Fluid Or Fluid Source Handling Means Patents (Class 347/84)
  • Patent number: 8197049
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet recording ink containing at least a pigment dispersion liquid A containing at least a first carbon black, a dispersant, and water, and a self-dispersible pigment dispersion liquid B which contains a second carbon black having a surface functional group, wherein a mass ratio (Ac:Bc) of the amount of the first carbon black (Ac) in the pigment dispersion liquid A to the amount of the second carbon black (Bc) having a surface functional group in the self-dispersible pigment dispersion liquid B is 98:2 to 50:50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Hakiri, Mitsuru Naruse, Hiroyuki Fushimi, Shin Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8197047
    Abstract: A liquid container mountable in a liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid container includes a liquid storage section that stores liquid, an air communication section that allows the liquid storage section and an outside of the liquid container to communicate with each other, a bubble separation unit that separates bubbles from the liquid, a communication path that allows the bubble separation unit and the liquid storage section to communicate with each other and has at one end thereof an exit connected to the bubble separation unit and at the other end thereof an entrance connected to the liquid storage section, the exit having a cross section whose area continuously increases toward the bubble separation unit, a liquid supply unit through which the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting apparatus, and a detection unit that is connected to the liquid supply unit and the bubble separation unit and detects an amount of the liquid stored in the liquid container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihisa Wanibe
  • Patent number: 8191503
    Abstract: A liquid application apparatus includes: an application roller having an application surface for applying a liquid to a medium, at least the application surface of the application roller being constituted by an elastic body; a liquid holding unit including an abutting part which abuts against a circumferential surface of the application roller so as to form a liquid holding space, the abutting part including a measuring roller which has a projection-recess surface capable of holding a specific amount of the liquid; and a drive control device which rotates the application roller and the measuring roller in such a manner that the liquid is transferred from the application surface to the medium while the liquid is supplied to the application surface from the liquid holding unit, and which halts rotation of the measuring roller while rotating the application roller after an end of application of the liquid to the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8186818
    Abstract: A fluid transport apparatus maintains temperature of a fluid transported through a conduit. The fluid transport apparatus includes a fluid transport conduit that is selectively deformed by a pressure within a compressor conduit and allowed to return to its original shape by venting the pressure through a venting valve. The alternating pressurization and release of pressure from the compressor conduit moves fluid through the fluid transport conduit. A thermal conductor is associated with the fluid transport conduit to maintain the temperature of the fluid in the fluid transport conduit within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brent R. Jones, Brian Walter Aznoe, Charles Russell Firkins, Darrell Ray Finneman, James Michael Bonicatto
  • Patent number: 8186785
    Abstract: An ink status conveyance system comprises a maximum monitored ink level sensor operable with respect to an ink source for holding a supply of ink and delivering the ink to a printhead. The ink level sensor is configured to detect when an available amount of ink in the ink source corresponds to an ample ink level. A notification controller is configured to track the available amount of ink in the ink source between an ample ink level and an ink out level. The notification controller is configured to compare the user designated low ink notification set point to the available ink volume value to generate a low ink notification when the available ink volume value corresponds to the user designated low ink notification set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Ryan Gold, Ernest Israel Esplin, Frederck T. Mattern, Brent Rodney Jones, Michael A. Fairchild
  • Patent number: 8182063
    Abstract: A multicolor-use ink cartridge has obverse surface-side ink chambers and formed on an obverse surface side of a horizontal plate portion of a rigid plastic plate and reverse surface-side ink chambers and formed on a reverse surface side thereof. Since these ink chambers are arranged in a breadthwise direction so as to be staggered in a mutually overlapping state with the horizontal plate portion interposed therebetween, it is possible to make small the dimension in a direction in which the ink chambers are arranged. The respective ink chambers are formed by joining flat portions of three-dimensionally molded flexible plastic films to obverse surface-side recesses formed on the obverse surface of the horizontal plate portion and reverse surface-side recesses formed on the reverse surface thereof, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to form ink chambers having high sealability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yukihiro Hanaoka
  • Patent number: 8182076
    Abstract: A fluid supply system for a printing device is disclosed. The fluid supply system includes an ink reservoir adapting member operatively disposed within an ink cartridge. The adapting member has an open end and an end opposed to the open end. The open end is adapted to have a filter disposed thereon. The opposed end is substantially angularly offset from the open end in a manner sufficient to substantially promote fluid and air migration toward a fluid conduit. A depth between the open end and the opposed end substantially varies along a length between two opposed sides of the adapting member. A predetermined area of the opposed end defines the fluid conduit, and the predetermined area is located at a region where the depth is substantially greatest. Further, the conduit is adapted to release fluid and air from the adapting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ashley E. Childs, Robert S. Wickwire
  • Patent number: 8182077
    Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink tank defining an ink chamber therein, in which the ink chamber is configured to store ink therein, and an adapter configured to be coupled to the ink tank. The adapter and the ink tank are separate members, and the adapter includes a main body, and an operation portion extending from the main body in a particular direction. When the adapter is coupled to the ink tank, the operation portion extends toward the ink tank and extends further in the particular direction than the ink tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kanbe, Hirotake Nakamura, Shingo Hattori, Akio Yoshinari
  • Patent number: 8177343
    Abstract: A liquid tank includes a vent-to-atmosphere mechanism configured to open and close a vent-to-atmosphere passageway for venting an internal reservoir space connected to a liquid spray head to atmosphere, the vent-to-atmosphere mechanism including a cylindrical member, a valve seat disposed inside the cylindrical member, a valve plug disposed inside cylindrical member and movable to come in contact with or separate from the valve seat, a movable member disposed inside the cylindrical member on an atmosphere side of the valve plug in a slidable manner to cause a movement of the valve plug, the movable member having an outer surface in movable contact with an inner surface of the cylindrical member and having a communication passageway formed therethrough for communication with atmosphere, and a filter member disposed at the communication passageway to capture foreign material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masataka Yoshiike
  • Patent number: 8172379
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit is provided with a plurality of liquid ejecting heads which each have a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzle openings are arranged and a liquid passage port to which an inner flow passage opens and an outer flow passage is connected. The liquid ejecting head unit includes: first flow passage members which are each provided with a first flow passage supplying a liquid to the liquid passage port of each of the plurality of liquid ejecting heads; second flow passage members which are each provided with a second flow passage supplying the liquid to the first flow passage; and a switching member which is provided between the first and second flow passages and allows the plurality of first flow passages to communicate with the plurality of second flow passages in a predetermined communication relation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 8172380
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus is provided. The liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge head that discharges a first liquid supplied via a liquid supply tube from a liquid tank, wherein the liquid tank has a first liquid reservoir chamber that stores the first liquid and a second liquid reservoir chamber that stores a second liquid whose solvent is the same as that of the first liquid and whose concentration is lower than that of the first liquid, the liquid tank is partitioned by a partition wall that partitions an inside into the first liquid reservoir chamber and the second liquid reservoir chamber, and at least a part of the partition wall has liquid permeability and a solvent for the second liquid stored in the second liquid reservoir chamber is capable of permeating the inside of the first liquid reservoir chamber via the partition wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Takata
  • Patent number: 8172382
    Abstract: A container arrangement includes a packaging arrangement including an ink tank defining an ink chamber therein, in which the ink chamber is configured to store ink therein, and a packaging bag enclosing the ink tank therein. A pressure of an interior of the packaging bag is less than a pressure of an exterior of the packaging bag. The container arrangement also includes an adapter configured to be coupled to the ink tank, and a container enclosing each of the packaging arrangement and the adapter. The adapter is positioned outside the packaging bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kanbe, Hirotake Nakamura, Shingo Hattori
  • Patent number: 8172386
    Abstract: A sealing device is disclosed that includes a latching feature configured to facilitate latching of the sealing device to a fluid reservoir; a first region configured to seal or substantially seal a fluid-discharge port on the fluid reservoir from fluid loss when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir; and a second region configured to protect a circuit device on the fluid reservoir when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. Accordingly, the presently disclosed sealing device provides an effective solution to not only sealing the fluid-discharge ports on the fluid reservoir, but also protecting the circuit device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Diana C. Petranek, Douglas H. Pearson, Charles E. Follett, Mark D. Perkins
  • Patent number: 8172375
    Abstract: A valve includes: a passage having a first passage which communicates an atmosphere-communicating passage and outside of a cartridge body, and a second passage which branches from the first passage; an electrode provided on a wall surface forming the second passage; an electrode provided on a wall surface of a bottom wall lid forming the first passage; a driver IC which applies a predetermined voltage selectively to one of these two kinds of electrodes; an insulating film provided on a surface of the electrode; and an insulating film provided on a surface of the electrode. Accordingly, there is provided a valve which is capable of opening and closing a passage communicating two spaces separated from each other, which has no movable part, and which has a simple construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroto Sugahara
  • Patent number: 8171876
    Abstract: The present invention provides applicators reducing generating bubble. Dispersion liquid is supplied while the pressure of a circulation tank on the delivery side is lower than the atmospheric pressure but higher than the pressure of the space in buffer tanks. The dispersion liquid in the discharge chambers is recovered while the pressure in a circulation tank serving as recovery destination is lower than the atmospheric pressure. Gas dissolution can be reduced because the dispersion liquid does not come into contact with gases at pressures higher than the atmospheric pressure and engulffing gas or deformation of solid microparticles can be avoided because no pump is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Takumi Namekawa, Kei Baba, Yuya Inoue, Masao Murata, Koji Hane, Robert D. Taff, Robert R. McKay, Ralph D. Fox
  • Patent number: 8172384
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a carriage on which a head is removably mounted, a cover on the carriage configured to be movable to a first position where the head is fixed to the carriage and to a second position where the head can be removed from the carriage, and a lever configured to press the head mounted on the carriage by rotating with the cover pushed by a part of the cover when the cover is moved from the first position to the second position, wherein a rotational axis of the lever and a rotational axis of the cover are coaxial with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koya Iwakura
  • Patent number: 8172377
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transporter for transporting a sheet; an image forming section for forming an image on the sheet being transported by the transporter with an ink; a liquid absorbent member; a cleaning liquid feeding section for feeding a cleaning liquid to the transporter via the liquid absorbent member to clean the transporter adhered with ink residues; and a cleaning liquid feeding controlling section for controlling the cleaning liquid feeding section to perform the cleaning liquid feeding operation, based on a condition of the image forming apparatus relating to evaporation of the cleaning liquid. This arrangement enables to properly clean a transport belt in an inkjet image forming apparatus, while preventing waste of the cleaning liquid and securing stable driving of the transport belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Okumura, Akihiro Takami
  • Patent number: 8172388
    Abstract: A liquid container mountable in a liquid ejecting apparatus is provided. The liquid container includes a liquid storage section that stores liquid, a liquid supply section through which the liquid stored in the liquid storage section is supplied to the liquid ejecting apparatus, an air communication section that allows the liquid storage section and an outside of the liquid container to communicate with each other, a bubble separation section that separates bubbles from the liquid, a vertical communication path that has an entrance communicating with the liquid storage section and an exit provided at a higher level in a vertical direction than the entrance and communicating with the bubble separation section, and a detection section that communicates with the liquid supply section and the bubble separation section and is adapted to detect a depletion of the liquid stored in the liquid container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihisa Wanibe
  • Patent number: 8167417
    Abstract: The backing pressure of an ink tank is controlled. The ink tank is connected to a pressure control apparatus. The pressure control apparatus has first and second check valves. When the internal pressure of the ink tank becomes smaller than that of outside atmosphere by a first predetermined pressure or more, the first check valve is switched into an open state to connect the outside atmosphere and the ink tank. To the contrary, when the internal pressure of the ink tank becomes larger than that of outside atmosphere by a second predetermined pressure or more, the second check valve is switched to an open state to connect the ink tank with the outside atmosphere. Therefore, the internal pressure of the ink tank is controlled precisely enough to stabilize the meniscus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Takahiro Miyata, Masao Murata, Satoshi Shiba, Hirofumi Minami, Seiichi Satou, Kazuhiro Musha, Mitsuru Yahagi, Jyunpei Yuyama
  • Patent number: 8168694
    Abstract: An ink composition is provided and includes: a dye; and at least one polymer of an oxidation-resistant polymer having a weight-average molecula weight of 3,000 or more, an association-accelerating polymer and an amidic polymer. An image printed with the ink composition has an ozone degradation rate of 1/5 or less of that of an image printed with an ink composition free of the at least one polymer. The ink composition has an extremely high image durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiki Taguchi, Sachiko Arai
  • Patent number: 8162452
    Abstract: A liquid discharge device may be provided with a discharge head, a sub tank comprising a first member; and a liquid replenishment device comprising a second member to be connected to a main tank. The second member is capable of being connected to and disconnected from the first member. The liquid within the main tank is supplied to the sub tank when the second member is in a connected state with the first member. The first member comprises a first liquid path and a first valve biased in a direction where the first liquid path is closed. The second member comprises a second liquid path and a second valve biased in a direction where the second liquid path is closed. The first member and the second member may be configured to open the second liquid path first, and then open the first liquid path in a case where the second member is to be connected to the first member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hikaru Kaga
  • Patent number: 8157360
    Abstract: An ink jet type recording apparatus comprises a connection member which has a passage for leading ink to a recording head from an ink cartridge. In the passage, a valve member having a magnetic body is provided. A rotation member has a permanent magnet and is rotatable between a first position and a second position. When the rotation member is located in the first position, an attraction that can move the valve member in an opening direction of the passage acts between the magnet and magnetic body, and hence, the valve member opens the passage. When the rotation member is located in the second position, the attraction that can move the valve member does not act between the magnet and magnetic body, and hence, the valve member closes the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitotoshi Kimura, Izumi Nozawa, Taku Ishizawa
  • Patent number: 8152287
    Abstract: An ink cartridge assembly includes an ink cartridge including a body defining an ink chamber therein, and a sealing member. The body has an opening formed therethrough, and an interior of the ink chamber is configured to be in fluid communication with an exterior of the ink chamber via the opening. The sealing member is configured to close the opening. The ink cartridge assembly also includes a cover member including a first portion configured to engage the body, and a second portion. The cover member is configured to cover the opening when the first portion engages the body. When the second portion moves the second portion is configured to apply a force to the sealing member to move the sealing member away from the opening to facilitate fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the ink chamber, and to disengage the first portion from the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Hattori, Toyonori Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8152285
    Abstract: An Inkjet head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an ink storage unit including an inner storage space, a head unit connected to the ink storage unit, and a plurality of nozzles discharging the ink, wherein the floors of the inner storage space of the ink storage unit form a step. Accordingly, in the Inkjet head of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the floors of the inner storage space of the ink storage unit form a step, and the ceiling of the inner flow space of the head unit is inclined, thereby preventing the ink vapor from being confined inside the head unit. Therefore, the ink to be discharged through the nozzle flows in a predetermined direction and does not include ink vapor, thereby preventing discharge deterioration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Wook Kim, Seung-Joo Shin, Seok-Soon Back
  • Patent number: 8147042
    Abstract: An ink jet recorder that includes line heads (4) having a plurality of nozzle heads (41), main tanks (13) placed outside of the line heads (4) to store ink; an ink supply passage (13a, 49a, 49c) that connects the main tanks (13) to the associated nozzle heads (41), and distribution tanks (6) placed in each line head (4). The number of supply tube connections (67) provided in the distribution tank (6) is smaller than that of the nozzle heads (41) arranged in the line head (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignees: Miyakoshi Printing Machinery Co., Ltd., Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsuba, Yoshinobu Ishimoto, Tetsuya Matsuzaki, Hideo Izawa, Takao Namiki
  • Patent number: 8147048
    Abstract: A cartridge is constituted by a plurality of absorbing materials for retaining liquid, an interface formed by press-contact between opposing surfaces of the absorbing materials, an introducing portion for supplying the liquid out of the absorbing materials, and a filter provided at an end portion of the introducing portion. The absorbing materials press against the filter so that an end portion of the interface reaches the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiromasa Amma
  • Patent number: 8141999
    Abstract: A valve mechanism includes a particular wall having a first opening formed therethrough, and a tube member including a particular surface which contacts the particular wall, and a central axis. The valve mechanism also includes a lid member configured to selectively cover and uncover the first opening, and a flexible inner wall positioned in an interior of the tube member. The flexible inner wall extends from the tube member to the lid member in a direction which intersects the central axis, and the flexible inner wall has a second opening formed therethrough. Moreover, a cross-sectional shape of the flexible inner wall in a particular plane is bent, and the central axis lies on the particular plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuki Takagi
  • Patent number: 8142003
    Abstract: An inkjet printer system includes a print head and a sub tank. The print head is configured to eject ink. The sub tank is provided above the print head and connected to the print head via a head-side supply passage. The sub tank has a first supplying hole and a second supplying hole which are connected to the head-side supply passage. A position of the first supplying hole is higher than a position of the second supplying hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazutaka Tamaki
  • Patent number: 8142004
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a treatment liquid application device which applies a treatment liquid to a recording medium; a treatment liquid supplying device which abuts against the treatment liquid application device so as to form a liquid holding space, fills the treatment liquid into the liquid holding space by use of a liquid delivery device which delivers the treatment liquid to the liquid holding space via a first flow channel from a treatment liquid reservoir storing the treatment liquid, and restores the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid reservoir via a second flow channel from the liquid holding space; a controller which controls at least one of a treatment liquid filling operation and a treatment liquid restoring operation with respect to the liquid holding space; an ink ejecting device which ejects a droplet of an ink onto the recording medium to which the treatment liquid application device has applied the treatment liquid; and an air bubble mixing avoidance device which is provide
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8136932
    Abstract: A liquid storage container includes a liquid containing body that is formed of a flexible film and contains liquid therein; a liquid lead-out member connected to the liquid containing body; and a spacer member disposed in the liquid containing body. The liquid containing body deforms in a direction in which inner wall surfaces of the flexible film facing each other are brought into contact with each other at the time of reduction in the remaining amount of the liquid as the inside liquid is taken out through the liquid lead-out member, and the spacer member regulates contact between parts of the inner wall surfaces of the flexible film facing each other at the time of reduction in the remaining amount of the liquid to thereby form a remaining liquid space where liquid remains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Izumi Nozawa, Hitotoshi Kimura, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8136931
    Abstract: Ink maintained at a negative pressure state is supplied to an ink-jet recording head via an ink supply mechanism constructed as a differential pressure valve having a coil spring and a movable membrane normally contacted elastically with a valve seat by the coil spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hisashi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 8136929
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device ejecting a fluid, the fluid ejection device includes: a fluid ejection unit; a fluid container; a delivery needle; and a guard cover. The fluid ejection unit ejects a fluid onto an ejection target. The fluid container includes a container portion and a withdrawal portion. The container portion contains a fluid for ejection, and the withdrawal portion allows withdrawal of the fluid contained in the container portion. The delivery needle sticks through the withdrawal portion to provide a flow passage which communicates with the fluid ejection unit. The guard cover projects over the delivery needle to prevent the withdrawal portion from approaching the delivery needle from a direction intersecting a center axis of the delivery needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuro Osawa, Hiroyuki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 8139245
    Abstract: An approach is provided for managing the processing of print data at a printing device based upon available consumable resources. A printing device includes a print process configured to determine consumable resources that are currently available at the printing device. The print process is further configured to determine which print data is to be processed based upon the consumable resources currently available at the printing device and the consumable resources required to completely process each of the print data. Print data that can be completely processed using the currently available consumable resources are selected for processing. The print process may also be configured to cause a notification to be provided to a client device to indicate the consumable resources currently available at a printing device and/or that insufficient consumable resources were available to process particular print data and to recommend other consumable resources to process the particular print data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Lifen Tian
  • Patent number: 8132877
    Abstract: An ink status conveyance system comprises a maximum monitored ink level sensor operable with respect to an ink source for holding a supply of ink and delivering the ink to a printhead. The ink level sensor is configured to detect when an available amount of ink in the ink source corresponds to an ample ink level. A notification controller is configured to track the available amount of ink in the ink source between an ample ink level and an ink out level. A user interface is configured to enable a user to designate a low ink notification set point for the ink source at any ink level between the ample ink level and the ink out level. The notification controller is configured to compare the user designated low ink notification set point to the available ink volume value to generate a low ink notification when the available ink volume value corresponds to the user designated low ink notification set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Ryan Gold, Ernest Israel Esplin, Frederck T. Mattern, Brent Rodney Jones, Michael A. Fairchild
  • Patent number: 8132899
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink tank for an ink jet printer. The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing the ink tank, as well as well as a method of refilling the ink tank. The ink tank includes an ink tank body and an ink tank lid bonded to the ink tank body at a bond joint. The ink tank lid comprises an opening that leads to a holding area that is adapted to contain a capillary media therein. The holding area comprises a wall that forms a boundary between the capillary media and an enclosure defined by the ink tank body and the ink tank lid. The opening is sized to permit an insertion and removal of the capillary media to and from the holding area when the ink tank lid is bonded to the ink tank body at the bond joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Brian G. Price, David R. Scott
  • Patent number: 8132903
    Abstract: An ink jet system according to the present invention is provided with an air bubble removing unit including: an ink jet body having a plurality of ink supply path; a nozzle plate connected to an end of the ink jet body and having a plurality of spaced nozzle holes therein; and a cap configured to cover the nozzle holes formed in the nozzle plate wherein a first ink channel space is formed continuous to the nozzle holes and the plurality of ink supply path, and a second ink channel space is formed between a recess of the cap and a surface of the nozzle plate, so that the second ink channel space and the first ink channel space are continuous through the nozzle holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Naoaki Sakurai, Tsuyoshi Sato, Hiroyasu Kondo
  • Patent number: 8128214
    Abstract: An ink charging injection apparatus for charging ink to an ink pack is disclosed. The ink injection apparatus includes a pressurizing tank for storing ink, piping, a deaeration device, and an air vent pipe. The piping connects the pressurizing tank to the ink pack such that ink stored in the pressuring tank can be supplied from the pressurizing tank to the ink pack. The deaeration device is provided in the piping. The deaeration device is operated to produce suction for deaerating ink in the piping. The air vent pipe branches from a section of the piping and communicates with the deaeration device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Chihiro Fujimori
  • Patent number: 8128215
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printer having an ink-contacting member which is in contact with an ink until the ink is injected from a print head and which contains an antioxidant, wherein the ink-contacting member has a concentration of a compound represented by the following formula (1) of 100 ppm or less: Further, an ink jet recording method using the ink jet printer and recorded matter recorded by the ink jet recording method are also disclosed. According to the invention, there is provided an ink jet printer using an ink-contacting member which inhibits the formation of a crystalline molecular complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hara, Masanori Takemura, Hiroshi Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8128210
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes a fluid containing portion, a fluid discharging portion, a flow passage forming portion and a valve mechanism. The fluid containing portion contains fluid. The fluid discharging portion discharges the fluid. The flow passage forming portion forms a fluid flow passage that extends from the fluid containing portion to the fluid discharging portion. The valve mechanism is able to open or close the fluid flow passage. The fluid ejecting apparatus is placed in an initial state before an initial use of the fluid ejecting apparatus, wherein fluid is contained in the fluid containing portion and at least portion of the fluid flow passage from a position of the fluid containing portion to a position of the valve mechanism is filled with the fluid and the fluid flow passage is closed by the valve mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Seino, Taro Takekoshi, Norihisa Kobayashi, Noritsuna Rokuhara
  • Patent number: 8128211
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink-cartridge for printers comprising a body formed having a filling hole on an upper surface thereof; a plurality of filling chambers inside of the body divided by a partition having a connecting hole; a discharging chamber connected to the filling chamber; an air chamber connected to the filling chamber via an air transferring channel so as to supply air to the filling chamber; an air suction valve installed in the air chamber; an air inducing channel inducing external air to the air suction valve; a blocking film attached to one surface of the body; and a cover installed in the other side surface of the body; and a pressure regulating part formed in a surface of an outer wall of the body and communicating with the filling chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Inktec Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kwang-Choon Chung, Chang-Soo Yu, Nam-Boo Cho, Young-Chul Shin, Bae-Song Heo
  • Patent number: 8123340
    Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet printer. The inkjet printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a supply channel coupled to a plurality of inkjet heads; a first main reservoir and a second main reservoir being coupled to either side of the supply channel; and a first press and a second press applying pressure to the inside of the first main reservoir and the second main reservoir, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoon-Sok Park, Jae-Woo Joung, Young-Seuck Yoo, Suk-Ho Song, Won-Chul Sim
  • Patent number: 8118400
    Abstract: An ink ejection printhead includes an elongate support frame. The support frame supports ink ejection printhead modules. An end plate is mounted to an end of the support frame and defines two guide recesses. A connector arrangement is received in the guide recesses and includes a body portion interconnected to a region by at least one bridge. The connector arrangement includes a connector extending from the body portion. An end housing defines an opening and is mounted to the end plate so that the connector is accessible through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Norman Micheal Berry, Garry Raymond Jackson, Akira Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 8118404
    Abstract: A printing arrangement has a modular printhead assembly with a plurality of elongate printhead modules fast with an elongate chassis. An ink supply assembly has a number of ink reservoirs with respective ink supply devices each having two parts, namely a first part with a plurality of collars and the second part defining a number of ink chambers. Each ink chamber is configured to contain ink of a particular color and is in fluid communication with a respective ink channel of one ink reservoir via one collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Tobin Allen King, Garry Raymond Jackson
  • Patent number: 8118411
    Abstract: A flow path regulating member 3 is formed on the rear surface of the head chip 1A, wherein the channels 12 and 13, and drive walls 11 made up of piezoelectric elements are arranged alternately, the apertures of the channels 12 and 13 are arranged on the front side and rear side, and drive electrodes 14 are formed in channels 12 and 13, by the step of providing a lamination film according to the process wherein a mask layer without having been etched at the time of dry etching of an organic film is patterned on the surface of the organic film so as to conform to the channel 13 for regulating an ink flow path and performing dry etching from the side of the mask layer and removing the organic film at other than the site coated with the mask layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta IJ Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hideo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8113612
    Abstract: An ink delivery system includes a plurality of ink supplies, an air pressure source to generate ink pressure for each ink supply, an ink valve associated with each ink supply, where each ink valve is configured to prevent a reverse flow of ink from a pen to the associated ink supply, and each ink valve has a switch configured to provide an open signal when the ink valve is open, and a controller configured to determine one of a normal ink condition, an out of ink condition or a system pressure problem based on receiving the open signals and to regulate the pressure source according to the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Andrew B. Levy, Greg K. Justice, Ricardo G. Diaz, Chris Arnold, Mark A. DeVries
  • Patent number: 8113636
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes a nozzle to discharge liquid droplets, a pressure chamber which is configured to communicate with the nozzle and filled with liquid, a supply section which is configured to communicate with the pressure chamber and supplies the liquid to the pressure chamber, a recovery section which is configured to communicate with the pressure chamber and recovers the liquid from the pressure chamber, a bypass channel which is independent of the pressure chamber and connects the supply section with the recovery section, a pressure-control liquid chamber which is connected at one end to the bypass channel and connected at the other end to the atmosphere, and a porous member which is contained inside the pressure-control liquid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishida, Noboru Nitta, Isao Suzuki, Masashi Shimosato
  • Patent number: 8113640
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge has a liquid chamber configured to store liquid, and a liquid supply opening configured to supply liquid from an interior of the liquid chamber to an exterior of the liquid chamber. A first closing mechanism is configured to selectively cover and uncover the liquid supply opening. An air communication opening formed in the liquid cartridge is configured to place the interior of the liquid chamber in communication with an exterior of the chamber, in order to equalize a pressure in the liquid chamber with an atmospheric pressure. A second closing mechanism is configured to selectively cover and uncover the air communication opening. When the liquid cartridge is mounted to a cartridge mounting portion of a liquid discharging apparatus, a damper located in one of the liquid cartridge and the cartridge mounting portion is configured to oppose at least a portion of a mounting force applied to the liquid cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8113642
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid ejection head which includes a plurality of ejection ports 302 arranged so as to form an ejection port row and which, after a recovery process of expanding and transferring a bubble toward an ink supply port, allows the bubble to be smoothly removed from a nozzle 310. electrothermal transducing elementA plurality of nozzle filters 306 are arranged between an ink supply port and the ink channel 304 so that ink supplied to the bubbling chamber 303 through the ink supply port is passed between the nozzle filters 306 to separate impurities contained in the ink, from the ink. When a distance between an ink channel inlet 311 and the nozzle filter 306 is defined as L1 and a distance between the adjacent nozzle filters 306 is defined as L2, a relationship between L1 and L2 satisfies L1?L2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rumi Akiyama, Shingo Nagata, Hidehiko Kanda, Atsushi Sakamoto, Hirokazu Tanaka, Wakako Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8113639
    Abstract: Liquid packs provided with liquid leading members are stored in a container case that is constituted by fitting a case main body portion and a lid case in fitting portions and, support portions, which positions the liquid leading members so as to be opposed to liquid introducing members attached to a cartridge inserting portion, are provided on a front surface of the container case, the fitting portions are arranged in a state in which the fitting portions traverses the support portions, and space portions having a gap larger than a gap formed in the fitting portions are formed near the support portions in the fitting portions. In this way, liquid flowing through the fitting portions due to the capillarity is retained by the space portions and never flows to the fitting portions further extending from the space portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitotoshi Kimura, Yasuto Sakai, Satoshi Shinada, Michinari Tsukahara, Masanori Kobayashi, Taku Ishizawa
  • Patent number: 8113638
    Abstract: A fluid coupling for establishing a sealed connection between a first conduit and a second conduit. The second conduit has a seal seat and a compression member. The compression member is movable relative to the seal seat. A seal is positioned in the seal seat. An engagement mechanism moves the compression member toward the seal seat to compress the seal to form a sealed fluid connection. The engagement mechanism has an input arm hinged to the compression member at a hinge connection. The input arm has a compression lever fixed at an angle to the longitudinal extent of the input arm. The input arm is arranged to push against the compression member as the input arm rotates about the hinge connection to the compression member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Christopher Hibbard, Paul Ian Mackey, Geoffrey Philip Dyer, Makomo Tsubono, Attila Bertok