Fluid Or Fluid Source Handling Means Patents (Class 347/84)
  • Patent number: 11964501
    Abstract: A printing device includes a housing, a head arranged inside the housing and configured to eject a liquid, a fan arranged inside the housing, a humidifier configured to supply humidified air to a supply port arranged at an exhaust port side of the fan, and a filter arranged at a fan side of the supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawakita, Hisaaki Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 11745500
    Abstract: An ink heating device comprising an ink container that includes an ink pack filled with ink, and a case housing the ink pack and having a first opening and a second opening, and a blower that sends warm air into the case through the first opening. The warm air is discharged through the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Kikunosuke Tsuji, Masahiro Kashimoto
  • Patent number: 11685161
    Abstract: An ink tank for a liquid chemical discharging apparatus configured to prevent equipment failure and improve durability by preventing scattering and backflow of a liquid chemical is described. The ink tank for a liquid chemical discharging apparatus includes: a liquid chemical receiving portion in which a liquid chemical is stored; a liquid chemical discharge port configured to supply the liquid chemical to an inkjet head; a pressure control port configured to control pressure of the liquid chemical receiving portion; and a partition wall provided in the liquid chemical receiving portion and configured to partition the liquid chemical receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SEMES Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Donghwa Lee, Daigeon Yoon, Jaeyong Choi, Sanguk Son, Kihoon Choi, Daesung Kim
  • Patent number: 11485871
    Abstract: A printing method for printing a printing medium includes a non-white ink application step of applying an aqueous non-white ink composition containing a non-white coloring material onto the printing medium, and a white ink application step of applying an aqueous white ink composition containing a white coloring material onto the non-white ink composition on the printing medium to form a superimposed region. The non-white ink composition and the white ink composition each have an organic solvent content limited to 15% or less relative to the total mass of the corresponding ink composition. The mass ratio of the white ink composition to the non-white ink composition in the superimposed region is 1.5 or more in a portion to which the non-white ink composition is applied in an amount largest in the superimposed region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventors: Yuta Asakawa, Akira Mizutani, Akiko Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 11390767
    Abstract: An ink set to be used for printing poorly absorbent or non-absorbent printing media includes an aqueous non-white ink composition containing a non-white pigment, an aqueous white ink composition containing a white pigment, and a treatment liquid containing a flocculant and an alkanolamine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Inventors: Tadashi Watanabe, Ippei Okuda
  • Patent number: 11358387
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print head provided with a discharge port that discharges liquid and a pressure chamber filled with the liquid to be discharged from the discharge port, and configured to perform a printing operation by discharging the liquid from the discharge port based on print data, includes a circulation unit that performs circulation of the liquid in a circulation passage including the pressure chamber in a state where the printing operation is performed, and includes a control unit that controls the circulation unit to continue the circulation for a predetermined time after the printing operation is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Fukasawa, Takatoshi Nakano, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Atsushi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11298941
    Abstract: A manifold component for a droplet ejection head, the manifold component comprising: a mount for receiving at least one actuator component that provides one or more rows of fluid chambers, each chamber being provided with at least one respective actuating element and at least one respective nozzle, each at least one actuating element being actuable to eject a droplet of fluid in said ejection direction through the corresponding at least one of said nozzles, each row extending in a row direction; an inlet manifold chamber, which extends from a first end to a second end, the second end providing fluidic connection, in parallel, to at least a group of chambers within said one or more rows of fluid chambers and being located adjacent said mount; at least one inlet port, each inlet port opening into the inlet manifold chamber at the first end thereof; and a plurality of fluid guides disposed within the inlet manifold chamber, each fluid guide extending from a respective first end to a respective second end, the fi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Xaar Technology Limited
    Inventors: Sebastien Roger Gabriel Degraeve, Gareth Paul Neal
  • Patent number: 11247571
    Abstract: An energy management system for a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes one or more power sources configured to provide power to one or more recipients. The system includes a controller configured to determine an arbitration vector based at least partially on a state vector and an initial transformation function. The arbitration vector is determined as one or more points for which the initial transformation function attains a maximum value. The controller is configured to determine a current reward based on the arbitration vector and the state vector, the current reward being configured to minimize energy loss in the power sources. The controller is configured to determine an updated transformation function based at least partially on the initial transformation function and a total reward. The controller is configured to arbitrate a power distribution based in part on the updated arbitration vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ibrahim Haskara, Bharatkumar Hegde, Insu Chang, Chen-Fang Chang
  • Patent number: 11230109
    Abstract: In a continuous ink jet printer for use with pigmented ink, the entrance to the ink path (81), (35) from the interior of the ink tank (27) to the ink pump (31) is made up of a plurality of small inlet openings, which may be provided by nozzles 85 formed in a shroud 83 that fits around an ink filter (33) in the ink tank (27). The openings are provided at the bottom of the ink tank (27), close to the floor, and face parallel to the floor or at least partially towards it. If the ink pump (31) is driven in reverse, any ink in the ink path is driven at speed out through the inlet openings into the interior of the ink tank (27), followed by air. This tends to disperse pigment that may have settled to the bottom on the ink tank (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: LINX PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES LTD
    Inventors: Graham Thomas, Bryn Jones
  • Patent number: 11198305
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting head including: a supply manifold configured to define a first circulation channel through which a liquid in the supply manifold circulates; descenders that communicate with the supply manifold, and which is configured to guide the liquid to nozzles, respectively; and a second circulation channel configured to guide the liquid not discharged from the nozzles to the supply manifold. The second circulation channel includes a return manifold that extends to communicate with the descenders, and a return channel that communicates with the return manifold and communicates with the supply manifold via a return port. A first end of the first circulation channel in the supply manifold is an outflow port and a second end of the first circulation channel in the supply manifold is an inflow port. In the supply manifold, the return port is closer to the outflow port than to the inflow port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Rui Wang
  • Patent number: 11167557
    Abstract: An agitation device includes: a first container configured to house a liquid; a second container configured to house the liquid transferred from the first container; a transfer agitation unit configured to selectively execute a transfer operation of transferring the liquid from the first container to the second container and an agitation operation of agitating the liquid in the second container by using a common drive source; and a controller configured to control the transfer agitation unit to alternately execute the transfer operation and the agitation operation upon transferring the liquid from the first container to the second container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiro Bansyo, Takehiro Yamori
  • Patent number: 11167561
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting head including: a supply manifold configured to define a first circulation channel through which a liquid in the supply manifold circulates; descenders that communicate with the supply manifold, and which is configured to guide the liquid to nozzles, respectively; and a second circulation channel configured to guide the liquid not discharged from the nozzles to the supply manifold. The second circulation channel includes a return manifold that extends to communicate with the descenders, and a return channel that communicates with the return manifold and communicates with the supply manifold via a return port. A first end of the first circulation channel in the supply manifold is an outflow port and a second end of the first circulation channel in the supply manifold is an inflow port. In the supply manifold, the return port is closer to the inflow port than to the outflow port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Rui Wang
  • Patent number: 11141759
    Abstract: A method for producing a decorative surface having different gloss levels preferably comprising the following steps: (C) feeding of a workpiece (1.0), which is coated with at least a first lacquer layer (1.4) to a digital printing station; (D) provision of digital control data for the digital printing station; (E) digital spraying of droplets on partial areas of the first lacquer layer (1.4) on the workpiece (1.0) with an at least partially transparent lacquer in order to apply a second lacquer layer (1.5) on the first lacquer layer (1.4), wherein after curing the second lacquer layer (1.5) has a different gloss level than the first lacquer layer (1.4). Further disclosed is an apparatus for carrying out this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Hymmen GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagesbas
    Inventor: René Pankoke
  • Patent number: 11046075
    Abstract: The flow channel forming substrate has a partition wall which is disposed between two of the outlet flow channels adjacent to each other and which partitions the outlet flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiro Murayama, Shunsuke Watanabe, Yuma Fukuzawa
  • Patent number: 11014354
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head including: a first liquid ejecting portion including a first liquid storage chamber storing a liquid and a first nozzle; a second liquid ejecting portion including a second liquid storage chamber storing the liquid and a second nozzle; and a flow path structure being formed by stacking substrates and including a distribution flow path that supplies the liquid to the first liquid storage chamber and the second liquid storage chamber. The distribution flow path includes a common flow path through which the liquid flows, a supply flow path that supplies the liquid to the common flow path, a collection flow path that collects the liquid from the common flow path, a first communication flow path communicating the common flow path with the first liquid storage chamber, and a second communication flow path communicating the common flow path with the second liquid storage chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryota Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 10994547
    Abstract: Provided in one example is an articulating housing for carriage assembly of a printer system, the articulating housing comprising an articulating housing coupling part for establishing an articulated coupling between the articulating housing and the carriage assembly, as well as a carriage assembly and a printer system comprising such an articulating housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Bryan Murphy, Sarah Russell, Jesse Phillips
  • Patent number: 10943799
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a nozzle for cleaning a substrate capable of spraying deionized water for cleaning a substrate to the substrate, the nozzle including a first body made of a resin material and provided with a first part of a deionized water passage and a deionized water supply hole to supply the deionized water, a second body made of a resin material and provided with a second part of the deionized water passage and a plurality of spray holes to spray the deionized water to the substrate, a fusible protrusion provided in the first body or the second body along the deionized water passage and configured such that a part thereof is fused during ultrasonic welding, so as to couple the first body and the second body together, and a fusible protrusion accommodating part formed in the first body or the second body to accommodate the fusible protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: HS HI-TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Man Ho Han, Young Min Ju, Guk Ki Ahn, Yun Deok Kim
  • Patent number: 10807361
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid jetting head and a liquid jetting device that prevent contamination of a humidity sensor. The liquid jetting head and the liquid jetting device include a nozzle that jets a liquid; a humidity sensor that is disposed further inside than the nozzle face where the nozzle is disposed; an air intake port that is disposed on the same plane as the nozzle face; a connection passage that allows the air intake port and the humidity sensor to communicate with each other; and a contamination preventing part that prevents contamination of the humidity sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Norihisa Takada
  • Patent number: 10751990
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for detecting liquid discharge characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus including: a liquid supply unit supplying a liquid; a liquid guide unit including a flow path through which the liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit passes and a nozzle mounting portion communicating with the flow path and on which the nozzle is mounted and guiding the liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit to the nozzle mounted on the nozzle mounting portion; a lighting unit projecting light onto the liquid passing through the flow path inside the liquid guide unit; and a camera obtaining an image of the liquid discharged from the nozzle by being arranged toward the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keun Hwa Yang, Soon Yong Jeong, Jung Wan Hong, Gon Kim
  • Patent number: 10752003
    Abstract: There are provided an ink refill container configured to appropriately refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system including such an ink refill container. An ink refill container 63 includes a container main body 64 provided to include an ink chamber 76; an ink outlet forming portion 66 provided at an edge of the container main body to include an ink outlet 65 configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve 74 provided in the ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to the ink tank when the valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface 84 that is located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and that is extended in a direction intersecting with a center axis 85 of the ink outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Taku Ishizawa, Noriyuki Fukasawa, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Manabu Akahane
  • Patent number: 10717287
    Abstract: An ink refill container 63 includes a container main body 64 including an ink storage chamber 76, an ink outlet-forming portion 66 provided on an end portion of the container main body forming an ink outlet 65 that allows the ink to flow out from the ink storage chamber, and a valve 74 provided in the ink outlet-forming portion configured to openably seal the ink outlet, in which the ink outlet-forming portion includes a positioning portion 73 on an outer side of the ink outlet-forming portion. in which the positioning portion 73 is closer to the container main body than the valve 74 is to the container main body in a central axis direction of the ink outlet, and in which the positioning portion partially abuts against an ink tank 41-45 when the valve is opened for refilling the ink to the ink tank, to thereby position the valve relative to the ink tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Ryoichi Tanaka, Manabu Akahane, Makoto Kobayashi, Naomi Kimura, Hideki Okumura, Shoma Kudo, Tetsuya Takamoto, Hiroaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 10717285
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a hollow housing with an aperture; a liquid ejecting head; and a supply mechanism. The liquid ejecting head has a nozzle through which liquid is to be discharged. The liquid ejecting head is supported in the housing with the nozzle exposed through the aperture. A gap is reserved between the liquid ejecting head and an inner circumferential surface of the aperture. The supply mechanism supplies dry gas to an inner space of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Nakajima, Takahiro Kanegae, Toshio Kumagai, Manabu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10688785
    Abstract: According to an example, a printing system may include a drop ejecting element and a fluid circulating element corresponding to the drop ejecting element. The printing system may also include a logic device that is to receive a data stream addressed to the drop ejecting element, determine whether the data stream indicates that the drop ejecting element is to be energized, and in response to a determination that the data stream does not indicate that the drop ejecting element is to be energized, energize the fluid circulating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Vincent C. Korthuis, Eric T. Martin, Michael W. Cumbie, Scott A. Linn
  • Patent number: 10682862
    Abstract: An ink refill container 63 includes a container main body 64 including an ink storage chamber 76, an ink outlet-forming portion 66 provided on an end portion of the container main body forming an ink outlet 65 that allows the ink to flow out from the ink storage chamber, and a valve 74 provided in the ink outlet-forming portion configured to openably seal the ink outlet, in which the ink outlet-forming portion includes a positioning portion 73 on an outer side of the ink outlet-forming portion. in which the positioning portion 73 is closer to the container main body than the valve 74 is to the container main body in a central axis direction of the ink outlet, and in which the positioning portion partially abuts against an ink tank 41-45 when the valve is opened for refilling the ink to the ink tank, to thereby position the valve relative to the ink tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Ryoichi Tanaka, Manabu Akahane, Makoto Kobayashi, Naomi Kimura, Hideki Okumura, Shoma Kudo, Tetsuya Takamoto, Hiroaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 10675874
    Abstract: A printer 1 serving as a liquid ejection device includes: a device body 2 including a recording head 20 that ejects ink; a scanner unit 3 that closes and opens at least a portion of an upper portion of the device body 2; and a plurality of ink tank 10 that are provided in the device body 2, each contain ink to be supplied to the recording head 20, and each include an ink injection port 26 through which the ink can be injected from a liquid supply container. At least one of the plurality of ink injection ports 26 is located inside an opening and closing region that is opened and closed by the scanner unit 3, and the other ink injection ports 26 are located outside the opening and closing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Moriyama, Hisayuki Akahane, Makoto Sato
  • Patent number: 10618292
    Abstract: A printer comprises a main body cover configured to change over a state between a closed state and an open state; a tank including an ink container portion configured to contain ink and an ink inlet configured to inject the ink; a tank cover configured to change over a state between a closed state and an open state; and an ink bottle including a container portion and a delivery portion. In the open state of both the main body cover and the tank cover, the ink bottle is self-supported and configured to deliver the ink from the delivery portion of the ink bottle to the ink inlet. A space is formed between the main body cover and the ink bottle when the ink bottle is self-supported. At least part of the ink bottle is located in a locus drawn by the main body cover during rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriyuki Fukasawa, Taku Ishizawa, Tadahiro Mizutani, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Ryoichi Tanaka, Tadashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10576763
    Abstract: A tape cassette configured to accommodate a tape has a cassette case having first-sixth outer walls, a substrate having first and second surfaces. A storage is provided to the second surface. The third wall is formed with a first recess having a bottom wall, which is formed with a second recess or a hole. The substrate is arranged in the first recess with an adhesive layer being sandwiched between the bottom wall and the second surface. The storage or a molded part protecting the storage is arranged in the second recess or the hole. The first recess is formed with an opening part, at least a part of the adhesive layer being accessible through the opening part, and the cassette case is provided with a blocking member overlapping the one of the storage and the molded part in a first direction at the particular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ota, Keisuke Nishihara
  • Patent number: 10569538
    Abstract: A compliance plate includes a flexible film that forms a portion of a wall surface of a liquid storage chamber that is supplied with a liquid that is to be discharged from a nozzle, a support plate that supports the flexible film at an opposite side of the flexible film to the liquid storage chamber and that has an opening portion that exposes the flexible film, and a plurality of regions that include a first region and a second region that have a compliance function, the first region and the second region having mutually different characteristic vibration periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichiro Matsuo
  • Patent number: 10549538
    Abstract: A device for recovery of an atmosphere containing solvent vapours from at least one ink recovery reservoir of a print machine comprising: n (n?1) filter(s) arranged downstream from the at least one ink recovery reservoir, each filter: comprising an inlet face, an outlet face and a filter body between these two faces, and each of the filter being upstream from a condenser or other solvent extraction structure, an atmosphere output from the at least one ink recovery reservoir passing through a separator and through the inlet face, and then through the filter body and through the outlet face before being sent to the solvent extraction structure, the device further comprising at least one second reservoir to recover liquid from the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: DOVER EUROPE SÀRL
    Inventors: Jean Xing, Adrien Marion, Francis Pourtier
  • Patent number: 10543694
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for cleaning an ink circuit of an ink-jet printer, comprising at least one tank (10), referred to as the main tank, at least one ink cartridge (30), a pump (31) for pumping the ink from the cartridge, ducts and valves (32-35, 320, 340, 341, 343, 344) for fluid connection between the ink cartridge and the tank, and control panel (3) for controlling the printer, the method comprising at least: a step of sending solvent, at a pressure P1, to the cartridge (30), by at least a part of the ducts and valves for fluid connection between the ink cartridge (30) and the tank (10), a step of pumping at least a portion of the solvent, sent in step a), towards the main tank (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: DOVER EUROPE SÀRL
    Inventors: Francis Pourtier, Jean-Pierre Arpin
  • Patent number: 10532557
    Abstract: The present subject matter describes a system for pumping ink. In an example implementation, the system includes a piston assembly having a lower chamber and an upper chamber. The lower chamber has an inlet port to receive ink. The upper chamber has a passage to receive ink from the lower chamber and an outlet port to dispense ink. The upper chamber is enclosed by a bellow. An actuating member is engaged with the piston assembly. The actuating member is configured to linearly move the piston assembly. The piston assembly is configured to compress and relax the bellow by the linear movement to pump ink from the lower chamber to the upper chamber and from the upper chamber to the outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Sing Yan Wan
  • Patent number: 10518545
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge is configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction and attached thereto in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes: a housing having a contact; a circuit board; and a pivoting member. The circuit board is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the housing. The contact of the cartridge faces upward in the upright posture when the circuit board is in the first position. The contact of the cartridge slopes relative to the insertion direction in the upright posture and is electrically connectable to a contact of the device in an attached state of the liquid cartridge when the circuit board is in the second position. The pivoting member is pivotably supported by the housing about a pivot axis and moves the circuit board between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito Ono, Kosuke Nukui
  • Patent number: 10507665
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge is configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction and attached thereto in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes: a housing; a sealing member; a circuit board; and a support member. The housing includes: a liquid chamber; and a liquid passage. The sealing member is disposed in the liquid passage. The circuit board is positioned rearward in the insertion direction relative to the sealing member in the upright posture. The circuit board includes: a contact; and a memory. The contact of the cartridge is electrically connectable to a contact of the device. The memory is electrically connected to the contact of the cartridge. The support member supports the circuit board. The circuit board supported by the support member is resiliently movable upward and downward relative to the housing in the upright posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Kosuke Nukui, Takahiro Miyao
  • Patent number: 10486430
    Abstract: A liquid supplying device includes a first intermediate storage and a second intermediate storage, both of which can supply liquid to a liquid ejecting unit. In a case where a storage amount of one intermediate storage is a first set value, the depressurization of the inside of one intermediate storage is stopped. In a case where a storage amount of the other intermediate storage is a second set value that is smaller than the first set value, first supply control of supplying the liquid from one intermediate storage to the other liquid ejecting unit is performed. In a case where the storage amount of the other intermediate storage is the second set value, second supply control of supplying the liquid from one intermediate storage is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Shinbara, Ryoji Fujimori, Kaoru Koike, Tsuyoshi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10434788
    Abstract: A liquid storage unit includes a liquid container, a spout, a plate-shaped member, and a bag. The liquid container is provided with a storage portion configured to store a liquid inside of a flexible sheet. The spout is provided on the liquid container, and is configured to supply the liquid stored in the storage portion to an inkjet printer in a state in which the spout is connected to the inkjet printer. The plate-shaped member is configured to sandwich at least a portion of an end portion of the liquid container from both sides in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to a surface of the sheet. The bag is configured to enclose the liquid container and the plate-shaped member. An inside surface of the bag contacts the plate-shaped member when the inside of the bag is in a depressurized state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 10427414
    Abstract: An ink tank for an ink delivery system includes: a first ink chamber having an ink inlet port and an ink outlet port; a second ink chamber having a gas port open to atmosphere; and a diffusion tube interconnecting the first and second ink chambers. The first ink chamber has a smaller volume than the second ink chamber and the diffusion tube is configured to minimize diffusion of air from the second chamber to the first chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Memjet Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Patrick McAuliffe, Samuel Mallinson, Geordie McBain
  • Patent number: 10406818
    Abstract: A tank installed in a liquid consuming apparatus includes: a first wall forming a first end of a storage chamber storing a liquid and allowing a user to visually confirm the liquid stored in the storage chamber; a second wall forming a second end of the storage chamber facing the first end of the storage chamber in a first direction; a third wall connected to an upper end of the first wall and having an inlet through which the liquid is supplied to the storage chamber; and an inner wall extending from at least one of inner surfaces of the first and third walls and extending in a direction having a component of an up-down direction. Each of the inner surfaces of the first and third walls includes an offset area different from the inlet in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and the up-down direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirata, Taichi Shirono, Yoshinori Osakabe
  • Patent number: 10384453
    Abstract: A supporting section is disposed to confront an ejection surface and supports a recording medium. A first tank is mounted on a first-tank mount section. A liquid conveying section conveys liquid to a liquid ejecting head. A receiving section receives liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head. A waste-liquid conveying section conveys liquid to the waste-liquid tank. A first casing holds the liquid ejecting head, the first-tank mount section, and the liquid conveying section. A second casing holds the supporting section, the receiving section, the waste-liquid tank, and the waste-liquid conveying section. The first casing is connected with the second casing such that the first casing is movable relative to the second casing. The first casing takes a first position at which the ejection surface confronts the supporting section and a second position at which the ejection surface is farther away from the supporting section than at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10350901
    Abstract: An ink bottle comprises a container main body configured to contain ink that is to be supplied to an ink tank, an ink outlet forming portion provided on an end of the container main body and configured to include an ink outlet that causes the ink to be flowed out from the container main body, and a valve provided in the ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner. The ink outlet is formed in an end face of the ink outlet forming portion. The end face is arranged to face an opposite side of the ink outlet forming portion that is opposite to a container main body side thereof. A first recess is formed in an outer side portion of the ink outlet on the end face to be recessed toward the container main body side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Koichi Toba, Ryoichi Tanaka, Taku Ishizawa, Manabu Akahane, Tadashi Watanabe, Noriyuki Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 10336079
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting unit that ejects, to a target, a liquid which is supplied from a liquid supply source via a liquid supply channel; a carriage on which the liquid ejecting unit is mounted and which moves with respect to the target; a gas containing chamber mounted on the carriage; and a pump that is disposed outside the carriage of the liquid ejecting apparatus and sends gas out to one system of a gas channel connected to the gas containing chamber and suctions gas from the gas channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Udagawa, Seiya Sato, Satoru Kobayashi, Ken Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 10286669
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes a cartridge body including: a liquid storage chamber, a liquid supply portion providing a liquid supply hole supplying the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to an outside, an air communication passage communicating liquid storage chamber with an atmosphere, a front wall, a rear wall spaced apart from the front wall, a lower wall connecting a lower end of the front wall and a lower end of the rear wall, and an upper wall extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The air communication passage includes an air communication pipe having one open end positioned downward relative to a highest liquid level and upward relative to an up-down center portion of the liquid storage chamber. The highest liquid level is defined in a state where a maximum permissible amount of liquid is stored in the liquid storage chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10279593
    Abstract: A printer and a method for delivering ink in the printer are disclosed. The printer, comprising an ink supply station (ISS) having a first pump and an ink tank coupled to the ISS, wherein the ink tank comprises a first inflatable bag; a print head having an off-axis ink supply unit and a second pump coupled to the print head, wherein the off-axis ink supply unit comprises a second inflatable bag; and a connection unit which connects the ISS to the off-axis ink supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sing Yan Wan, Michelle Mae Martinito
  • Patent number: 10266710
    Abstract: An ink includes a coloring material, one or more organic solvents, a resin particle including a structure unit having a carboxyl group and a structure unit having an alkoxysilyl group, and water. The one or more organic solvents includes at least one organic solvent having a solubility parameter of 8.96 to less than 11.8. The ink has a dynamic surface tension A of 34.0 mN/m or less for a surface life of 15 msec at 25 degrees C. according to maximum bubble pressure technique. The dynamic surface tension A and a static surface tension B of the ink at 25 degrees C. satisfy the following relation: 10.0 percent?[(A?B)/(A+B)]×100?19.0 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotou, Masahiko Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 10265965
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus, including: a holder on which a cartridge including a liquid chamber storing a liquid is mountable; a liquid-passage defining portion defining a liquid passage including a first end and a second end connected to the head, the first end configured to be connected to the liquid chamber when the cartridge is mounted on the holder; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to divide a region in the liquid chamber occupied by the liquid into a plurality of regions in an up-down direction and determine a viscosity of the liquid in each region, based on a time elapsed from a timing of connection of the liquid chamber and the first end of the liquid passage, and wherein, when the liquid is discharged from the head, the controller updates the viscosity in each region, based on an amount of the liquid discharged from the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mikio Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10245830
    Abstract: According to an example, a printing system may include a drop ejecting element and a fluid circulating element corresponding to the drop ejecting element. The printing system may also include a logic device that is to receive a data stream addressed to the drop ejecting element, determine whether the data stream indicates that the drop ejecting element is to be energized, and in response to a determination that the data stream does not indicate that the drop ejecting element is to be energized, energize the fluid circulating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Vincent C. Korthuis, Eric T. Martin, Michael W. Cumbie, Scott A. Linn
  • Patent number: 10226940
    Abstract: Systems and related methods are described for circulating and printing fluid onto a printer media. In one example, a system can include an air isolation chamber to pool printing fluid circulated within the system. The air isolation chamber can be fluidly connected to a printhead assembly to eject a portion of the printing fluid onto the printer media. The system can further include a pump to pump printing fluid from the air isolation chamber to the printhead assembly. The system can further include a pressure control valve along a return line between the air isolation chamber and the printhead assembly to regulate the flow of unejected printing fluid to the air isolation chamber to control printing fluid pressure over the printhead assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David Olsen, Mark A Devries
  • Patent number: 10214020
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a back pressure control unit including a back pressure control element that has a first opening, a second opening, a first liquid flow channel that enables the first opening and the second opening to communicate with each other, and a valve body that controls the flow of liquid in the first liquid flow channel, and a housing that houses the back pressure control element and in which a liquid introduction opening that communicates with the first opening and a discharge channel that communicates with the second opening are formed, and a head unit including a third opening connected to the discharge channel of the back pressure control unit, a second liquid flow channel that communicates with the third opening, a first filter disposed in the second liquid flow channel, a pressure generation chamber, a nozzle, and a pressure generation element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Miyajima
  • Patent number: 10160220
    Abstract: A liquid storage unit includes at least one liquid storage part that stores liquid to be supplied to a liquid ejection part ejecting the liquid and includes an injection port to which the liquid is injectable, a first opening/closing body that is openable so as to cover the injection port when the first opening/closing body is closed, and a locking part that locks the first opening/closing body and keeps the closed state of the first opening/closing body. The first opening/closing body includes a first insertion hole through which a locking member locking the closed first opening/closing body is insertable. The locking part is provided at a position facing the first insertion hole in an area covered by the closed first opening/closing body, and includes a second insertion hole through which the locking member is insertable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Moriyama, Hisayuki Akahane, Makoto Sato
  • Patent number: 10086621
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge body accommodating a reservoir; a liquid-supply part; a movable member movably supported by the cartridge body; an urging member provided on the movable member; and a contact member provided at a surface of the reservoir. The movable member includes a detected part movable from a first position, to a second position rearward of the first position, and to a third position rearward of the second position, the detected part at the first position and at the second position being positioned higher relative to the cartridge body. The urging member is resiliently deformable, the urging member in a deformed state being deformed to urge the detected part toward the third position. The contact member can contact the movable member, the contact member in contact with the movable member restricting the detected part at the second position from moving to the third position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kobayashi, Suguru Tomoguchi, Akihito Ono, Kosuke Nukui, Hiroaki Takahashi, Naoya Okazaki
  • Patent number: 10076913
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit that ejects a liquid supplied to an internal flow path; a pump that feeds the liquid to the liquid ejecting unit; a discharge route that communicates with the internal flow path; and a closing valve disposed in the discharge route. The closing valve has an object that is biased to close the discharge route, and the object open the discharge route, due to an external force, during feeding of the liquid by the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Sato, Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Takahiro Kanegae, Katsuhiro Okubo