Of Medium Patents (Class 347/16)
  • Patent number: 8882224
    Abstract: When a paper jam is detected, in the case where the cause of the paper jam is a CR motor error in which the speed of the carriage is decreased by as much as a load when the paper jam occurs and becomes equal to or less than a set speed, when there is an instruction to continue printing, cleaning is performed on a printing head. In this case, it is determined whether the paper position is particularly in a one-side supporting range in which the paper is supported by only one pair of transporting roller pairs provided in each of an upstream side and a downstream side of a transporting direction of the paper with interposing of a moving path of the printing head. Then, it is preferable that cleaning be performed as long as the paper position is in the one-side supporting range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takafumi Ogimura
  • Patent number: 8882229
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a processor-readable medium stores code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to measure a width of a first-sized media page and determine a length that corresponds with the width. Based on the length, a bottom end of the first-sized media page is located, and a calibration pattern is printed in a first page region located relative to the bottom end of the first-sized media page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Chi-Shih Wu, Justin M. Roman, Theresa Gene Trueba Embree, Erick B. Kinas
  • Patent number: 8876241
    Abstract: There is provided a transporting system including two rollers to transport a sheet, two driving devices to drive the rollers, two measuring devices, and a controller to control the transport. The controller includes two estimating units to estimate values R1 and R2 related to reaction forces act on the rollers, a first calculating unit to calculate a control input U1, a second calculating unit to calculate a control input U2 in accordance with a deviation between a target value and (R1?R2)/2, first and second drive controllers to input a control signal in accordance with U1 and U2 to the first and second driving devices, and a setting unit. In an initial stage of a period in which the sheet is transported by the two rollers, the setting unit sets the target value to a value greater than that of the target value after the initial stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Iesaki
  • Patent number: 8876279
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for printing graphics on absorbent articles. Printing systems according to the present disclosure may include a carrier apparatus that transports individual absorbent articles past a printing station, which prints a custom graphic on the absorbent articles. The carrier apparatus may include a hook member connected with an endless belt. The printing system may also include a pressing apparatus positioned adjacent the endless belt. During operation, an absorbent article may be positioned on a hook member, and the endless belt conveys the absorbent article in the machine direction past the printing station. As the absorbent article advances toward the printing station, the pressing apparatus compresses and flattens the absorbent article against the hook member to help provide a relatively flat, smooth surface on the absorbent article to be printed. The printing station then prints a graphic on the advancing article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Alrick Vincent Warner, Hui Yang
  • Patent number: 8876240
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transportation unit that transports a recording medium, a driven rotation member that rotates as a result of being driven depending on the recording medium which is transported by the transportation unit while in contact with the recording medium, a rotational position detection unit that detects a rotational position of the driven rotation member, and a control unit that controls an amount of transportation of the recording medium based on a result of the detection by the rotational position detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Imamura
  • Patent number: 8876278
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head that ejects a liquid thereby performing recording on a recording medium, and a support member disposed so as to oppose the recording head. The support member includes a deposit recess located at a position corresponding to the respective end portion of the recording medium in the width direction intersecting with the transport direction, for receiving the liquid ejected to a region deviated from the recording medium in a marginless recording process, and a support region provided upstream of the deposit recess in the transport direction so as to support a back surface of the recording medium, and most upstream nozzles in the transport direction are not used in the marginless recording process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20140320562
    Abstract: A printing device includes a head, an irradiation unit and a controller. The head is configured and arranged to eject a liquid onto a medium. The irradiation unit is configured and arranged to radiate active rays for curing the liquid on the medium. The irradiation unit is relatively movable with respect to the medium. The controller is configured to decrease radiation of the active rays of the irradiation unit when a time in which the irradiation unit relatively passes over an entire length of the medium has elapsed since start of lighting of the irradiation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventor: Hiroaki AKIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8870332
    Abstract: A transport device includes a plurality of transporting sections to transport a printing medium; a divided accelerating interval setting section to set a transportation speed in a divided accelerating interval corresponding to a time generated by dividing a time where the transportation speed of the printing medium changes from 0 to a given value in accordance with an acceleration rate; a divided decelerating interval setting section to set a transportation speed in a divided decelerating interval corresponding to a time generated by dividing a time where the transportation speed of the printing medium changes from the given value to 0 in accordance with an decelerating rate; including a basic shaft transporting section configured to be driven at the transportation speed set for every divided accelerating interval or for every divided decelerating interval for transporting the printing medium; and a controller for controlling the foregoing sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Takeuchi, Shoji Kakimoto
  • Patent number: 8870330
    Abstract: According to one example there is provide a printing system that comprises a carriage moveable bi-directionally across a platen. The system additionally comprises a substrate edge detector to detect the position of a lateral edge of a substrate when positioned on a platen, a parking zone in which a substrate edge holder may be parked, and a substrate edge holder pick-up system on the carriage to pick up a substrate edge holder parked in the parking zone and to position the substrate edge holder on a detected lateral edge of a substrate positioned on the platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Oriol Borrell Avila, Laura Sánchez Domingo, Mikel Zuza Irurueta, Fco Javier Pérez Gellida
  • Patent number: 8870331
    Abstract: A method of duplex printing forms on a media web. The method includes identifying leading edges of a first side of the forms being printed in a first print zone and identifying leading edges of a second side of the forms being printed in a second print zone. The leading edges in the first print zone being identified with reference to a form length variation parameter and a drift parameter and the leading edges in the second print zone being identified with reference to another form length variation parameter and another drift parameter based on identification of leading edges in the first print zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Song-Feng Mo, Yongsoon Eun, Timothy James Garwood, Antariksh De
  • Patent number: 8870317
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a recording head, a head tank, a carriage, a main tank, a liquid feed device, a supply controller, a displacement member, a first detector, and a second detector. When a consumption amount of liquid in the head tank reaches a threshold value, the controller controls the feed device to start supplying the liquid from the main tank to the head tank. When printing operation is not performed and the displacement member is at a position at which a remaining amount of the liquid in the head tank is smaller than when the displacement member is at a first position, the controller controls the feed device to supply the liquid until the displacement member is placed at the first position or a position at which the remaining amount of the liquid is greater than when the displacement member is at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeyuki Kobayashi, Suguru Masunaga
  • Patent number: 8870329
    Abstract: Detecting an issue in a digital printer that has an optical element positioned to direct a laser beam towards a photoconductor surface may include sending optical element position commands to move the optical element to compensate for inconsistent movements of a photoconductor drum and creating a record of the optical element position commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Haggai Abbo, Martin Chauvin, Omry Flum, Yuri Baril, Sharon Nagler, Craig Breen, Shai Druckman, Ami Shiff, Avner Arnstein
  • Patent number: 8870336
    Abstract: To detect an edge part of a medium with accuracy although the medium includes a false detection element, more than one change point, which changes from a condition that an output of an optical sensor indicates existence of a print medium to a condition that the output indicates non-existence of the print medium, is detected while the optical sensor moved on the print medium along a main scanning direction. A right edge part candidate detection process and a left edge part candidate process are performed to detect at points immediately before output changes as the right and left edge part candidates of the medium when the output of the optical sensor continuously indicates a condition of non-existence of the medium while the optical sensor and the print medium are moved further along the main scanning direction for a predetermined distance from the detected change points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yosaku Tamura
  • Patent number: 8872877
    Abstract: Motor control devices and methods are described herein. In one embodiment, such a device includes a fluid ejection head configured to eject a fluid onto a sheet that is on a downstream side from a transport driving roller along a supply direction of the sheet. The device also includes a first motor that provides a driving force for rotating a roll on which the sheet is wound, and a second motor that provides a driving force for driving the transport driving roller. The transport driving roller is on a downstream side from the roll along the supply direction of the sheet. The device also includes a motor control unit that simultaneously drives the first and second motors, and the motor control unit is configured to control an interpolation output that is given to the first motor while subjected to a change in a driving speed of the second motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Igarashi, Kenji Hatada
  • Patent number: 8864273
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording unit that records an image in a first region, a first control unit that has a drive roller to transport a recording medium and controls a tension of the recording medium in the first region by adjusting a torque of the drive roller based on the tension of the recording medium in the first region, a second control unit that controls the tension of the recording medium in a second region according to the detection result of the tension of the recording medium in the second region. Compared to the frequency response characteristics of the first control unit with respect to the tension fluctuations generated in the first region, the frequency response characteristics of the second control unit with respect to the tension fluctuations generated in the second region responds to the tension fluctuations having a higher frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Hori
  • Patent number: 8864268
    Abstract: To prevent uneven gloss on a printed image in a printing apparatus in which light-curable ink is used, a printing apparatus is provided. The printing apparatus includes a controller controls medium-conveying parts for conveying a medium so that the medium supplied from an upstream side is released on a downstream side; nozzles for discharging ink droplets cured by light irradiation onto the medium; a light-irradiation part for irradiating the medium with light; and medium-deforming parts arranged on the downstream side of the nozzles, holding the medium from the front and back, and deforming the medium so that an irregular shape is formed in cross section; the medium is conveyed downstream by the medium-conveying parts after the medium is deformed by the medium-deforming parts; droplets of ink are discharged from the nozzles to form an image on the surface of the medium; and the ink droplets discharged onto the medium are irradiated with light by the light-irradiation part to cure the droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Tanase, Toru Takahashi, Takamitsu Kondo, Hiroshi Wada
  • Patent number: 8864271
    Abstract: A pair of transportation rollers is configured such that a transportation driven roller is disposed at a position which is displaced downstream with respect to a position vertically above a transportation driving roller and feeds out the paper sheet guiding in obliquely downward direction. The entering direction of the paper sheet fed out from the pair of transportation rollers is determined so as to intersect the plane of the holding surface of the support table. A translucent glass that serves as a detection window of an imaging unit disposed at a position opposite to the paper sheet with respect to the holding surface is located downstream in the transportation direction with respect to an intersection position between the entering direction of the paper sheet and the holding surface. Specifically, the translucent glass is located in the proximity of an abutment position where the paper sheet abuts against the holding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Abe
  • Patent number: 8864278
    Abstract: A method of printing on a recording medium using a printhead having a printhead face that includes an array of marking elements, the method includes advancing the recording medium along a medium advance direction toward a printing region; detecting with a sensor whether a portion of the recording medium is positioned such that it would be in a collision path with the printhead face if the recording medium is advanced into the printing region; and advancing the recording medium into the printing region for printing if it is detected that the recording medium would not be in a collision path with the printhead face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Frederick Allen Donahue, David Scott Uerz
  • Patent number: 8864274
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus transporting sheets of paper at a predetermined interval and forming an image on the sheets has, as modes for controlling the predetermined interval, a first mode of suspending a next paper feeding operation, for a predetermined time and for every predetermined number of sheets of paper and a second mode of expanding the interval of transportation between the paper feeding operations while continuing the transportation. The image forming apparatus decides whether a predefined first condition for starting control of the interval is satisfied during normal printing, determines a mode of the control in response to a decision that the condition is satisfied, and performs the control in the determined mode. The image forming apparatus calculates power consumption in each mode from the decision that the condition is satisfied to completion of uncompleted printing, and selects a mode in which the power consumption is relatively lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Higashiuchi
  • Patent number: 8864269
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing unit, a platen, and a conveyance unit. The printing unit discharges ink for printing. The platen supports a sheet in the printing unit. The conveyance unit includes a first roller and a second roller arranged on a downstream side of the first roller and conveys the sheet along a conveyance path including a route from a sheet feed unit to the printing unit. In a cleaning mode to clean the platen, the printing apparatus conveys a cleaning sheet fed from the sheet feed unit until a trailing edge of the cleaning sheet reaches at least a position downstream of a nip position of the first roller, and then to reciprocate the cleaning sheet at least once by the second roller with such a stroke as not to allow the trailing edge to return to the nip position of the first roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8864272
    Abstract: Systems and methods for wide format ink printing are described. In one embodiment, a tension module for wide format inkjet printers is described which includes a throughput roller comprising a material having a length to diameter ratio of at least 10:1 and a friction coefficient value less than 1. The tension module further includes a plurality of pinch rollers adjacent to and supporting the throughput roller, and a motor operable to rotate the throughput roller. The plurality of pinch rollers and the rotation of the throughput roller in combination are operable to draw the print medium between the plurality of pinch rollers and the throughput roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David Claramunt, Jose Antonio Alvarez, Raimon Castells, Francisco-Javier Perez, Laura Sanchez-Domingo
  • Patent number: 8864270
    Abstract: In a method to execute a pause function of an ink printing system wherein a printing substrate web is printed with a printing unit with print bars having print heads, a real value of a web tension of the printing substrate web is measured with a web tension sensor. In a printing operation the real value of the web tension is regulated to a predetermined desired operating value of the web tension. With triggering of the pause function, the web tension is further regulated by modifying the desired value of the web tension so that the printing substrate web assumes a position at the print heads after an end of the pause function that it had before a beginning of the pause function. After the end of the pause function, the real value of the web tension is regulated again to the desired operating value of the web tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Océ Printing Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Mehrad Biglari, Admir Lela, Peter Thiemann
  • Publication number: 20140307018
    Abstract: According to one example there is provide a printing system that comprises a carriage moveable bi-directionally across a platen. The system additionally comprises a substrate edge detector to detect the position of a lateral edge of a substrate when positioned on a platen, a parking zone in which a substrate edge holder may be parked, and a substrate edge holder pick-up system on the carriage to pick up a substrate edge holder parked in the parking zone and to position the substrate edge holder on a detected lateral edge of a substrate positioned on the platen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Oriol Borrell Avila, Laura Sánchez Domingo, Mikel Zuza Irurueta, Fco Javier Pérez Gellida
  • Publication number: 20140307020
    Abstract: In the case of performing duplex printing on a continuous sheet, by setting a length of a non-image area to an optimum length, both of mark detection having high reliability and the suppression of a sheet consumption amount are achieved. For this purpose, when duplex printing of a plurality of images on front and back surfaces of the continuous sheet is performed, on the basis of a length of the image to be printed precedently to a non-image area W3 on the second surface, the length of the non-image area common to the front and back surface is set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeru Toriihara, Masahito Yoshida, Masahiro Sugimoto, Seiji Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140307019
    Abstract: To achieve both of highly reliable detection of a mark and suppression of a sheet consumption amount when a continuous sheet is cut on an image basis after a plurality of images has been printed on the continuous sheet. For this purpose, at the time of arranging a non-image area including a cut mark between two images to be successively printed, the length of the non-image area in a conveyance direction is set on the basis of the length of a precedently conveyed image in the conveyance direction and image data in a rear end part of the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kentarou MURO
  • Patent number: 8857947
    Abstract: A printing apparatus has a print head and a transport mechanism including a continuous transparent belt for transporting a sheet medium past a print head. The apparatus includes a through optical sensor operable to direct a sensing beam through the belt for sensing the position of the transported sheet medium when the sheet medium breaks the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Delphax Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Belbeck
  • Patent number: 8857942
    Abstract: A printer 3 with a paper consumption output function resets the count of a paper consumption counter 32 (ST22) when a start measuring command C1 is received from the host computer 2 side, and measures the paper consumption 32A from a specific start measurement time to a specific stop measurement time using a paper consumption counter 32 (ST23b to ST27b). When a fetch paper consumption command C2 is received (ST41), the printer 3 outputs the paper consumption 32A, which is the count of the paper consumption counter 32, to the host computer 2 (ST43).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuma Iwahara
  • Patent number: 8861003
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a dot image forming unit executes one of: (i) a default mode of forming a dot image of an entire rectangle by placing an internal dot group corresponding to a fill of an inside a rectangle and a contour dot group corresponding to a contour of the rectangle based on a first dot placement rule and a second dot placement rule, respectively; or (ii) a change mode of forming the dot image of the rectangle by unifying dot placement rules into either of the two dot placement rules and placing the internal dot group and the contour dot group; and an image formation control unit causes, in the change mode, the dot image forming unit to unify the dot placement rules into either of the two dot placement rules and to place the internal dot group and the contour dot group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yuki Shinohara
  • Patent number: 8857943
    Abstract: A duplex printer system includes a double-sided label web and a duplex printer operable to print both sides of the label web. The label includes exposed adhesive on a first side thereof. The duplex printer includes a printer frame and a pair of print heads arranged to print respective sides of the label web. One of the print heads is shiftably mounted relative to the printer frame for movement into and out of a printing position, in which the print head is operable to print within a printable region of the first side. The print head is selectively shifted out of the printing position so as to avoid contact with exposed adhesive during label web advancement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Premier Print & Services Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce Raming
  • Patent number: 8857944
    Abstract: Web paper is transported by roll with two or more drive rollers. The two adjacent drive rollers each have difference in rotation speed in accordance with a draw ratio. Accordingly, tension is applied to the web paper. Tension of the web paper between the adjacent drive rollers is detected by a tension sensor. A tension controller controls the detected tension value so as to be a target tension value. A predictive control device predicts decrease in tension during an initial printing period where tension control is not stable, and increases rotation speeds of the drive rollers downstream of a print unit to suppress the decrease in tension. Consequently, tension acting on the web paper is appropriately controlled also during the initial printing period, resulting in possible reduction in printing quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaharu Yamamoto, Shoji Kakimoto
  • Publication number: 20140300659
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: an acquiring unit configured to acquire data generated at a predetermined period in accordance with driving of a conveyance unit configured to convey a printing medium; a first specify unit configured to specify an average value of the data based on a plurality of data acquired by the acquiring unit; a second specify unit configured to specify a conveyance velocity of the printing medium based on the average value of the data specified by the specify unit; a deciding unit configured to decide a number of data, used by the second specify unit, for specifying the average value of the data in accordance with the conveyance velocity specified by the second specify unit; and a control unit configured to control the conveyance unit using the average value of the data specified by the second specify unit as position data of the printing medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yukinori Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8851612
    Abstract: To provide a liquid ejecting apparatus and a method for detecting a medium edge position in a liquid ejecting apparatus, whereby the position of an edge of a medium can be detected while also avoiding an event where a protrusion present in a region targeted for detection by an optical sensor is erroneously detected as being the medium, a carriage is moved so as to traverse a sheet of paper in the width direction, and a determination is made as to whether or not an output voltage of a sheet width sensor provided to the carriage has crossed over a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuji Yatsunami
  • Patent number: 8851611
    Abstract: A correction information determination method may be used to control a recording apparatus. The recording apparatus includes a first conveyance unit, a second conveyance unit, and a recording unit arranged between the first and second conveyance units. The first conveyance unit is caused to rotate and record patterns for measuring a conveyance distance when a conveyance state changes from both the first and second conveyance units being utilized to the second conveyance unit being utilized. A conveyance start rotation phase of the first conveyance unit is acquired. Based on the conveyance distance measured based on the patterns, correction information about a rotation amount of the first conveyance unit is determined, the rotation amount used when the conveyance state is changed during recording by the recording apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisashi Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 8851662
    Abstract: A recording medium conveyance device comprising a conveying unit that conveys a recording medium while sucking the recording medium onto a conveyance surface, and an air blowing unit that is disposed at an upstream side of the conveying unit in a conveyance direction of the recording medium. The air blowing unit is configured to blow air in diagonal directions from a width direction center portion toward side portions at an upstream side of the recording medium, and adjusts a direction in which the air is blown in such a way that a width of an air blowing region of the air becomes narrower than a width of the recording medium conveyed to the conveying unit before the air strikes the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Houjou
  • Publication number: 20140292875
    Abstract: An ink jet printing control method and device, the method comprising: judging whether the interval distance between a detected current color code on a print stock and the previous color code of the current color code is smaller than a time delay distance; if yes, then recording the interval distance, and printing the content corresponding to the current color code after the print stock has moved for a period of time required for the interval distance from the time when the content corresponding to the previous color code is completely printed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Xiaowei Liu, Zhenhua Li
  • Publication number: 20140292882
    Abstract: A sheet is transported at a first transport speed when a rear edge of the sheet is on a platen during transporting of the sheet to a reversing mechanism according to a sheet returning process after completing printing on a front surface, and the sheet is transported at a second transport speed which is faster than the first transport speed when the rear edge of the sheet passes over the platen until the rear edge of the sheet is nipped by a transport roller. Due to this, it is possible to smoothly transport the sheet without the sheet being caught on the concave and convex section of the platen and it is possible to transport the sheet quickly to the transport roller when the rear edge of the sheet passes the platen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao OIZUMI, Yohei NUNOKAWA
  • Publication number: 20140292876
    Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a support stage which support a recording medium, a recording processing section which includes a recording unit for performing recording on the supported recording medium and is bridged so as to cross over the support stage in an X-axis direction, a Y-axis moving section which moves the recording processing section in a Y-axis direction with respect to the support stage, a rear bumper section which is arranged on the rear side of the recording processing section in the Y-axis direction and absorbs impact from collision with a foreign matter, and a first detection section which detects whether or not a distance between the recording medium A and the recording unit is less than a predetermined value, in which at least a part of the first detection section is arranged inside the rear bumper section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshitsugu TOKAI
  • Publication number: 20140292878
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid discharging apparatus that includes a rotating drum which has a medium wound around a part of an outer circumferential surface thereof and transports the medium in a circumferential direction and in which the medium is wound at a first position and a second position in an axial direction of the rotating drum, a transport portion which transports the medium which passes through the first position to the second position on the rotating drum, liquid discharge portions which discharge liquid onto the medium at the first position and the second position, and a position correction unit which corrects the axial position of the medium at the second position by adjusting a transport direction of the medium transported by the transport portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro TOYA
  • Publication number: 20140292883
    Abstract: A recording apparatus in which a recording unit performs recording with respect to a medium which is wound in a roll shape, the apparatus including a medium support unit which rotatably supports the medium; a transport unit which transports the medium in a path while pulling out the medium which is supported; and a terminal end detection unit which detects a terminal end of the medium. The transport unit transports the medium to an outlet side to which the medium, which is recorded, is discharged, when the terminal end is detected, and a length of the medium is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. On the other hand, the transport unit transports the medium to the medium support unit side, when the terminal end is detected, and the length of the medium is less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junya KATO
  • Publication number: 20140292884
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a first driving unit that rotates a roll member; a second driving unit that drives a transport unit that transports a medium of the roll member; and a control unit that executes a first process for measuring a load occurring when transporting the medium while rotating the roll member 1/N rotations in a transport direction of the medium by driving the first driving unit while the second driving unit is stopped, and after executing the first process, executes a second process for rotating the roll member 1/N rotations in a opposite direction as the transport direction by driving the first driving unit while the second driving unit is stopped and then rotating the roll member 1/N rotations in the transport direction by driving the first driving unit and the second driving unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroshi YOSHIDA, Kenji HATADA, Ryo HAMANO
  • Publication number: 20140292881
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting unit that performs a predetermined amount of continuous transporting with respect to a printing medium, a head that forms a designated number of unit images designated in advance from the beginning to the end of continuous transporting by ejecting ink onto the printing medium which is continuously transported by the transporting unit, a detection unit that detects a defect of the unit image formed by the head, and a control unit that controls the transporting unit, the head, and the detection unit. Here, the control unit increases the predetermined amount and the designated number based on a detection result of the defective image by the detection unit, and performs a process of re-forming the unit image corresponding to the number of defective images while the continuous transporting is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimitsu MORITAKU
  • Publication number: 20140292880
    Abstract: Proper recording is performed whether a device is tilted or not while a cost increase is suppressed. A recording device includes a recording head which performs recording on a medium, a carriage which is moved in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, a guide which guides the carriage in the first direction and the second direction, a drive motor which drives the carriage, and a controller which executes a reciprocation load detection mode where a driving load on the drive motor due to a tilt of the recording device in a movement of the carriage in the first direction is detected and a driving load on the drive motor due to the tilt of the recording device in a movement of the carriage in the second direction is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiko ARIMORI, Takayuki SHIOTA
  • Publication number: 20140292874
    Abstract: There is provided a transporting system including two rollers to transport a sheet, two driving devices to drive the rollers, two measuring devices, and a controller to control the transport. The controller includes two estimating units to estimate values R1 and R2 related to reaction forces act on the rollers, a first calculating unit to calculate a control input U1, a second calculating unit to calculate a control input U2 in accordance with a deviation between a target value and (R1?R2)/2, first and second drive controllers to input a control signal in accordance with U1 and U2 to the first and second driving devices, and a setting unit. In an initial stage of a period in which the sheet is transported by the two rollers, the setting unit sets the target value to a value greater than that of the target value after the initial stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichi Iesaki
  • Publication number: 20140292879
    Abstract: An upper cassette for which a media feed direction length is shorter than that of a lower cassette is provided movably in a medium feed direction to a device main unit. When the upper cassette is not moving, and when the upper cassette is not in a feed state, if the upper cassette is at a position further to a side of a feed position than a removal position, the upper cassette is moved to the removal position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei NUNOKAWA, Yasuhiko YOSHIHISA
  • Publication number: 20140292877
    Abstract: A printing apparatus including a print head that performs a printing pass that ejects a photocurable liquid onto a printing medium while being displaced in a main scanning direction each time the print head is displaced in a sub-scanning direction by a displacing amount of a sub-scanning operation, a first irradiation unit that follows the print head displaced in the main scanning direction while radiating light onto an area that is larger than the displacing amount of a sub-scanning operation, and a second irradiation unit that irradiates the light towards an area where irradiation of the light has been completed by the first irradiation unit. Furthermore, an integrated quantity of light of the first irradiation unit is reduced and an integrated quantity of light of the second irradiation unit is increased, in accordance with the increase in the set number of printing passes to be carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutoshi FUJISAWA
  • Patent number: 8845061
    Abstract: An inkjet printer for determining drying time of a print swath of ink deposited on a sheet of media by use of a dual function alignment sensor operable in a first mode to provide an output response corresponding to an amount of bi-directional misalignment of dot placement by the plurality of nozzles sensed from scanning a printed alignment test pattern, and in a second mode to provide an output response corresponding to an amount of specular reflection received from the print swath of the printed image with the output response in the second mode being used to determine if the printed image is sufficiently dry to be moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: John Thomas Writt, Jose Paul Sacoto Aguilar
  • Publication number: 20140285565
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet printing apparatus, including a conveyer system to place and transmit print substrates, a printing module with at least one print head installed to eject ink droplets on the print substrates and the control system to control the movement of print head and conveyer system, wherein the conveyer system has an integrated design with no less than two stations to conduct different processing operations of the print substrates. By adopting the integrated design of multi-stations on the conveyer system, the structure of the inkjet printing apparatus in the present invention becomes more compact, its size becomes smaller and the costs are lowered. At the same time, the simultaneous and semi-automatic operation for loading, printing and collection is realized and thus inkjet printing efficiency enhanced. This integrated design of multi-stations also secures the safety of loading and collection by controlling the printing module to move in the range of the printing station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventor: Yuan Chang
  • Publication number: 20140285563
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a rotating shaft that is displaceable in an axial direction and feeds a recording medium by rotating, a print head that prints on the recording medium that is fed from the rotating shaft, a support member that supports the recording medium between the rotating shaft and the print head, a process execution unit that performs a front surface modifying process on the recording medium supported by the support member, and a displacement mechanism that displaces the support member according to displacement of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiaki OSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20140285561
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit that applies a tension to a recording medium in a first region between a rotational shaft and a driving roller using a torque applied to the rotational shaft and the driving roller, and applies a tension to the recording medium in a second region where a support member supports the recording medium using a torque applied to the driving roller and a holding unit. The control unit selectively executes an image forming mode where the head is caused to execute image forming by applying a tension to the recording medium in the second region while applying a tension to the recording medium in the first region, and a medium detaching mode where the tension in the first region is released when the recording medium is stopped, while applying a tension for detaching a medium to the recording medium in the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi OBA
  • Publication number: 20140285562
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first roller and a second roller on which a recording medium is stretched; a head which performs image forming on the recording medium in an image forming region between the first roller and the second roller; an opening-shutting door which is provided in an external member; an opening-shutting regulation unit which regulates an opening operation of the opening-shutting door; and a control unit which transports the recording medium while applying a tension to the recording medium in the image forming region by controlling rotations of the first and second rollers, and regulates the opening operation of the opening-shutting door by the opening-shutting regulation unit while the head is performing the image forming, in which the control unit releases a regulation of the opening operation of the opening-shutting door by the opening-shutting regulation unit after performing a preparation operation for releasing the regulation which stops the recording medium in a state in whi
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daiki TOKUSHIMA