Electrostatic Patents (Class 347/112)
  • Patent number: 7995081
    Abstract: An addressable imaging belt for use in printing applications having embedded anisotropically conductive addressable islands configured for electric contact on a first side of the belt by a write head consisting of an array of compliant cantilevered fingers with contact pads/points to which a voltage can be applied. The conductive addressable islands electrically isolated from one another and extending substantially through the thickness of the belt in order to allow charge to flow through the belt towards a second side of the belt, in order to form a latent electrostatic image on the second side and develop this latent image by attracting colorized toner or other electrically charged particles to the second side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy D. Stowe, Chu-heng Liu, Jeng Ping Lu, Eugene Chow, Gregory B. Anderson, Armin Völkel, Eric Peeters
  • Patent number: 7872660
    Abstract: An electro-wetting-on-dielectric printing system includes a drum and an electrode array disposed on a surface of the drum, which is made up of individually addressable electrodes and an ink-phobic coating overlaying the electrodes. Electrically charging a portion of the electrodes allows ink to adhere to a portion of the ink-phobic coating in proximity to the charged electrodes. A method for electro-wetting-on-dielectric printing includes selectively charging individually addressable electrodes within an electrode array, and passing the electrode array through an ink bath, wherein ink adheres areas proximate to charged electrodes to form an image. The image is then transferred to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jun Zeng, Haggai Karlinski
  • Patent number: 7872661
    Abstract: An image bearing structure includes an image drum including at least one slot, a plurality of ring electrodes formed on an outer circumference of the image drum, and a control board positioned within the slot of the image drum, and connected to the plurality of ring electrodes, to detect a defect of the ring electrodes. As a result, the image bearing structure detects a defect within a short time and without requiring a separate detecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Seong-taek Lim, Soon-cheol Kweon, Seung-jin Oh, Ki-hwan Kwon
  • Patent number: 7764296
    Abstract: A charge source is used to create a latent image on an imaging surface. A volume between the charge source and the imaging surface may be pressurized while the latent image is being created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Napoloen J. Leoni, Omer Gila, Michael H. Lee, Eric G. Hanson
  • Patent number: 7755654
    Abstract: Various embodiments and methods relating to a pixel are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert J. Lawton, Donald J. Fasen, Dennis A. Abramsohn
  • Patent number: 7695128
    Abstract: A printing apparatus having an imaging member having an external surface and a series of substantially equal sized cells located over such surface. The printing apparatus includes an ink jet device for selectively ejecting droplets of ink, having marking particles and liquid, into the cells of said imaging member in a desired image-wise ink pattern, a mechanism for filling the cells of said imaging member with a dielectric fluid after said ink jet device ejects droplets of ink into said cells, and transfer mechanism including a device for fractionating the marking particles in the ink from the liquid and transferring the image-wise marking particle pattern to a receiver member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai, Robert Edward Zeman
  • Patent number: 7695602
    Abstract: Various particle transport systems and components for use in such systems are described. The systems utilize one or more traveling wave grids to selectively transport, distribute, separate, or mix different populations of particles. Numerous systems configured for use in two dimensional and three dimensional particle transport are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Armin R. Völkel, David Biegelsen, Philip D. Floyd, Greg Anderson, Fred Endicott, Eric Peeters, Jaan Noolandi, Karen A. Moffat, Peter M. Kazmaier, Maria McDougall, Daniel G. Bobrow
  • Publication number: 20100079570
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an electrostatic coating apparatus for spraying a stream of particles onto a medium, and in particular to an apparatus equipped with a powder coating suspension device such as a multivolume chamber, or a air stream creation device. What is also contemplated is the use of a plurality of variable openings in the enclosure, used in conjunction with a plurality of conductors, to dispose a stream of particles onto a moving medium in successive layers. In yet another embodiment, the stream of particles is directed in a directional electrical field created by electrodes placed adjacent to directional shields. The present disclosure relates to an in-line industrial device able to coat paint, starch, thermoplastic materials, or any other powder material onto a medium by successively controlling a plurality of parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventor: Robert J. McShane
  • Publication number: 20100033546
    Abstract: Provided are a toner supply roller and an image forming apparatus using the toner supply roller. The image forming apparatus employs a direct image developing technique, and includes the toner supply roller having a plurality of electrodes formed on an outer surface thereof to selectively supply toner to an image forming unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: SOON-CHEOL KWEON, Kyu-ho Shin, Ki-hwan Kwon
  • Publication number: 20090322845
    Abstract: An addressable imaging belt for use in printing applications having embedded anisotropically conductive addressable islands configured for electric contact on a first side of the belt by a write head consisting of an array of compliant cantilevered fingers with contact pads/points to which a voltage can be applied. The conductive addressable islands electrically isolated from one another and extending substantially through the thickness of the belt in order to allow charge to flow through the belt towards a second side of the belt, in order to form a latent electrostatic image on the second side and develop this latent image by attracting colorized toner or other electrically charged particles to the second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy D. Stowe, Chu-heng Liu, Jeng Ping Lu, Eugene Chow, Gregory B. Anderson, Armin Volkel, Eric Peeters
  • Patent number: 7626602
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an electrostatic coating apparatus for spraying a stream of particles onto a medium, and in particular to an apparatus equipped with a powder coating suspension device such as a multivolume chamber, or a air stream creation device. What is also contemplated is the use of a plurality of variable openings in the enclosure, used in conjunction with a plurality of conductors, to dispose a stream of particles onto a moving medium in successive layers. In yet another embodiment, the stream of particles is directed in a directional electrical field created by electrodes placed adjacent to directional shields. The present disclosure relates to an in-line industrial device able to coat paint, starch, thermoplastic materials, or any other powder material onto a medium by successively controlling a plurality of parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Inventor: Robert J. McShane
  • Publication number: 20090190944
    Abstract: The emission intensity of a laser beam source, at a time when a laser beam emitted from the laser beam source and scanned by an optical scanning device becomes incident to a laser beam detector provided in a predetermined position on the scanning path of the laser beam in order to hold a position of an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor constant in the main scanning direction, while at the same time, changing the emission intensity of the laser beam, is set so as to become the consistently same emission intensity regardless of a change in emission intensity at the time of electrostatic latent image formation onto a photoreceptor. This allows the detection timing of a laser beam by a laser beam detector to be kept constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masanori Okada
  • Patent number: 7548250
    Abstract: An image-forming element for a printing apparatus which includes a support structure with a plurality of electrodes of a first type disposed thereon and an electronic control unit for energizing the electrodes. The image-forming element further includes a plurality of electrodes of a second type, each one of said electrodes of the second type being arranged for interacting capacitively through a dielectric layer with a number of electrodes of the first type, forming a group, the electronic control unit containing a first series of drivers for energizing the electrodes of the first type, each one of said drivers being suited for energizing one electrode of the first type within each group and a second series of drivers for energizing individually the electrodes of the second type, the first and second series of drivers being arranged such that the electrodes of the first type can be individually activated, image wise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: OCE-Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Catharinus Van Acquoij, Rene J. Van Der Meer, Aart Nijkamp, Stanislaw K. J. Lenczowski, David D. L. Wijngaards, Albert G. M. Van Welie, Johannes G. V. Van Stiphout
  • Patent number: 7516040
    Abstract: A system and method for the automated detection of printing defects in an image output device are described, employing an imaging device adjacent a photoresponsive member in the output device, wherein the imaging device generates image signals in response to developed and undeveloped regions on the photoresponsive member to identify defects therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Gerardo Leute, Judith Vandewinckel, Stephen J. Nichols
  • Publication number: 20090085462
    Abstract: A method of printing an electrode component is disclosed. The method can include steps of electrostatically printing a polymer onto a substrate, where at least a portion of the printing occurs while the polymer is in a first conductive state, and altering the polymer to a second conductive state that is more conductive than the first conductive state, thereby forming the electronic component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Yaron Grinwald, Tomer Spector, Boaz Galil, Eyal Bachar
  • Patent number: 7499066
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a light scanning device configured: to store in advance a predetermined base correction time; initiate optical image writing for a first round of rotation of an endless intermediate transfer member onto a latent image bearing member included in a first visible image forming unit based on a standard angle detection signal detected after a time Te determined as a time elapsed by a base correction time t1 from a time Ta; to correct a phase, during a period between a time Tc and a time including a time Tc and the base correction time t1, based on a time lag dt2 and a time lag dt1; and to initiate optical image writing for a second round of rotation of the endless intermediate transfer member onto the latent image bearing member included in the first visible image forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Takeyama, Nobuyuki Yanagawa
  • Patent number: 7496326
    Abstract: An electrostatic attraction device is disclosed that attracts and transports a recording medium by applying an electric field to a surface of an endless belt member with use of a charger while rotating the belt member. The electrostatic attraction device comprises a separation claw holding unit separately provided from the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd
    Inventor: Kenichi Kawabata
  • Patent number: 7496302
    Abstract: An improved color EP (laser) printer is provided for use in high humidity conditions. A humidity sensing circuit determines if the print quality might be degraded due to environmental conditions, using a resistivity sensing circuit, or a humidity sensor. If the print quality would likely be degraded, the invention is able to enhance toner transfer by printing supplemental process black toner dots underlaying standard black toner dots at predetermined pixel locations in the bitmap of a print job. This assumes that the black printing station is the “last” station along the travel of the intermediate transfer member. Other colors could be used for the supplemental toner dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc
    Inventors: David Keith Lane, Julie Ann Gordon Whitney
  • Patent number: 7477430
    Abstract: A transparency conveying apparatus is provided with: a first rail for guiding one end of a transparency; a second rail for guiding the other end portion, which is provided parallel to the first rail with the transparency reading region placed between the first and second rails; a first belt for conveying the transparency along the first rail, which faces the first rail in a position where the one end is inserted between the first belt and the first rail; a second belt for conveying the transparency along the second rail, which faces the second rail in a position where the other end is inserted between the second belt and the second rail; a first engagement member for engaging the one end with the first belt; a second engagement member for engaging the other end with the second belt; and a drive unit for rotating the first and second belts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Teruo Baba, Hisayuki Akahane, Harrick Selvan, Letchumanan Thiagarajan
  • Patent number: 7466326
    Abstract: An image forming method, comprising the steps of: charging uniformly a surface of an organic photoreceptor while rotating the organic photoreceptor; exposing the charged surface of the photoreceptor with a light beam having a wavelength in the range of 350 nm to 500 nm in a main scanning direction to form a dot-shaped electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor; and developing the dot-shaped electrostatic latent image with toner to form a dot-shaped toner image on the photoreceptor so as to satisfy the following formulas: 1.1?B/A?1.5 and 10?A?50, where A is the length (?m) of an exposed dot of the dot-shaped electrostatic latent image in the main scanning direction, and B is the length (?m) of a toner dot of the dot-shaped toner image in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeaki Tokutake, Masao Asano, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Yoshihiko Eto
  • Patent number: 7436416
    Abstract: A color printing apparatus having pulse-width modulation means which performs pulse-width modulation for tone control, and a control method thereof are provided. Based on determination of a printing mode of printing data supplied and determination of whether or not the printing data is to be processed as single-color data, a pulse-width modulation pattern to be used by the pulse-width modulation means is decided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mizuki Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 7436379
    Abstract: Disclosed is a reversible image display medium which can be repeatedly used and can display high quality images, in which cells between the two substrates accommodate a dry developer containing at least two kinds of frictionally chargeable dry developing particles having different chargeable polarities and different optical reflection densities; images are displayed by forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be formed on one of the two substrates to drive the developing particles in an electrostatic field based on the electrostatic latent image; a developer-facing surface of one of the substrates has a surface resistivity of at least 1×1012 ohm/square; a developer-facing surface of the opposite substrate has a surface resistivity from 1×106 ohm/square to 1×1012 ohm/square; a developer-facing surface of one of the substrates has a surface average median roughness Ra of 0.2 ?m to 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Matsuura, Hiroshi Mizuno, Akihito Ikegawa, Masaharu Kanazawa, Keyaki Yogome, Takaji Kurita
  • Patent number: 7432942
    Abstract: A visual display system and a method for displaying information. The information displayed on the visual display system may be substantially or entirely immune to stray electric fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Nicholas K Sheridon
  • Publication number: 20080239056
    Abstract: A semiconductor device, a print head comprising the semiconductor device and an image forming apparatus comprising the print head are supplied which are able to reduce cost through miniaturizing element size and minishing chip area. The semiconductor device comprises a plurality of light emitting elements; and a shift register circuit that has output terminals respectively corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements and stores emitting-light instruction data of the light emitting elements, wherein each light emitting element has a first electrode and a second electrode to that lightening electricity of the light emitting element flows, and a third electrode for controlling the light emitting element whether to emit light, the output terminals of the shift register circuit are respectively connected with the third electrodes of the corresponding light emitting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Nagumo
  • Patent number: 7419248
    Abstract: An ink jet head ejects ink by utilizing an electrostatic force to fly the ejected ink towards a recording medium. The ink jet head includes an ejection port substrate having ejection ports bored therethrough, a head substrate disposed at a predetermined distance from the ejection port substrate so as to define an ink flow path between the ejection port substrate and the head substrate, channel separation walls disposed on the head substrate, and ejection electrodes for controlling the ejection of the ink. In this ink jet head, each of the channel separation walls and each of the ejection electrodes are arranged in a position corresponding to each of the ejection ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20080122916
    Abstract: An imaging system may include first and second imaging assemblies for synchronously imaging on both sides of a receiver material using directed charged particle or aerosol toner printing methods. The imaging assemblies may in turn each include an imaging member and an intermediate transfer member, and the intermediate transfer member may be a split intermediate transfer member. The imaging system may also use flexible aperture print arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: Dana G. Marsh, George R. Walgrove, Michael W. Frauens
  • Publication number: 20080068436
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an electrostatic coating apparatus for spraying a stream of particles onto a medium, and in particular to an apparatus equipped with a powder coating suspension device such as a multivolume chamber, or a air stream creation device. What is also contemplated is the use of a plurality of variable openings in the enclosure, used in conjunction with a plurality of conductors, to dispose a stream of particles onto a moving medium in successive layers. In yet another embodiment, the stream of particles is directed in a directional electrical field created by electrodes placed adjacent to directional shields. The present disclosure relates to an in-line industrial device able to coat paint, starch, thermoplastic materials, or any other powder material onto a medium by successively controlling a plurality of parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventor: Robert J. McShane
  • Patent number: 7325906
    Abstract: The ink jet recording apparatus serves to record an image corresponding to image data on a recording medium using an ink jet head which ejects ink in the form of an ink droplet. The ink jet head includes an ejection orifice substrate in which an ejection orifice is bored, a head substrate disposed at a predetermined distance from the ejection orifice substrate to define an ink passage between the ejection orifice substrate and the head substrate, ejection control device which controls the ejection of the ink from the ejection orifice. The ink guide dike is provided on a surface of the head substrate on a side of the ink passage to form an ink flow directed from an upstream side of the ejection orifice in the ink passage to the ejection orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20080024584
    Abstract: Various embodiments and methods relating to a pixel are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventors: Robert J. Lawton, Donald J. Fasen, Dennis A. Abramsohn
  • Patent number: 7324127
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium according to an inputted diagnostic image signal, including: a recording medium loading section capable of loading plural types of recording media; an exposing device for forming latent images by exposing with predetermined plural test exposure values; a developing device to form developed images on the recording medium; a density measuring device for measuring densities of the developed images; a memory device for storing predetermined density values correlated to the predetermined plural test exposure values; a selecting device for selecting a predetermined number of images among the developed images; and a calibration section for creating LUT that determines a relationship between exposure values and input image signals, based on measured densities of the selected predetermined number of images and stored predetermined density values correlated to the test exposure values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta & Medical Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Mamoru Umeki, Masayuki Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20070273741
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image retention medium, a charging unit, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit that uses a toner holding a color forming or non-color forming state with the application of color forming information by light, a color forming information application unit, a transfer unit, and a color forming unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventor: Hideki Kashimura
  • Patent number: 7289133
    Abstract: A simple and economical method and apparatus for identifying the toner installed in a multi-toner printer by identifying the toner holder installed in the printer is disclosed. Additionally, the multi-toner printer is controlled based on the toner holder installed and a job selection. A toner identification apparatus comprising a toner identification module, a display device, and an input device, identifies the toner holder installed in a multi-toner printer by producing and identifying a unique voltage identification signal for the installed toner holder. A job selection algorithm determines whether the installed toner holder is the correct toner holder for a specified job selection. Additionally, if the toner holder installed in the multi-toner printer contains MICR toner, the job selection algorithm mandates a security procedure that must be carried out in order for printing to be allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kenneth P. Friedrich, James D. Anthony, Guy J. Rossi
  • Patent number: 7264344
    Abstract: An electrostatic inkjet ink composition including: a non-aqueous solvent having a dielectric constant of from 1.5 to 20 and a surface tension at 25° C. of from 15 to 60 mN/m; a color material that is insoluble in the non-aqueous solvent; and a charge control agent that is soluble in the non-aqueous solvent, wherein the charge control agent contains a half-aside maleic acid copolymer containing repeating units represented by the formulae (Ia) and (Ib) as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Horie, Yutaka Sakasai
  • Publication number: 20070176997
    Abstract: An electrostatic actuator, a liquid droplet ejection head, and a liquid droplet ejection device which have a good response and are driven by a small drive voltage includes a vibration plate as a sheet-shaped movable electrode and an individual electrode acting as a rectangular fixed electrode confronting the vibration plate and having stepped portions or an inclined portion in a long side direction with respect to the vibration plate, wherein the thickness of the vibration plate is reduced according to an order by which the vibration plate is made to abut against the individual electrode by electrostatic attracting force generated between the vibration plate and the individual electrode. Methods of manufacturing the above devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroshi Komatsu, Yasushi Matsuno, Akira Sano
  • Patent number: 7249837
    Abstract: A flocked substrate that can be printed in non-impact printers and photocopiers, including bubble jet, piezoelectric and LaserJet printers, a method of printing on flocked substrate using that flocked substrate, and a jigsaw puzzle made using the printed flocked substrate, with an adhesive backing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Inventor: Edward T. Abramek
  • Patent number: 7221464
    Abstract: The invention concerns an image recording apparatus suitable for forming a medical image that is used for a medical diagnosis, and a test pattern for evaluating a quality of the medical image. The image recording apparatus includes a printing section to either the medical image or the test pattern on the recording medium, based on image date; a printing-condition setting section to set a printing condition for printing the test pattern; and a printing-condition displaying section to display the printing condition set by the printing-condition setting section. The printing section prints at least one of a sharpness-evaluating pattern and a granularity-evaluating pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Yamano
  • Patent number: 7204571
    Abstract: A system for maintaining alignment between a print head (18) and a transfer surface (34) of a drum assembly (38) includes a first contacting member (78, 80) carried by the print head. A first receiving member (82, 84) is carried by the drum assembly. A drive mechanism (20) translates the print head relative to the transfer surface. During translation of the print head relative to the transfer surface, the first contacting member maintains a sliding contact with the first receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David P. Platt, Michael E. Jones
  • Patent number: 7182450
    Abstract: In electrostatic inkjet recording in which an ink droplet is ejected by acting electrostatic force on ink that contains colorant particles, the electric conductivity of the colorant particles in the ink is saturated. Thus, variations in ink dot diameter caused by the ejection delay and a decrease in frequency responsivity are avoided, so that high-quality image recording with good frequency responsivity can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keitaro Aoshima
  • Patent number: 7173641
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a printer system that incorporates an electrically addressable array of micro electro-mechanical switches of arbitrary width. In one embodiment, array of micro electro-mechanical switches of arbitrary width that comprises an electrostatic array used to attract fusible toner or electrically charged ink droplets from a hopper or ink jet assembly to a piece of paper or other printable substrate. The electrostatic array uses electrostatic latching to create the charged environment to allow the toner or ink to be attracted from the hopper or ink jet assembly toward the array. A piece of paper is interposed between the array and the hopper or ink jet assembly. Additional micro electro-mechanical switches control the release of the ink droplets from the ink jet assembly. The micro electro-mechanical switches each comprise a sealed cell that relies on pneumatic restoration forces to insure that switch contacts can be successfully broken as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventors: Nicholas F. Pasch, Glenn C. Sanders
  • Patent number: 7133055
    Abstract: A smart surface is composed of a semiconductor memory layer overlaid on an insulated conductive layer with a one to one correspondence of each memory cell with the conductive pad on the insulated layer. The entire structure can be fashioned into a either a planar structure or other geometric structure. An appliance may be overlaid the smart surface and signals transmitted and received to and from the appliance via the conductive pad(s) of the smart surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Inventors: Nandakumar Vaidyanathan, Ravi Suburahmanyan
  • Patent number: 7121209
    Abstract: The print engine is composed of a semiconductor memory layer overlaid on an insulated conductive layer with a one to one correspondence of each memory cell with the conductive pad on the insulated layer. The entire structure can be fashioned into a either a planar structure or a cylindrical structure with insulated conductive pads providing protection to the sensitive semiconductor memory from impact loading that occurs during the printing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Inventors: Nandakumar Vaidyanathan, Ravi Subrahmanyan
  • Patent number: 7059248
    Abstract: A print engine suitable for printing barcodes and other patterns using charged inks includes a semiconductor memory layer having memory circuits that are coupled to one or more line elements and/or printel cells. The printel cells and line elements either attract or do not attract charged ink based on the data stored in the corresponding memory circuit. The line elements and printel cells may be configured to form a linear barcode or a 2-dimensional barcode. The charged ink may also be electrically conducting and the line elements and printel cells may be configured to form electrical structures such as electrical circuits or antennae. The charged ink may also be electrically semiconducting and by the line elements and printel cells may be configured to form electronic semiconductor devices and circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Inventors: Nandakumar Vaidyanathan, Ravi Subrahmanyan
  • Patent number: 7041424
    Abstract: Reactive toners are printed by electrophotographic and electrographic printers. One or more of the toners may include reactive components. An additional toner, which may be a colorless toner, comprises reactive components. The toners comprising one or more colorants are used to from an image on a substrate. The additional toner is used to cover the entire image, although the additional toner may be printed over, or under, the image, to cover the image as the image is printed on the substrate. The reactive components of the additional toner provide a base that covers at least the entire image to improve adhesion of the image layer with the final substrate, particularly where substrates having rough surfaces, such as textiles, are used as the final substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Inventors: Ming Xu, Rebecca Silveston
  • Patent number: 7029525
    Abstract: Optically variable water-based inks, methods of providing security information, and documents are provided. The optically variable water-based inks are suitable for flexographic printing processes, and the optically variable water-based inks display a viewing angle dependent color shift between at least a first color and at least a second color. The optically variable water-based inks may be used to provide security information and to flexographically print documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: The Standard Register Company
    Inventor: Rajendra Mehta
  • Patent number: 7015937
    Abstract: In a writing head for forming an electrostatic latent image on a cylindrical image carrier, a plurality of writing electrodes are arranged on a first face of a film substrate in a first direction parallel with an axial direction of the image carrier. The writing electrodes are adapted to be abutted against an outer periphery of the image carrier to provide electric charges thereto. A first wiring member are arranged on the first face of the film substrate to supply signals from a first electrode driver to a first electrode group in the writing electrodes. A second writing member are arranged on a second face of the film substrate to supply signals from a second electrode driver to the second electrode group in the writing electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Kamoshida, Kiyoteru Katsuki, Nobumasa Abe, Atsunori Kitazawa, Kiyoshi Tsujino, Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 7015938
    Abstract: Light emitted from an entire surface of a light source is passed selectively through a liquid crystal shutter. The shutter can be controlled to open/close on a pixel basis in response to image data and then selectively passed light is converted into light having a specified wavelength by a nonlinear optical element before impinging on a metal film. The metal film induces and emits its own electrons and forms an electrostatic latent image directly on a dielectric film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taisuke Kamimura, Kiyoshi Toizumi, Toshimitsu Gotoh
  • Patent number: 6965467
    Abstract: Provided are particles for use in a display device, in which particles cohesive force between the particles and a specific gravity are reduced, and an image display medium which can ensure a stable display image over a long period of time, and an image forming device. The particles for a display device are such that the cohesive force between the particles and the specific gravity are reduced. Further, the present invention can provide the image display medium, in which a driving voltage can be set to be low, and which can ensure a stable display image over a long period of time even if there are shocks from an exterior or static states over long periods and the image forming device utilizing this image display medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Yamamoto, Satoshi Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 6922204
    Abstract: The invention provides an image display medium comprising: a first transparent substrate disposed on an observation side; a second substrate disposed on a further side from the observation side than the first substrate; and a display layer formed between the first substrate and the second substrate and containing a plurality of developer particles; the first substrate including a color filter having at least one group of a plurality of light-transmitting filter films of different colors. The invention also provides an image recording apparatus including a recording head for recording an image on the medium and a positioning device for positioning the filter films of the color filter and the recording head. The invention further provides an image recording method comprising the steps of positioning the filter films of the medium and the recording head, and recording an image by the recording head on the medium having the filter films positioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Kanazawa, Keyaki Yogome, Akihito Ikegawa
  • Patent number: 6918646
    Abstract: In a printing apparatus using a printhead having an array of printing elements in which a plurality of printing elements are arranged in a predetermined direction, the printing apparatus performing printing by scanning the printhead over a printing medium in a direction crossing to the predetermined direction on the basis of information transmitted from a host apparatus, print data transmitted from the host apparatus is stored in a buffer, printing by the scanning is started when the print data stored in the buffer reaches a first amount that is smaller than an amount of print data to be printed on the printing medium by the printhead by one scanning, the scanning is interrupted when storage of the print data in the buffer is delayed during the scanning, and when, after the interruption, subsequent print data stored in the buffer reaches a second amount, the interrupted scanning is executed to complete printing by one scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidehiko Kanda, Jiro Moriyama
  • Patent number: 6905188
    Abstract: An ejection apparatus for ejecting material from a liquid at a plurality of ejection locations (4) disposed in a row, has a plurality of channels (11) through each of which liquid flows in use to or from a respective ejection location at an open end of the channel. An ejection electrode (7) is disposed at each ejection location by means of which an electric field is created in use to cause the ejection of material from the liquid. An electrically conductive path (12) exists to each ejection electrode for supplying a voltage to the ejection electrode (7) in use. The channels (11) are isolated from one another and the electrically conductive paths (12) are separated from the channels over substantially the whole of their length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Tonejet Corporation Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: John William Teape, Guy Charles Fernley Newcombe, Daniel Richard Mace, Philip John Atkin