configured to cut the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Suzuki, Naoki Wakayama, Ryutaro Takahashi, Masakazu Nagashima, Hideyuki Nozawa, Waichiro Saiki
  • Patent number: 11401121
    Abstract: A sheet tray configured to accommodate a sheet includes a first tray, a second tray directly connectable to the first tray, and a third tray directly connectable to the first tray and to the second tray in a state where the second tray is disengaged from the first tray, the third tray being made of metal. The sheet tray is configured to take a first state where the first tray is directly connected to the second tray and a second state where the third tray connects the first tray to the second tray. The sheet tray is configured to accommodate a sheet having a first size in the first state and a sheet having a second size longer than the sheet having the first size in the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Nakamura, Yasuo Fukamachi, Keita Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11401128
    Abstract: A conveyor includes a first conveyance path along which a sheet is conveyed in a first direction, a second conveyance path along which the sheet is conveyed in a second direction different from the first direction, a switching part configured to switch a conveyance direction of the sheet between the first direction and the second direction, a sheet detector configured to detect the sheet at the switching part, a conveyance system driver configured to convey and stop the sheet, and circuitry configured to control the conveyance system driver to stop conveyance of the sheet in a predetermined condition, control the sheet detector to detect the sheet at the switching part, and control the switching part to switch the conveyance direction of the sheet from the first direction to the second direction when the sheet detector does not detect the sheet at the switching part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Nakagaki
  • Patent number: 11383542
    Abstract: A recording system includes a recording device including a recording unit that performs recording onto a medium, a transporting belt that includes an adhesive layer and transports the medium stuck on the adhesive layer, a drive unit that drives the transporting belt, a control unit that includes a detection unit for detecting a load current flowing in the drive unit and that controls the drive unit. The recording system further includes a peeling device that peels the medium from the transporting belt, and a notification device that provides a notification. The control unit causes the notification device to provide a notification on a time to replace the adhesive layer, based on a detection result of the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mikio Kitagishi, Katsuya Asamoto
  • Patent number: 11376865
    Abstract: A printer includes a print head portion for printing on a label paper, a feeding portion for feeding the label paper, a cutter portion for cutting the label paper, and a controller for controlling operations of the print head portion, the feeding portion, and the cutter portion. The label paper includes a bent portion that is generated in a portion right after unrolled from a label roll and changes in accordance with a label roll diameter. The controller is configured to control the feeding portion to feed the label paper by a constant length set in advance with respect to a predetermined label roll diameter so that a cutting operation by the cutter portion is performed at a position past a bent portion generated when the label roll diameter is larger than the predetermined diameter if the feeding operation for the label paper meets a predetermined condition set in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO.
    Inventor: Yukihisa Kato
  • Patent number: 11376871
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a printing unit; a discharge unit configured to discharge a printed material on which the printing unit has performed printing and configured not to completely discharge but to hold the printed material; a detection unit configured to detect removal of the printed material that has been held by the discharge unit; and a control unit configured to control notification by a notification unit to a user. In response to detection by the detection unit of the removal of the printed material, the control unit is configured to control the notification unit to notify a user that the printed material has been removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takumi Iko
  • Patent number: 11358400
    Abstract: A transport device includes a transporting belt, which includes a support face that adhesively supports a medium, and which transports the adhered medium, a heating unit that heats the transporting belt before the medium is supported at the support face, a pressing unit that is provided downstream of the heating unit in a movement direction of the transporting belt and that presses the medium against the support face, a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of at least a part of the support face, from the heating unit to the pressing unit in the movement direction, and a control unit that controls the heating unit based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuya Asamoto
  • Patent number: 11358397
    Abstract: A digital printing machine comprises a cylindrical drum assembly on the rigid printing framework. A cylindrical drum moves along and rotates about its central cylindrical axis and a stationary printing head with multiple nozzles placed proximately above the circumference of the cylindrical drum. The combined linear and rotational movements of the cylindrical drum enable the printing head to create a smooth helical printing trajectory on the flexible fabrics. The cylindrical drum of the digital printing machine also works as a working drum to hold a piece of flexible textile to be printed. A double-side printing mechanism allows the digital printing machine to automatically carry out the second side printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventor: Samuel Zhihui Jin