Electrothermographic Patents (Class 347/114)
  • Patent number: 10025137
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate and a second substrate; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, containing P-type liquid crystal molecules, and configured to be perpendicularly aligned when no electric field is applied; a pixel including a reflecting region and a transmitting region, cell gaps of the reflecting region and the transmitting region being the same; one pixel electrode formed into a line on the first electrode; a first common electrode provided on the first substrate to sandwich the pixel electrode; a second common electrode provided on the second substrate; and a reflecting film provided in the reflecting region to overlap a portion of the pixel electrode, and comprising a conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: ORTUS TECHNOLOLGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norihiro Arai, Kunpei Kobayashi, Ryota Mizusako
  • Patent number: 9612163
    Abstract: In one aspect, methods of detecting ice formation on an aircraft are described herein. In some implementations, a method of detecting ice formation on an aircraft comprises disposing an ice detector on an exterior surface of the aircraft, the ice detector comprising a probe surface and a pyroelectric material layer disposed on at least a portion of the probe surface. The method further comprises generating a charge on a surface of the pyroelectric material layer of the ice detector to increase the local freezing point of water on the surface of the pyroelectric material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Charles S. Meis, Todd J. Germeroth
  • Patent number: 7812735
    Abstract: In a method for automatically identifying a conveyor belt in a printer as being one of a plurality of belt types, the conveyor belt is moved along a circulatory path. A start and an end of a longitudinal marking on the moving conveyor belt are detected. A distance of travel of the moving conveyor belt between the detecting of the start and the end is sensed to provide a sensed marking length. The sensed marking length is allocated to a nearest of a plurality of nominal marking lengths. Each nominal marking length is associated with a respective one of said belt types. The belt type is associated with or defined by a set of one or more printer control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dirk Kahl, Ralph Petersen, Frank Pierel, Soenke Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7304657
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus including an exposing device, a developing device, a density measuring device to measure a density value of the developed film sheet, a calibrating device to calibrate the density value based on measured density values of a test image by the density measuring device and by an external density measuring device, a condition change detecting device to detect a condition change of the density measuring device, a correcting device to correct the density value, according to a result of detection by the condition change detecting device and the characteristics variation table showing variations of unmeasured values due to a condition change of the density measuring device, and a controlling device to control at least one of the exposing device and the developing device to optimize a relationship between diagnostic image data and film density according to the corrected density value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kido, Mamoru Umeki
  • Patent number: 7061513
    Abstract: A light-heat conversion in a light-stimulated writing method and associated apparatus include an image recording body having an element, which absorbs an (electromagnetic wave) provided in a surface of a recording body, or in a recording layer formed on an uppermost layer of the recording body having a material exhibiting a thermal changeable character of wettabilty, or in a substrate or an intermediate layer of the recording body. After a liquid is disposed on the recording body by a liquid forming device, light-stimulated writing is carried out, resulting on an enhanced efficiency of light-heat conversion by a light absorbing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Katano, Satoru Tomita, Minoru Morikawa, Kei Hara
  • Patent number: 6961074
    Abstract: A light-heat conversion in a light-stimulated writing method and associated apparatus include an image recording body having an element, which absorbs an (electromagnetic wave) provided in a surface of a recording body, or in a recording layer formed on an uppermost layer of the recording body having a material exhibiting a thermal changeable character of wettabilty, or in a substrate or an intermediate layer of the recording body. After a liquid is disposed on the recording body by a liquid forming device, light-stimulated writing is carried out, resulting on an enhanced efficiency of light-heat conversion by a light absorbing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Katano, Satoru Tomita, Minoru Morikawa, Kei Hara
  • Publication number: 20040070660
    Abstract: An individual electrode layer electrically connected to an individual electrode layer having an opening is formed beneath a heater layer and a common electrode layer along an ink flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Muga Mochizuki, Ichiro Saito, Yoshiyuki Imanaka
  • Publication number: 20030218664
    Abstract: In a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display device having a reflective region 5 and a transmissive region therein, a one-half wavelength plate 29 is disposed between a lower substrate 11 and a polarizer 21a provided on a side of the lower substrate. This makes liquid crystal molecules in at least the transmissive region 6 driven by a horizontal electric field and allows the device to operate in a normally-black mode in both the reflective region 5 and the transmissive region 6, realizing a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display device having wide viewing angle characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Applicant: NEC Corporation et al
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Makoto Watanabe, Shinichi Nishida
  • Patent number: 6440624
    Abstract: A polarization reversion pattern is formed in ferroelectrics in accordance with image information. An image is obtained by surface charges corresponding to the polarization reversion pattern. The ferroelectrics are composed of an inorganic ferroelectric oxide such as LiNbxTa1-xO3(0≦x≦1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasukazu Nihei
  • Patent number: 6426737
    Abstract: A transparent image producing display or receiver which uses a suspension fluid for producing pixels of an image includes at least one image-forming layer having a structure which defines a plurality of pixels, with the structure receiving a suspension fluid having field-driven particles, which move in response to an externally applied field, where, in a first condition, the field-driven particles produce a first level of transmitted incident light and, in an second condition, produce a second level of transmitted incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Steven D. MacLean, William H. Simpson
  • Patent number: 6356289
    Abstract: Toner is placed on to the image-forming surface and then is transferred onto the image-carrying medium based upon adhesion force. A sharp image is formed without suffering from the dispersion of toner during the transfer process. In addition, the adhesion force-based image forming device is simpler in construction and advantageously produces substantially no ozone. One preferred embodiment transfers heat sensitive toner to an image-carrying medium by increasing the adhesion force of the toner and almost simultaneously decreasing the adhesion force of the image-forming surface with the raised temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Tomita, Hiroshi Kondo
  • Patent number: 6177947
    Abstract: Apparatus for forming an image, comprising a storage for storing a digitized image and a receiver. The receiver includes a matrix, a thermomeltable material disposed in the matrix having a transition temperature range which is above room temperature wherein the viscosity of the thermomeltable material decreases substantially from below to above the transition temperature range, and field-driven particles immersed in the thermomeltable material, so that the particles change optical densities in response to an applied electric field when the thermomeltable material is above the transition temperature range and is stable at temperatures below the transition temperature range. An array of electrodes selectively applies electric fields at an image forming position on the receiver. The apparatus heats the receiver to control the temperature of the receiver to control the response of the field-driven particles in the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Xin Wen, Steven D. MacLean, William H. Simpson
  • Patent number: 6171422
    Abstract: An electrographic imaging element useful for forming colored images is described. The element contains an imaging layer structure and a support structure. The support structure contains an electrically conductive polymeric release layer formed by polymerizing a mixture containing a polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated ammonium precursor; a polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated, organo-silicone precursor; a polymerizable precursor containing at least two polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated functional groups; optionally, a polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated acidic precursor containing at least one carboxylic acid group; and, optionally, a monofunctional precursor containing one polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated functional group. The element is particularly useful for forming large size images, such as are required for banners, billboards, and other out-of-doors advertisements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Rexam Graphics, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Allan Cahill, Everett Wyman Bennett, Weitong Shi, Edward William Sporbert, Alan Richard Taylor, Dene Harvey Taylor
  • Patent number: 6108016
    Abstract: The image recording device comprises a heating unit such as a thermal head for selectively heating a latent image charge holding medium which forms electrostatic latent image in order to form electrostatic latent image on the surface of the latent image charge holding medium, an ion radiator for electrically neutralizing the surface of the latent image charge holding medium and a development unit for visualizing electrostatic latent image, with the heating unit disposed on the back side of the surface of the latent image charge holding medium on which electrostatic latent is formed, and the ion radiator disposed in non-contact to be apart by a predetermined space on the side of the latent image charge holding medium on which electrostatic latent image is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Fuminori Takizawa
  • Patent number: 5929886
    Abstract: Ferroelectric polymer films are applied in a charge transfer imaging process to generate latent electrostatic images on a dielectric receiver media. The dielectric receiver media may be the final imaging substrate which is then xerographically toned and fixed, e.g., Versatec dielectric paper, or an intermediate surface from which a toned image is transferred to plain paper. Charges may be generated applying either the piezoelectric or the pyroelectric effect exhibited by ferroelectric films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Snelling, Dale R. Mashtare
  • Patent number: 5869179
    Abstract: An electrographic imaging element useful for forming colored images is described. The element contains an imaging layer structure and a support structure. The support structure contains an electrically conductive polymeric release layer formed by polymerizing a mixture containing a polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated ammonium precursor; a polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated, organo-silicone precursor; a polymerizable precursor containing at least two polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated functional groups; optionally, a polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated acidic precursor containing at least one carboxylic acid group; and, optionally, a monofunctional precursor containing one polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated functional group. The element is particularly useful for forming large size images, such as are required for banners, billboards, and other out-of-doors advertisements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Rexam Graphics, Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas Allan Cahill, Everett Wyman Bennett, Weitong Shi, Edward William Sporbert, Alan Richard Taylor, Dene Harvey Taylor
  • Patent number: 5808648
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms an electrostatic latent image on a latent image forming body having a dielectric material layer on its surface when a write electrode comes into contact with the dielectric material layer. The image forming apparatus develops the electrostatic latent image with a charged developer, and transfers a visual image thus obtained onto recording paper. The dielectric material layer is composed of a PZT (lead titanate zirconate) which is formed through crystal growth by the hydrothermal method. The dielectric material layer has a high relative dielectric constant and exhibits the pyroelectric effect. Furthermore, since the dielectric material layer is composed of the PZT which is formed through crystal growth by the hydrothermal method, the dielectric material layer can be formed without a heat treatment at a high temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kubota, Takahiro Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 5678145
    Abstract: Pyroelectric materials are used to create net charge/surface potentials for use in xerographic charge and transfer steps. Heating and cooling a pyroelectric film, such as, polyvinylidene fluoride induces thermal expansion or contraction which create surface charge density changes that can be used to charge a photoconductive surface and/or transfer an image from a photoconductive surface to a copy sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Snelling, Dale R. Mashtare
  • Patent number: 5483321
    Abstract: A novel process is disclosed for the manufacture of protected, distortion-free, full-color electrographic images for use on large format posters, billboards and the like. A novel electrographic element is also disclosed, which includes a base, a release layer and a combined transparent dielectric and adhesive layer which is substantially tack-free, at ambient pressure and temperature. The novel electrographic imaging process includes the steps of: A) producing a toned image layer on the surface of the electrographic element and B) pressure laminating the receptor substrate, optionally at an elevated temperature to the toned image layer to form the completed electrographic image. The base and release layer may be stripped from the dielectric/adhesive layer which then serves to protect the transferred, toned, electrographically generated image from abrasion and environmental contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Rexam Graphics
    Inventors: Douglas A. Cahill, Donald A. Brault, Richard S. Himmelwright, Dene H. Taylor
  • Patent number: 5411825
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for heat development of a migration imaging member containing migration marking material and a softenable material capable of softening upon exposure to heat at a development temperature, which apparatus comprises a heating source, a conveyance means for conveying the migration imaging member past the heating source, a first pinch roller in contact with the conveyance means, and a second pinch roller in contact with the conveyance means, wherein the imaging member passes through a nip between the conveyance means and the first pinch roller subsequent to entering the apparatus and prior to exposure to the heating source and passes through a nip between the conveyance means and the second pinch roller subsequent to exposure to the heating source and prior to exiting the apparatus, wherein the surface temperature of the first pinch roller is maintained at a temperature at least 20.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Man C. Tam