Wiping Patents (Class 347/33)
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Patent number: 9434170Abstract: A print device includes a head portion, a wiper, a first wall portion, a pressing piece, a support member, and inserted members. The head portion has a nozzle face with a nozzle for discharging a liquid onto a print medium and moves in relation to the print medium. The wiper is provided between the first wall portion and the support member. The wiper is a plate-shaped elastic body and is opposed to the nozzle face. The pressing piece is provided in the first wall portion and presses against the wiper to maintain the wiper in a state of elastic deformation. The inserted members extend between the support member and the first wall portion and are inserted into a plurality of the holes formed in the wiper. The support member supports the wiper. The wiper wipes the nozzle face.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2016Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hidekazu Komiya
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Patent number: 9409401Abstract: In an inkjet printer having a small print head assembly and a large print head assembly, a wiper includes a first wiper section having a width approximately equal to a width of an orifice area of the small print head assembly, a decoupler adjacent to the first wiper section, a second wiper section adjacent to the decoupler, where the first and the second wiper sections and the decoupler combined have a width approximately equal to a width of an orifice area of the large print head assembly, and a squared tip at an extremity of the single, segmented wiper to impede wicking action. A tab holds the wiper oriented so as to wipe the print head assemblies in a direction of a printing operation.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2010Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.Inventors: Jafar N. Jefferson, Teressa L Roth, Jennifer Peterson
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Patent number: 9409396Abstract: A method for printing includes the use of a protective guide system that protects a print head nozzle plate from physical contact with objects such as a curled print medium. The print head nozzle plate includes a nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles arranged in a plurality of subarrays. The plurality of subarrays are spaced from each other by a plurality of intranozzle areas devoid of nozzles. The protective guide system includes a frame and a plurality of cross members aligned with the intranozzle areas between the subarrays. The protective guide system thus protects the print head nozzle plate without obstructing the ink during printing.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2015Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: XEROX CORPORATIONInventors: Douglas K. Herrmann, Jason M. LeFevre, Derek A. Bryl
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Patent number: 9393788Abstract: A wiper device of a printer has four wiper units arranged in a line to wipe the nozzle faces of an inkjet head. Each wiper unit has a first intermittent gear and a second intermittent gear which sequentially mesh with first and second drive gears and sequentially transverse axis X a wiping operation and a cleaning operation. The wipers move vertically to the nozzle faces. A wiper cleaner lever rocks between a closed position covering the wiper and an open position not touching the wiper, moves through a path not interfering with the wiper in an opening operation, and through a path wiping the wiper and removing ink and other accretions from the wiper in a closing operation.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2016Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Hisashi Miyazawa
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Patent number: 9381744Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recovery device to recover a droplet discharge head. The recovery device includes a slider and a suction unit. The slider contacts a nozzle formation face of the droplet discharge head and moves along a nozzle row of the droplet discharge head. The slider includes two portions spaced away from each other in a direction traversing a movement direction of the slider. The suction unit opposes nozzles of the droplet discharge head and moves without contacting the nozzle formation face. The suction unit is disposed at a position between the two portions of the slider and downstream from the two portions of the slider in the movement direction of the slider. The slider collects droplets adhered to an area outside the nozzle row of the nozzle formation face.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2015Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Yohei Miyazaki
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Patent number: 9308730Abstract: The present invention provides a nozzle face wiping device and an image recording device that can switch whether to wipe out a nozzle face by a simple mechanism. According to one mode of the present invention, it is possible to brake the running of the wiping web by the braking device on the upstream side (supply shaft side) of the pressure member. In a case where the running direction of the wiping web wound around the pressure member and the relative movement direction of the nozzle face are the same, it is possible to prevent the wiping web from being forcefully drawn out from the supply shaft by braking the running of the wiping web by the braking device. By this means, it is possible to wipe out the nozzle face from two directions.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2015Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Noriaki Maida, Yuichi Ozaki
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Patent number: 9283763Abstract: A recording head recovery mechanism has a wiper, a drive mechanism, and a controller. The controller can perform recording head recovery operation including a residual ink sticking step of letting residual ink at the tip of the wiper stick to a first position, and a wiping step of, after the residual ink sticking step, moving the wiper across an ink ejection surface from a second position, which is a position opposite from the nozzle region with respect to the first position, in a first direction toward the nozzle region to wipe off the residual ink along with purged ink.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2015Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Kenichi Satake
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Patent number: 9278534Abstract: A method and apparatus service a print head by translating a first web support relative to a second web support to adjust a length of a web extending between the first support and the second support.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2008Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.Inventors: Antoni S. Murcia, Adam Livingston
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Patent number: 9266346Abstract: An ink color mixing in an inkjet printing head can be securely detected without being influenced by foreign matters such as the existence of dust and without requiring a complicated image processing. To realize this, the occurrence of a color mixing is detected when a printing density-changed part of a printed image of an inspection pattern continuously extends over a predetermined range or more in a direction in which the printing head is moved relative to the printing medium during the printing of the inspection pattern.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Tetsuro Yasukawa
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Patent number: 9266334Abstract: While a wiping operation for keeping a satisfactory ejection opening surface of an inkjet recording head is performed, a usage amount of a sheet-like member is to be reduced. An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a sheet-like member, a reeling roller that reels the sheet-like member 31, and a measurement unit that measures an ejection number of ink ejected from the recording head. A control is performs to cause the reeling roller 32 to reel the sheet-like member 31 in accordance with the ejection number of the ink which is measured by the measurement unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsuyoshi Ibe, Masaya Uetsuki, Toshimitsu Danzuka, Masataka Kato, Asako Tomida, Hiroaki Komatsu
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Patent number: 9266335Abstract: A wiper device of a printer has four wiper units arranged in a line to wipe the nozzle faces of an inkjet head. Each wiper unit has a first intermittent gear and a second intermittent gear which sequentially mesh with first and second drive gears and sequentially transverse axis X a wiping operation and a cleaning operation. The wipers move vertically to the nozzle faces. A wiper cleaner lever-rocks between a closed position covering the wiper and an open position not touching the wiper, moves through a path not interfering with the wiper in an opening operation, and through a path wiping the wiper and removing ink and other accretions from the wiper in a closing operation.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2015Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Hisashi Miyazawa
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Patent number: 9266336Abstract: An imaging device includes at least one printhead including an aperture plate defining a plurality of apertures, an ink plate and a controller. The at least one printhead is configured to eject liquid ink through the plurality of apertures of the aperture plate. The ink plate is positioned with reference to the aperture plate to enable an ink layer to form between the ink plate and the aperture plate by ink ejected by the printhead. The controller operatively connected to the printhead and configured to operate the printhead to eject the liquid ink to the ink plate to form the link layer.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2015Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Robert M. Jacobs, Reid W. Gunnell, Brian J. Daniels
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Patent number: 9266332Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus with a reduced size is provided. There is provided a plurality of heads arranged in an arc shape, and configured to eject liquid, a plurality of maintenance units arranged in an arc shape, and configured to carry out maintenance on the heads, and a receiving section configured to receive liquid that drips from the maintenance units below the maintenance units in a vertical direction, and configured to flow the liquid in at least two directions.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Patent number: 9259934Abstract: A printer includes a head portion, a wiper, a wiper support portion, an urging portion, an inclined portion, an engagement portion, and a guide wall portion. The head portion includes a nozzle surface including a nozzle configured to eject liquid. The nozzle surface extends in a first direction and an orthogonal direction. The wiper is configured to contact with the nozzle surface. The wiper support portion supports the wiper. The urging portion is configured to urge the wiper in a second direction. The first protrusion portion is provided on the wiper support portion. The inclined portion is configured to move the wiper between a contact position and a separated position in accordance with movement of the inclined portion. The engagement portion is configured to engage with the first protrusion portion. The guide wall portion is configured to guide the movement of the wiper.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2015Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Haruo Kobayashi
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Patent number: 9254663Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that includes a nozzle formation surface on which a plurality of nozzles which eject a liquid are formed to be lined up in one direction to form nozzle columns, a belt-shaped member that is brought into contact with the nozzle formation surface, and a belt-shaped member contact portion that brings the belt-shaped member into contact with the nozzle formation surface in both a first contact state where the belt-shaped member is brought into contact with a partial area of the nozzle formation surface and a second contact state where the belt-shaped member is in contact with an area corresponding to the nozzle column in a direction along the nozzle column on the nozzle formation surface.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazuhiro Kobayashi
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Patent number: 9254665Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion provided with a nozzle opening area in which a plurality of nozzles ejecting liquid onto a medium are open; and a wiping portion that wipes the nozzle opening area in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, in which the nozzle opening area includes a first wiping target area and a second wiping target area which are at different positions in a direction intersecting with the first direction, and the wiping portion wipes the first wiping target area in the first direction, and wipes the second wiping target area in the second direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akira Shinoto, Keiichiro Yoshino, Masaki Uchiyama
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Patent number: 9254662Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transportation mechanism that supports and transports a recording medium by a support surface; a recording head that is disposed in a region facing the support surface and is capable of ejecting an ink from a nozzle provided on an ink ejection surface to the recording medium; a suction unit that is capable of sucking the ink inside the nozzle; and a wiping unit that is provided as a separate body from the suction unit and is capable of wiping the ink ejection surface. The recording head is moved in a direction to be separated from the support surface when sucking the ink inside the nozzle. The suction unit is moved to a suction position facing the ink ejection surface of the recording head. The suction unit is moved below the recording head when wiping the ink ejection surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yukihiro Hanaoka, Tatsuya Seshimo
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Patent number: 9242277Abstract: Provided is a maintenance device including a wiper which wipes attached material on a liquid ejecting portion, a first cleaner which cleans the wiper to which the attached material adheres during wiping, and a second cleaner which cleans the first cleaner to which the attached material adheres during cleaning.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2015Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazuhiko Sato
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Patent number: 9242462Abstract: A jet stack has a set of plates forming an array of body chambers, the set of plates including a nozzle plate having an array of jets wherein each jet corresponds to a body chamber, each body chamber having an inlet to allow fluid to flow into the body chamber and an outlet to allow fluid to flow out of the body chamber, the outlet fluidically coupled to a jet in the array of jets, wherein the inlet and outlets are concentric.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2013Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: XEROX CORPORATIONInventor: Terrance L. Stephens
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Patent number: 9233542Abstract: A wiper device enables to wipe selectively the unit heads to of an inkjet head has a simple, compact construction. The wiper device of a printer has four wiper units arranged in a line. When a drive shaft turns based on rotation of a wiper motor, the four wiper units operate sequentially from one end to the other in an outbound operating sequence, and operate sequentially in the reverse order in a return operating sequence. Four head units each have a row of unit heads, and a row of unit heads. The four wiper units can move to a position enabling wiping unit heads, and a position enabling wiping unit heads.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2015Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Hisashi Miyazawa
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Patent number: 9227412Abstract: A maintenance system for maintaining a scalable printhead array comprises: a pair of tracks disposed in parallel and on opposite sides of a printhead array; a shaft extending between the tracks and configured to engage with each track to move along the tracks; a plurality of maintenance modules mounted in series along the shaft between the tracks and configured to move along the tracks with the shaft to perform maintenance operations on a plurality of printheads of the printhead array, the tracks being configured to guide the shaft and the plurality of maintenance modules along a path from a resting position to an operating position the printhead array and from which at least one of the plurality of maintenance modules performs a maintenance operation on at least one printhead of the printhead array; and an actuator configured to move the shaft along the tracks.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2015Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Annie Liu, David S. Derleth, Matthew D. Savoy, Frank B. Tamarez Gomez
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Patent number: 9230195Abstract: A printing apparatus including at least one print head array coupled to the printing apparatus, a servicing station configured to service the at least one print head array, and a print controller software coupled to computer readable medium and the print controller software configured to perform the steps of moving the at least one print head array to the servicing station when at least one occurs from the group consisting of a nozzle head crash, a clogged nozzle, a failure of a print head, a misalignment, and the image quality defect value is above a threshold value and configuring at least one additional print head array to continue a print job started by the at least one print head array when the at least one print head array is at a position following the at least one print head array and the at least one additional print head array is functional.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2008Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Myron A Bezenek, Ricardo Espinoza-Ibarra
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Patent number: 9216581Abstract: In a system and method for using a wiper to clean a nozzle plate of an inkjet head, a spring is disposed between the wiper and a mounting body, and the mounting body has a top portion and a bottom portion. The wiper is disposed proximate the top portion of the mounting body relative to the bottom portion of the mounting body. In addition, the wiper blade is transported across the face of a nozzle plate for wiping portions of the nozzle plate. A distance between the wiper blade and the bottom end of the mounting body is varied in accordance with variations in distances between the portions of the nozzle plate and the bottom portion of the mounting body.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2014Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: R.R. Donnelley & Sons CompanyInventors: Theodore F. Cyman, Jr., Anthony V. Moscato, Jeffrey M. Sabin
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Patent number: 9216579Abstract: A waste liquid recovery apparatus includes a container body; a liquid absorbing body which is accommodated in the container body and absorbs liquid discharged as a waste liquid; and a sealing member which seals the container body, wherein a first space into which liquid is discharged from a liquid ejecting head and a second space which links with the outside through a ventilation hole formed in the sealing member are formed in a space closed by the container body and the sealing body, and the first space and the second space are connected with each other at the ventilation hole side.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2014Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Tsutomu Kobayashi
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Patent number: 9199468Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus which includes a discharge head that includes a nozzle forming surface on which nozzles for discharging liquid are formed; a wiping member that performs wiping by relatively moving on the nozzle forming surface while abutting on the nozzle forming surface; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid provided for the wiping; and a control unit that performs reciprocating wiping control which performs the wiping by causing the wiping member for holding the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply unit to perform a reciprocating operation in which, after relative movement is performed in a first direction along the nozzle forming surface, relative movement is performed in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2014Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Kobayashi, Toshio Kumagai, Norihiro Masuda, Katsuyoshi Onodera
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Patent number: 9199469Abstract: A maintenance method of an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording of images on a recording medium using a non-aqueous ink, in which the ink jet recording apparatus includes a nozzle forming surface in which nozzles that discharge the non-aqueous ink are provided; and a wiping member with liquid absorbency, the method including wiping the nozzle forming surface with the wiping member using an impregnating solution, and in which the impregnating solution contains at least one organic solvent selected from a group consisting of compounds represented by the following General Formula (I), esters, and dibasic acid esters. R1—O—(R2—O)n—R3??(I) (in General Formula (I) shown above, R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an aryl group, or an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R2 represents an alkylene group with 2 to 4 carbon atoms, R3 represents an aryl group or an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer of 1 to 9).Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2015Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Jun Ito, Makoto Nagase, Kenichiro Kubota, Naoki Koike, Shigeki Suzuki
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Patent number: 9186899Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus prints an image by employing a print head capable of ejecting ink through an ejection opening. The ink jet printing apparatus comprises: a blade having a distal end portion which wipes an ejection opening face of the print head where the ejection opening is formed; and a blade cleaner having a face which moves relatively to the bade in a predetermined direction while being in contact with the distal end portion of the blade. The face of the blade cleaner includes a plurality of inclined faces which are located by being shifted in the predetermined direction and inclined in the predetermined direction. The plurality of inclined faces have different inclination angles in the predetermined direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2014Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: Canon Finetech, Inc.Inventor: Marie Ogata
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Patent number: 9174449Abstract: Ratchets which regulate a rotation of either a reeling-out roller around which one end of a long wiping member which wipes ink attached to a recording head which ejects ink is wound, or a winding-up roller around which the other end of the wiping member is wound to which tension is applied due to a friction force which acts on the wiping member when performing wiping are provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2014Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Chikashi Nakamura, Keiji Matsumoto, Toshihiko Wakabayashi, Jun Ushiama
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Patent number: 9168754Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection unit including a nozzle formation surface in which an opening of a nozzle for ejecting liquid is formed; a wiper disposed so that the wiper can come in contact with the nozzle formation surface; and a liquid collection portion, which is capable of collecting liquid adhered to the wiper, disposed on an end side of the nozzle formation surface of the liquid ejection unit so as to be spaced apart from the nozzle formation surface in a wiping direction. The liquid collection portion includes a scraper having a scraping surface that scrapes off the liquid adhered to the wiper by coming in contact with the wiper, and a liquid absorbing material disposed at a position that does not come in contact with the wiper and at a position that comes in contact with an end portion of the scraping surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2014Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takashi Mano, Ryo Oguchi, Keigo Yamasaki
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Patent number: 9162462Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a wiping method capable of preventing a problem such as color mixing or a discharge failure in a wiping operation during the reciprocating motion of a carriage. According to the embodiment, one or a plurality of orifice arrays out of a plurality of orifice arrays included in a printhead are wiped by making a sheet-like wiping member contact to the orifice surface of the printhead. After that, the wiping member is separated from the orifice surface of the printhead, and the used wiping member is wound. Then, the wiping member is made to contact to the orifice surface of the printhead again, and the next one or more orifice arrays are wiped.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2014Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroaki Komatsu, Masaya Uetsuki, Kazuo Suzuki, Toshimitsu Danzuka, Masataka Kato, Tsuyoshi Ibe, Asako Tomida
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Patent number: 9162465Abstract: An inkjet printer is configured to purge printheads in the printer and clean the purged ink from the printheads. The inkjet printer includes a purge tray configured with a wiper to remove a substantial portion of the purged ink from the faces of the printheads without contacting the printheads. A wiper module rotates wipers through a reservoir of cleaning fluid prior to contacting the printheads to facilitate removal of the remaining purged ink from the printheads as the printheads move past the wiper module to return to a printing position.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2015Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Frank B. Tamarez Gomez, Matthew R. McLaughlin, Mark A. Adiletta
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Patent number: 9162463Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting apparatus including: a liquid jetting head including a liquid jetting surface; a wiper including first and second wiping portions; a moving mechanism; a liquid discharge mechanism; and a controller configured to perform: controlling the moving mechanism to cause the first wiping portion to wipe the liquid jetting surface in a state that the first wiping portion is brought into contact with the liquid jetting surface; controlling the moving mechanism to cause the second wiping portion to wipe the liquid jetting surface in a state that the second wiping portion is brought into contact with the liquid jetting surface; and controlling the liquid jetting head to jet the liquid from the nozzles such that the liquid makes a contact with the second wiping portion to clean the second wiping portion.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2014Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takashi Ito
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Patent number: 9162464Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit which includes a nozzle forming surface having nozzle openings for ejecting liquid formed thereon, a wiper which is contactably disposed on the nozzle forming surface, a movement unit which is able to relatively move the liquid ejecting unit and the wiper, and a control unit which controls the movement units such that an interference amount of the wiper and the nozzle forming surface in a position of the wiper which comes in contact with the liquid ejecting unit, is smaller than an interference amount of the wiper and the nozzle forming surface when the wiper is relatively moved through a nozzle region which is a region including the nozzle openings of the nozzle forming surface in a direction along the nozzle forming surface.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2014Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Takashi Mano
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Patent number: 9156269Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a cleaning unit to be brought into contact with a head lower surface of an ejection head, and a unit movement mechanism for moving the cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a base part, a cleaning liquid ejecting part protruding above the base part, and a pair of positioning parts. The positioning parts are brought into contact with a block lower surface of a head fixation block on opposite sides of the cleaning liquid ejecting part to keep an under-head gap for holding the cleaning liquid between the cleaning liquid ejecting part and the head lower surface. Since the positioning parts are spaced from the cleaning liquid ejecting part, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid that has spread from the under-head gap to the surrounding area from adhering to the block lower surface via the positioning parts.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.Inventors: Takashi Kuroda, Tamio Fukui
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Patent number: 9139006Abstract: A wiper device allows a liquid ejecting head that ejects a dispersion liquid in which solid particles are dispersed in a liquid from nozzles and a wiping member to move relative to each other so as to wipe the dispersion liquid that adheres to a nozzle formation surface using the wiping member. The wiping member includes a first layer positioned on the nozzle formation surface side, and a second layer positioned on the opposite side to the nozzle formation surface with respect to the first layer. The first layer guides liquid droplets which are dispersion media of the dispersion liquid that adheres to the nozzle formation surface to the second layer through a capillary action and has voids that are able to capture and accommodate a dispersoid of the dispersion liquid. The second layer absorbs the dispersion media.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2014Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Hiroshige Owaki, Wataru Takahashi
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Patent number: 9132641Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head in which a nozzle ejecting liquid onto a recording medium is provided; a first wiping member which performs a first wiping process of wiping off foreign materials adhered to a nozzle opening surface of the head by moving a relative position thereof with respect to the head to the other side from one side in a predetermined direction, in a state of being in contact with the nozzle opening surface; and a second wiping member which performs a second wiping process of removing the foreign materials adhered to a side surface of the head at the other side in the predetermined direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2014Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Patent number: 9120317Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes a liquid jetting head having a liquid jetting surface formed with nozzles, a wiping unit wiping the liquid jetting surface of the liquid jetting head, and a drive section configured to move at least one of the wiping unit and the liquid jetting head such that the wiping unit moves relative to the liquid jetting head toward one side in a predetermined direction along the liquid jetting surface. The wiping unit has a first wiping portion and a second wiping portion which are arranged in the predetermined direction with an interval therebetween, and each of which has a leading end configured to contact with the liquid jetting surface, and extends in a direction intersecting the liquid jetting surface, and the leading end of the first wiping portion has a greater surface roughness than that of the leading end of the second wiping portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2014Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takashi Ito
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Patent number: 9120316Abstract: A wiper for a maintenance station of an imaging device includes a foundational body and a flexible blade. The body rigidly attaches to the maintenance station. The blade attaches to the body. The blade scrapes fluid and debris from a printhead during use. The blade comprises a flexible material having terminal sections intervened by a central section. Each terminal section connects to the body with a thicker expanse of flexible material, whereas the central section connects to the body with a thinner expanse. The connection provides the terminal sections with a higher wiping force and a shorter effective beam length for wiping an encapsulant of the printhead and gives while the central section a lower wiping force and a longer effective beam length for wiping a nozzle plate of the printhead. The embodiments note curved surfaces with variable radiuses where the expanses of flexible material connect to the body.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2012Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Randal S Williamson, Gregory Leon Hutchison, Jonathan Andrew Wharton, Brian Michael Langness, Lane Thomas Butler
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Patent number: 9114618Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid from a nozzle toward a target which is positioned away from a nozzle forming surface where the nozzle is formed; a wiping member that is capable of wiping the nozzle forming surface; a movement mechanism that relatively moves the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member when wiping is carried out; and a control portion that controls the movement mechanism so as to cause a relative moving velocity between the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member to be lower when wiping is carried out in a case where the liquid is ejected at a second distance of which an opposing distance between the nozzle forming surface and the target is longer than a first distance compared to a case where the liquid is ejected at the first distance of the opposing distance.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Masato Murayama, Tomohiro Sayama, Yoshihiro Watanabe, Masashi Kamibayashi
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Patent number: 9114635Abstract: A printing apparatus that includes at least two print heads. The printing apparatus includes a body defining a printing cavity therein, a first print path defined within the printing cavity and a second print path defined within the printing cavity that is substantially parallel to the first print path. A first print head is arranged adjacent the first print path and a second print head is arranged adjacent the second print path. A device is provided to move a printing surface from the first print path to the second print path.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2008Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.Inventors: Gregory F. Carlson, Steven Goss, James D. Bledsoe
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Patent number: 9108414Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for cleaning wipers for printheads of a printing system. The system includes a cleaning mechanism for a wiper of a printing system. The cleaning mechanism includes a scraper able to scrape ink off of the wiper, and a suction device that is proximate to the scraper and is able to remove the ink from the scraper.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2014Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Sean K. Fitzsimons, William Edward Manchester, Spencer Robert Wasilewski
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Patent number: 9108407Abstract: A controller is configured to regularly select one of (i) a moisturization operation with which air moisturized by a moisturization mechanism is moved to an ejection space by a ventilator while a capping mechanism is maintained to be in a capped state and (ii) a liquid discharge operation with which liquid is discharged through ejection openings by a discharger and conduct the selected operation while a recording command is not received. The controller is configured to conduct the liquid discharge operation after the moisturization operation while the recording command is not received.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2013Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shuichi Tamaki
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Patent number: 9102151Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a substrate having an ejection-energy-generating element for generating energy for ejecting a liquid; an orifice plate including at least an ejection-orifice-forming wall that constitutes an ejection orifice for ejecting the liquid and an upper wall of a liquid chamber communicating with the ejection orifice, and a liquid chamber side wall that constitutes a side wall of the liquid chamber. The orifice plate is formed of an inorganic material. The liquid ejection head includes a plurality of liquid chambers; and an elastic member filled into a depressed portion formed between the liquid chamber side wall of one liquid chamber of the liquid chambers adjacent to each other and the liquid chamber side wall of the other liquid chamber. The upper end of the elastic member is arranged in a position higher than an upper face of the ejection-orifice-forming wall.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2014Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Seiko Minami
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Patent number: 9096064Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus prints an image by employing a print head capable of ejecting ink from ejection ports, a suction unit draws ink from the ejection ports into an interior of the cap by applying a suction force to the interior of a cap that is covering the ejection ports. An atmosphere communication unit exposes to the atmosphere the interior of the cap that is covering the ejection ports, and a pressure increase unit increases a pressure in an internal of the print head. A control unit permits the suction unit to apply the suction force to the interior of the cap, and permits the pressure increase unit to increase the pressure in the internal of the print head before the atmosphere communication unit exposes the interior of the cap to the atmosphere in a state where the ejection ports is covered with the cap.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2013Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: CANON FINETECH INC.Inventor: Kensuke Tone
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Patent number: 9090070Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a maintenance apparatus for removing ink from a nozzle surface of an inkjet head including a first region where a first nozzle is provided, a second region where a second nozzle is provided, and a third region located between the first region and the second region. The maintenance apparatus includes a first positioning section, a first wiping blade, and a second wiping blade. The first positioning section comes into contact with the third region and removes the ink present in the third region. When the first positioning section comes into contact with the third region, the first and second wiping blades come into contact with the first and second regions and remove the kinds of ink present in the first and second regions.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Keizaburo Yamamoto
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Patent number: 9090071Abstract: An end section part of a cover member is bent across a predetermined length toward a wiping direction, and a bending angle with respect to a plane is between 45° and 80°. When the wiper relatively begins to abut against the end section of the cover member, a top of the wiper first abuts against the bent end section of the cover member and then is gradually bent and wipes a lower surface of the cover member and a surface of a nozzle plate to wipe contamination such as ink. The ink that remains on the wiper is likely to be attached to a vicinity of the bent end section against which the wiper abuts first, but is likely to come off because a water-repellent treatment is performed in both the wiper and the bent end section.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Katsumi Enomoto, Katsuhiro Okubo, Shunsuke Watanabe, Hiroki Miyajima
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Patent number: 9085159Abstract: A wiper cassette includes a long wiping member which wipes a liquid adhered to a liquid ejecting head which ejects the liquid; a feed roller around which an end of the wiping member is wound in a longitudinal direction; and a winding roller around which other end of the wiping member is wound in the longitudinal direction, and the wiper cassette is mounted so as to be freely detachable and attachable into a wiper holder. Furthermore, the wiper cassette further includes a winding gear supported by the winding roller; and a power point acting portion on which a load acts in a removal direction when the wiper cassette is removed from the wiper holder, in which the power point acting portion is positioned closer to the removal direction side than the winding gear in a mounted state in which the wiper cassette is mounted into the wiper holder.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2013Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akira Shinoto, Keiichiro Yoshino
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Patent number: 9085188Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can accurately determine stains that have occurred on the print surface during printing, and an inspection method employed for the printing apparatus. According to the present invention, the printing apparatus includes: a printing unit that forms an image on a print surface by ejecting ink from print heads based on image data; a reading unit that reads the print surface where the image is formed; and a determination unit that compares, with the image data, the read data obtained by the reading unit, and employs comparison results to determine stains that have occurred on the print surface.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2013Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hiroaki Hasegawa
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Patent number: 9085160Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transportation mechanism that supports and transports a recording medium by a support surface; a recording head that is disposed in a region facing the support surface and is capable of ejecting an ink from a nozzle provided on an ink ejection surface to the recording medium; a suction unit that is capable of sucking the ink inside the nozzle; and a wiping unit that is provided as a separate body from the suction unit and is capable of wiping the ink ejection surface. At least one of the suction unit and the wiping unit is provided on a farther downstream side of the recording medium in a transportation direction than the recording head and a gap between the one and the support surface is wider than a gap between the ink ejection surface and the support surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yukihiro Hanaoka, Tatsuya Seshimo
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Patent number: 9079399Abstract: A printing system for printing a fluid includes a print head for ejecting droplets of the fluid; a first fluid storing section for storing a first amount of the fluid; a second fluid storing section for storing a second amount of the fluid, the second fluid storing section being in fluid communication to the pressure chamber in a power down situation; and a pre-tension device configured for arranging the second amount of the fluid in a pre-tension state in the second fluid storing section, thereby providing a positive fluid pressure on the nozzle in a power down situation, which positive fluid pressure is selected such that a third amount of fluid passes through the nozzle in response to said positive fluid pressure and forms a film on the nozzle plate. The printing system according to the invention supports the recovery of the print head after a power down situation.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2014Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: OCÉ-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.Inventors: Clemens T. Weijkamp, Johannes A. T. Gollatz, Herbert Morelissen