Fluid Supply System Patents (Class 347/85)
  • Patent number: 9586399
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a body defining an interior bore, a fluid reservoir, and a fluid ejection chip. The fluid reservoir defines an interior passage that receives a fluid, the interior passage in fluid communication with the interior bore of the body. The fluid ejection chip is coupled with the body and includes one or more fluid ejection actuators. The fluid ejection chip has one or more interior fluid paths in fluid communication with the interior bore of the body so that the fluid ejection chip ejects the fluid upon activation of the one or more fluid ejection actuators. The interior passage of the fluid reservoir and the one or more interior fluid paths are substantially devoid of obstructions such that the fluid is gravity fed to the fluid ejection chip upon entry into the interior passage of the fluid reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sam Norasak
  • Patent number: 9586405
    Abstract: An ink supply apparatus is an apparatus for supplying ink to a printer, the printer including a holder provided with an ink receiving part. The ink supply apparatus includes an ink supply passage member connected to the ink receiving part, and an ink container in fluid communication with the ink receiving part through the ink supply passage member. The ink container including an ink discharge port at an upper portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Iwamuro, Masaru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9586406
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid storing body that makes it possible to prevent a liquid containing a sedimentous component whose concentration is higher than a proper range from being supplied to a liquid jetting apparatus. An ink pack 1 is provided with a flexible ink storage bag 2 capable of storing pigment ink containing a sedimentous component, an ink supply part 3 provided at an upper portion of the ink storage bag 2, and a flow path member 4 that connects the interior of the ink storage bag 2 and the ink supply part 3. The flow path member 4 is provided with a vertical tube part 41 extending downward from the ink supply part 3, a lateral tube part 42 extending horizontally from the lower end of the vertical tube part 41, and a vertical tube part 43 extending upward from the end of the lateral tube part 42.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keigo Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 9579902
    Abstract: A reservoir in a printer includes a body that includes a first inlet and a first outlet. The body defines an internal volume positioned between the first inlet and the first outlet. A valve is positioned within the body. Ink flows from the first inlet, through the valve, and into the internal volume when the valve is in an open position, and the ink is prevented from flowing through the valve and into the internal volume when the valve is in a closed position. The ink is configured to flow from the internal volume, through the first outlet, and into a printhead. A heater is positioned within the body, and the heater is configured to heat the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Olson, Christopher Douglas Atwood
  • Patent number: 9573378
    Abstract: Devices and methods for refurbishing a used print cartridge for further use in a printing device are provided. An electronic patch is attached to a circuit on the used print cartridge. The electronic patch includes contact pads that are positioned to correspond to the location of contact pads on the circuit of the used print cartridge. The electronic patch also includes a control chip and an embedded memory array that replaces one or more functions of the memory on the used print cartridge, allowing the used print cartridge to be refilled with printing ink and reused in a printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: CLOVER TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J. Quinn, Steven D. Iocco
  • Patent number: 9573370
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a plurality of liquid ejection units, each including a plate-like piezoelectric element, a first substrate and a second substrate laid one on the other in this order, the units being laid one on the other. The first substrate defines a plurality of pressure chambers for storing liquid, each of the pressure chambers communicating with an ejection port for ejecting liquid. At least either the first substrate or the second substrate defines a first liquid chamber, the first liquid chamber being either one of a feed chamber for feeding liquid to the pressure chambers and a recovery chamber for recovering liquid from the pressure chambers. The second substrate defines a second liquid chamber, the second liquid chamber being the other one of the feed chamber and the recovery chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Sasagawa, Toru Nakakubo
  • Patent number: 9561661
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes a liquid chamber with a liquid outlet configured to supply the liquid from an interior of the chamber to an exterior of the liquid chamber. A body is positioned in the chamber and is movable between a first position wherein movement of the body is restricted, and a second position wherein the body is movable along a movement path between the first and second positions. The body has a plurality of sides. A detector is positioned in the chamber and is movable in response to movement of the body between the first and second positions. The body defines a plurality openings that extend into the body through at least two sides of the body. A plurality of resist surfaces are formed by the plurality of openings, and the resist surfaces are configured to resist movement of the body between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kosuke Nukui
  • Patent number: 9555631
    Abstract: Laminate manifolds, and their manufacture. The laminate manifolds (18) include plates (20) arranged in parallel, forming a laminate plate stack (22), with a securing agent (24) securing the plates in the plate stack. At least some of the plates incorporate apertures (26) that are oriented in their respective plates so that when the plates are arranged in the laminate plate stack (22), the apertures define a fluidic pathway (28) that emerges from the laminate plate stack between parallel plates. The laminate manifolds are particularly useful as ink manifolds (14) for inkjet printers (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Alan R. Arthur, Chris Aschoff, Ronald A. Hellekkson
  • Patent number: 9539818
    Abstract: A pressurizing/depressurizing method of a liquid ejecting apparatus which includes a print head which ejects liquid, and a supply unit which supplies the liquid to the print head, the method including depressurizing/pressure accumulating in which a depressurization buffer tank is depressurized, and a pressure is accumulated; pressurizing/pressure accumulating in which a pressurization buffer tank is pressurized, and a pressure is accumulated; depressurizing in which the liquid is depressurized so that a pressure is lower than an atmospheric pressure in the supply unit using the depressurization buffer tank; and pressurizing in which the liquid is pressurized so that the pressure is higher than the atmospheric pressure in the supply unit using the pressurization buffer tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masaaki Ando
  • Patent number: 9527299
    Abstract: A new engagement mechanism is provided that enables a liquid supply unit to be removed from an on-carriage holder and does not exist in known techniques. The liquid supply unit includes a first face, a second face opposed to the first face, a third face intersecting the first face and the second face, a fourth face intersecting the first face and the second face and opposed to the third face, a liquid supply portion, a first engaging portion projecting from the third face and capable of engaging with the on-carriage holder, and an operation portion exposed to the second face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Nakata
  • Patent number: 9527296
    Abstract: A liquid circulation device includes a supply unit that forms a flow path supplying a liquid from a reservoir unit; a collection unit that forms a flow path collecting the liquid to the reservoir unit; and N number of the connection units provided respectively corresponding to N number of ejection units ejecting the liquid forming a flow path connecting the supply unit and the collection unit via the ejection units, wherein with regard to each of N number of the connection units, a connection order of the connection units with respect to the supply unit, which is counted from upstream in a flow direction of the liquid in the supply unit coincides with a connection order of the connection units with respect to the collection unit, which is counted from upstream in the flow direction of the liquid in the collection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Ando, Kaoru Koike
  • Patent number: 9527310
    Abstract: An inkjet printing method comprises: an inkjet printing device having an inkjet print head with a built-in heater, an ink tank with a built-in heater the tank interior of which communicates with the atmosphere, and an ink supply path that connects the inkjet print head with the ink tank; a process of heating a radiation-curable inkjet ink in the ink tank with a viscosity at 25° C. of 1.0×103-1.0×106 mPa·s to A° C.; a process of supplying the inkjet ink to the inkjet print head; a process of making the inkjet ink in the inkjet print head to be a temperature B° C. in the range of 70° C. to 120° C. and ejecting to the printing medium; and a processing of irradiating radiation on the printing medium. A° C. is a temperature 5-30° C. higher than B° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Hirotaka Iijima
  • Patent number: 9505222
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus which includes a tank including a liquid storage chamber, an inlet, a liquid lead-out channel, and an atmosphere communication channel, a conveyance mechanism, a carriage, and a head. A lower end of the inlet is positioned at a lower side of the nozzles, and the liquid storage chamber is arranged at a position shifted from the nozzles, in a first-direction side of the front-rear direction, and shifted from the conveyance route, to a second-direction side of the left-right direction. The liquid storage chamber is connected to the liquid outflow channel at a position on a lower side of a center in a up-down direction of the liquid storage chamber, and in the first direction from a center in the front-rear direction of the liquid storage chamber, and on the second-direction side of a center in the left-right direction of the liquid storage chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinori Igarashi, Masataka Kamiya
  • Patent number: 9505223
    Abstract: A liquid container for supplying a liquid to a liquid ejection apparatus comprises: a liquid chamber provided to store the liquid; an air chamber connected with the liquid chamber to introduce the outside air into the liquid chamber with consumption of the liquid in the liquid chamber; an open-air hole provided to introduce the outside air into the air chamber; and a liquid inlet provided to fill the liquid into the liquid chamber, wherein the liquid inlet is located at a lower position than the open-air hole, in a filling attitude of the liquid container in which the liquid is filled into the liquid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Shimizu, Taku Ishizawa, Yuki Takeda, Shuichi Koganehira
  • Patent number: 9505224
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a housing body, an opening/closing member, attached to the housing body via a pivot shaft so as to be capable of rotating freely, that covers the surface of the housing body on one side thereof, and an ink tank having an injection port for filling an ink holding chamber with ink used in recording. Here, the ink tank is disposed so that one end thereof is positioned within the housing body on the opposite side of the housing body as the side in which the pivot shaft is provided, and has a stepped shape including a step portion, the step portion being provided on a side of the ink tank that is further from the pivot shaft. The injection port is provided in the step portion, and when the opening/closing member is opened and the ink is to be filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Hidenao Suzuki, Munehide Kanaya
  • Patent number: 9498969
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes a first liquid chamber, a second liquid chamber, a communication path through which liquid can flow from the first liquid chamber to the second liquid chamber, a blocking member configured to block communication between the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber through the communication path, and a movable member positioned in the second liquid chamber and comprising a detection portion and a float.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsuro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9493008
    Abstract: In one example implementation, a printhead assembly includes a fluid intake section, a fluid interconnect integrated with the fluid intake section to receive fluid from an ink supply assembly, and an air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect cover installed over the fluid interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Rhonda L. Wilson, Mark A. Devries
  • Patent number: 9493662
    Abstract: Provided is an active energy ray-curable inkjet ink containing at least photopolymerizable compounds. The photopolymerizable compounds include: at least one monofunctional monomer selected from the group consisting of a monofunctional monomer of which homopolymer has a glass transition temperature of 90° C. or higher, a monofunctional monomer having a ring structure, and a monofunctional monomer of which homopolymer has a glass transition temperature of 90° C. or higher and that has a ring structure; and urethane (meth)acrylate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shizuka Kohzuki, Mie Yoshino, Takao Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 9493005
    Abstract: A case includes a main receptacle body that accommodates an ink accommodating body which accommodates ink. A first tube support portion and second to fourth tube support portions that guide connection tubes that are connected to the ink accommodating bodies, respectively, are provided on an internal surface of the main receptacle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Koike, Hiroyuki Yoda
  • Patent number: 9487008
    Abstract: A multichannel printhead is proposed having an array of fluid ejectors for applying a liquid coating material to a surface, characterized in, that each fluid ejector includes a fluid valve with a closing element such as an actuated membrane 8 or an actuated valve seal 11, interacting with a valve seat 10 connected to the valve opening 9, the fluid valve controlling the flow of the liquid coating material through the valve opening 9, that the valve opening 9 enters into multiple fluid outlets 6, that the fluid outlets 6 of all of the fluid ejectors are arranged within a regular array of at least one row, that the fluid ejectors are actuated as to discharge discrete amounts of the liquid coating material through the fluid outlets 6 to the surface according to the drop-on-demand principle, whereas the valve seats 10 and valve openings 9 of at least one fluid ejector are part of a first plate and the fluid-outlets 6 of at least one fluid ejector are part of a second plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Inventor: Burkhard Büstgens
  • Patent number: 9475303
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejection device including a head for ejecting a liquid, a liquid containing unit, a liquid filler, and a pressure adjusting unit, in which the liquid containing unit includes a sealed housing and a flexible member provided in the housing, the housing includes a first containing space communicating with the head and a second containing space partitioned from the first containing space through use of the flexible member, the first containing space contains the liquid, and the liquid filler is filled into the second containing space, the pressure adjusting unit communicates with the second containing space, and adjusts the pressure of the liquid filler filled into the second containing space so as to maintain a negative pressure with respect to the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Araki, Yasuyuki Tamura, Akio Saito, Makoto Fukuhara, Hiroyuki Ozaki
  • Patent number: 9475302
    Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus includes a print head configured to be able to eject an ink fed from an ink tank that contains the ink in a closed space so as to apply a negative pressure to the ink, a communication path configured to allow a liquid chamber in the print head to communicate with an outside of the liquid chamber, an opening and closing unit configured to open and close the communication path, and a control unit configured to open the communication path in accordance with a pressure in the print head via the opening and closing unit, to bring the liquid chamber and the outside into communication with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Finetech, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenro Yamaguchi, Takashi Sugai, Noritaka Ota
  • Patent number: 9469115
    Abstract: A liquid container is configured to be detachably attached to a liquid container containing section in a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes the liquid container containing section, a supply flow path that supplies liquid from a liquid supply section that is provided in the liquid container containing section to a liquid ejecting section, and an opening and closing section that opens and closes the supply flow path. The liquid container includes an operation section configured to switch an opening and closing state of the opening and closing section by working together with an attaching and detaching operation with regard to the liquid container containing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Naito, Keiichiro Yoshino, Ryoji Fujimori, Takeshi Iwamuro
  • Patent number: 9469118
    Abstract: Provided is a technique for restraining leakage of a liquid from a tank. An ink tank 25 is provided with an ink injecting part 113, an ink container 120, an atmospheric air introduction part 121, and electrode pins 140a and 140b. A recess 125 that is open downward in the gravity direction when the ink tank 25 is in a posture when ink is supplied to a printing head part 32 is formed in the ink container 120. The electrode pins 140a and 140b are provided in a first upper wall part 131 constituting an upper end wall part of the recess 125. In addition, an ink injection port 135 of the ink injecting part 113 and an atmospheric air introduction port 136 of the atmospheric air introduction part 121 are provided outside the recess 125, in the ink container 120.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naomi Kimura, Munehide Kanaya
  • Patent number: 9463624
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes a recording element substrate configured to discharge a liquid; an electric wiring substrate that is provided with a lead terminal that is connected to the recording element substrate; and a supporting member to which the electric wiring substrate is bonded. The electric wiring substrate is bonded to the supporting member with two or more types of adhesives including at least a first adhesive and a second adhesive whose volume resistivity is higher than that of the first adhesive, a bond strength of the first adhesive is higher than a bond strength of the second adhesive, and, at the supporting member, the second adhesive is applied such that the second adhesive is provided closer to the lead terminal than the first adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sayaka Seki, Naoko Tsujiuchi, Satoshi Kimura, Kiyomitsu Kudo, Kazuhiro Idogawa
  • Patent number: 9463632
    Abstract: A print device includes mount portions, flow passages and reservoir portions. The mount portion mounts a container containing liquid. The flow passage connects the mount portion to a head portion having a nozzle face. The reservoir portion provided on the flow passage reserves liquid and is located such that a distance from the nozzle face in the up-down direction is within a prescribed range. A first and second reservoir portions are aligned in a first direction in the horizontal direction. The first reservoir portion is inclined such that a part of the first reservoir portion is situated to progress upward towards the first direction. The second reservoir portion is inclined such that a part of the second reservoir portion is situated to progress upward towards the first direction. The first and second reservoir portions are at least partially overlapped each other in the up-down direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yutaka Takagiwa
  • Patent number: 9457579
    Abstract: A method for use in fluid jetting, the method includes recirculating a fluid between a first container and a second container through a flow path in a printhead, the flow path includes a nozzle through which jets fluid from either the first container or second container which supplies the fluid for jetting. A ratio of a recirculation fluid flow rate to an amount of fluid jetted through the nozzle depends on an operational parameter of the printhead, and the recirculation fluid flow rate includes an amount of the recirculation fluid passing by a cross-section of the flow path per second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
    Inventor: Andreas Bibl
  • Patent number: 9457568
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of pressure chambers arranged along a first direction, each of which extends in a second direction crossing the first direction, communicates with one of the nozzles, and has a first end through which ink is supplied and a second end through which ink is recycled, a plurality of ink inlets configured on a side of the first ends of the pressure chambers through which ink is supplied to the pressure chambers, and a plurality of ink outlets configured on a side of the second ends of the pressure chambers through which ink is recycled from the pressure chambers. A flow rate of the ink flowing from a ink inlet to an ink outlet through pressure chambers that are at the ends along the arrangement positions of the pressure chambers is higher than a flow rate of the ink flowing from an ink inlet to an ink outlet through pressure chambers that are at the center along the arrangement positions of the pressure chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahisa Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9452612
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion capable of ejecting liquid, a casing body for accommodating the liquid ejecting portion, a liquid container which has a protruding portion exposed to the outside of the casing body and is mounted to the casing body, and a protecting portion which protects the protruding portion of the liquid container from an external force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Miyazaki, Akira Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9452613
    Abstract: An inkjet printer 1 has an elastic ink pack 10 that holds ink, and an ink supply mechanism 5 that pressurizes the ink pack 10 and supplies ink to the ink path 4 side. The ink supply mechanism 5 has a pressure pump 15; a remaining ink monitor 52 that watches if the ink in the ink pack 10 has dropped to a specific remaining ink level; a first pressure control unit 56 that drives the pressure pump 15 until the pump pressure reaches a preset first set pressure P1 when the remaining ink has not reached the specific remaining ink level; and a second pressure control unit 57 that drives the pressure pump 15 until the pump pressure reaches a second set pressure P2 that is higher than the first set pressure P1 when the remaining ink has reached the specific remaining ink level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Urabe
  • Patent number: 9446597
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus comprising a carriage, a liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage, at least one tube member operably connected to the liquid ejection head, a holding wire for securing the tube member, and a structural member, and a cover plate positioned between the structural member and the holding wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Miyuki Kusuda
  • Patent number: 9434167
    Abstract: A seal member to be arranged between a first member having a first flow channel and a second member having a second flow channel, including: an elastic portion formed of an elastically deformable first material and including at least a communicating portion provided with a communicating hole which communicates a first flow channel and a second flow channel; and a main body portion formed of a second material having higher liquid-resistant properties than the first material and configured to surround the elastic portion in a state in which at least a flow channel seal surface of the communicating portion is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Hiroshige Owaki
  • Patent number: 9427974
    Abstract: A liquid supply system includes a common mounting portion into which a first liquid storage body capable of storing a liquid and a substitute mounting body which is connected to a second liquid storage body capable of storing a liquid can be exchangeably mounted, a mounting target detection unit capable of detecting whether or not the first liquid storage body and the substitute mounting body are mounted to the common mounting portion, a pressurization supply unit which supplies the liquid which is stored in the second liquid storage body to the substitute mounting body under pressure, and a control unit which drives the pressure supply unit when a plurality of control conditions are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Fujimori, Takeshi Iwamuro, Naoki Naito, Shunsuke Kuramata, Keiichiro Yoshino, Satoru Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9421782
    Abstract: Simplification of a connecting operation for liquid supply between a liquid consuming apparatus and a liquid containing body at least a part of which is flexible is achieved. A printer 10 has a liquid supply apparatus 20 on a right side wall 106 . The liquid supply apparatus 20 has an attachment/detachment unit 30 in an inclined manner such that a K1-axis direction in which a liquid introduction portion 362 thereof extends for liquid introduction forms an angle a1 that is larger than 0 degree and smaller than 90 degrees in a clockwise direction with respect to the right side wall 106 when the printer 10 is viewed from vertically above. A liquid containing body 50 has an operation member 53 on an upper end side of a flexible liquid containing portion 52, and a liquid supply portion 57 capable of being connected to the liquid introduction portion 362 of the attachment/detachment unit 30 in the K1-axis direction is connected to the operation member 53.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tokujiro Okuno
  • Patent number: 9415251
    Abstract: The system comprises a main network situated downstream from a check valve that supplies the sensors, for example, in the form of sprinklers. This main network is subdivided into secondary networks, each secondary network being isolated from the main network by a valve that enables water to be prevented from entering the portions of the network in which it is not needed. The valve is capable not only of compensating for losses in pressure in the network but also for opening itself completely when a fire is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: PHOENIX FIREFIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventor: Alain Mariller
  • Patent number: 9409405
    Abstract: A sub-tank is pressurized by a pump, with head valves closed. Then, one of the head valves is opened to perform a first purge on a first head. After the one head valve is closed, a different one of the head valves is opened to perform a second purge on a second head different from the first head. After these purges, an open-to-atmosphere valve is opened, with the head valves closed, to decrease the pressures inside the heads which are increased by the purges. This allows a selective purge on only a head which requires a purge. As a result, the amount of ink forced out is suppressed during the pressurized purges. After the sub-tank is made open to the atmosphere, a depressurizing pump depressurizes the sub-tank to form ink menisci in the heads. This prevents air bubbles from being drawn into nozzles during the formation of the ink menisci in the nozzles after the purges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Nagase, Tamio Fukui, Muneaki Kitaoji
  • Patent number: 9409409
    Abstract: An ink supply system, inkjet printer, and ink loading method are provided. The ink supply system includes an ink head comprising a nozzle; first and second ink containers; a first ink supply passage; a second ink supply passage; an ink amount detecting device configured to detect an amount of ink in the first ink container; and a notifying device to provide a notification when the detected amount of ink is less than or equal to a threshold amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyoshi Iwase, Kazuya Morizono
  • Patent number: 9409404
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head is capable of ejecting a liquid through an ejection port, the liquid being supplied from a liquid container with a negative pressure generating section. The liquid ejection head comprises a liquid chamber configured to contain the liquid, a liquid supply section configured to allow the liquid to be supplied from the liquid container to the liquid chamber, and an opening configured to communicate with the liquid chamber and to enable the liquid and/or a gas to flow into the liquid chamber through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Finetech, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Fukuda, Kenro Yamaguchi, Takashi Sugai, Noritaka Ota, Kayo Mukai, Masayoshi Yazaki
  • Patent number: 9403371
    Abstract: A liquid storage container includes a liquid storage section configured to store a liquid, a liquid injection section connected to the liquid storage section and configured to inject the liquid into the liquid storage section, an air chamber communicated with air, an air introduction section communicated to the air chamber and configured to introduce the air to the air chamber, a communicating passage through which the liquid storage section and the air chamber are communicated to each other, a liquid injection port defined as an intersection at which the liquid injection section and the liquid storage section intersect each other, and a connecting port defined between the liquid storage section and the communicating passage and located above the liquid injection port in a posture where the liquid injection port is oriented upward in a direction intersecting with a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Koike, Takashi Mano
  • Patent number: 9403370
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including a liquid jet head, and a liquid supply unit configured to supply the first liquid to the liquid jet head. The liquid supply unit includes an atmosphere connection portion having a containment portion, an atmosphere communication membrane, and a second liquid contained in the containment portion. The atmosphere connection portion is configured to let the second liquid depart from at least a part of the atmosphere communication membrane under a condition that nozzles of the liquid jet head are positioned above a liquid connection portion of the cartridge installation portion, and is also configured to let the second liquid cover the entire area of the atmosphere communication membrane under a condition that the nozzles of the liquid jet head are positioned below the liquid connection portion of the cartridge installation portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Takata
  • Patent number: 9393802
    Abstract: A liquid storage container comprises a first liquid chamber provided with a filler port, a second liquid chamber partitioned from the first liquid chamber, and communicates with the first liquid chamber via communication opening, and a float member provided in the second liquid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Shimizu, Hidetoshi Kodama
  • Patent number: 9387683
    Abstract: A liquid storage container supplies ink to a printer which consumes the ink, and includes a liquid storage body which includes a liquid lead-out port communicating with the printer and a filler port formed to pour the liquid to the liquid storage container, an auxiliary holding member which is mounted to be slidable to a side in which the filler port is formed, and a memory unit holding member which is detachably configured to the auxiliary holding member and includes a memory unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Iwamuro, Hidetoshi Kodama
  • Patent number: 9375960
    Abstract: A coil spring fixing member includes: a mount member having an arrangement surface on which an end portion of the coil spring is disposed; a boss provided on the arrangement surface, on which boss the coil spring is fitted; and a protrusion provided at a site on a side surface of the boss, the site being apart from the arrangement surface by at least a wire diameter of the coil spring, wherein the protrusion is engaged with winding of the coil spring disposed between the arrangement surface and the protrusion, and a portion of the boss ranging includes a first region having a first diameter, and a second region which is nearer to the end portion than the first region and has a diameter smaller than the first diameter, and a step intervenes between the first region and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9375932
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus performs a wiping process for wiping a nozzle forming face while a leaking process for leaking liquid from a plurality of nozzle groups is performed by setting a pressure difference to a second pressure difference which is smaller than a first pressure difference, after performing a discharging process for discharging liquid from a part of nozzle groups among the plurality of nozzle groups by setting the pressure difference to the first pressure difference, when a difference which is obtained by subtracting an external pressure which is a pressure in a space to which a nozzle is open from an internal pressure which is a pressure of liquid in the nozzle included in the plurality of nozzle groups which eject liquid is set to the pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahisa Nawano, Masaru Kobashi, Masaru Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9375936
    Abstract: In a recording apparatus, a first casing holds a supporting portion. A second casing holds a recording head and a first tank. The second casing is connected to the first casing so as to be rotatable relative to the first casing about a prescribed axis, the second casing being configured to move between a first position and a second position by rotating relative to the first casing, the recording head being located adjacent to the first casing when the second casing is in the first position, the recording head being further apart from the first casing when the second casing is in the second position than when the second casing is in the first position. The recording head opposes the supporting portion when the second casing is in the first position. The second casing is provided with a second tank mounting portion and a liquid transferring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9375939
    Abstract: The liquid housing container recycling method includes removing a second case member from a first case member, taking out a liquid housing body from inside of the first case member, forming on the liquid housing body an opening part that communicates with inside of a liquid housing unit, injecting into the inside of the liquid housing unit from the opening part that is formed liquid of a volume that is smaller than an initially housed volume when the liquid is initially injected and housed in the liquid housing unit of the liquid housing body in a state of being housed inside the case member, sealing the opening part of the liquid housing body, housing inside the first case member the liquid housing body for which the opening part is sealed, and attaching the second case member to the first case member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Aoki
  • Patent number: 9365041
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head comprises a unit head bonded to a communication substrate. Liquid chamber forming portions are formed in the unit case, along a first direction at positions that are separated by a partition wall. Empty liquid chamber portions and supply-side communication paths are formed in the communication substrate. The supply-side communication paths include a common communication path formed in an opposite side with a thin thickness portion left in the surface side of the communication substrate, and individual communication paths. With a surface of the partition wall and a surface of the thin thickness portion bonded together, the empty liquid chamber forming portions and the empty liquid chamber portions communicate with each other so as to define common liquid chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Watanabe, Yoshinao Miyata, Satoshi Oguchi, Hiroaki Okui
  • Patent number: 9358801
    Abstract: A liquid supply device includes a first container storing liquid; a second container to which the liquid is supplied from the first container; at least one flow path to connect the first and second containers; a valve in the flow path to allow or interrupt the flow of the liquid in the flow path by opening or closing the valve; a pump provided to the flow path to transfer the liquid from the first container to the second container; and a control unit to operate the pump under a state in which the valve is opened to transfer the liquid in the first container to the second container, then close the valve and stop the pump, and then open the valve under a state in which the pump is stopped to transfer the liquid in the second container to the first container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Kimura
  • Patent number: 9352575
    Abstract: A drop in the throughput of continuous printing operations caused by refilling a subtank with ink is suppressed. The control unit of an inkjet printer 1 fills subtanks 11a-11d with ink whenever ink consumption exceeds a reference volume q during continuous printing. Ink is suctioned by producing negative pressure in subtanks 11a-11d during the ink refill operation while ink continues being supplied to the inkjet head 7 from pressure adjustment chambers 13a-13d disposed between subtanks 11a-11d and inkjet head 7. Ink ejection from the inkjet head 7 can therefore continue even during the ink ref ill operation. By setting the volume of the pressure adjustment chambers 13a-13d greater than at least the amount of ink that is ejected during the ink refill operation, there is no need to interrupt printing in order to replenish the ink supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9352577
    Abstract: An ink tank includes: a reservoir that stores ink; a supply port that supplies ink stored in the reservoir to a printer; a supply port sealing member that seals the supply port; an air port that communicates between an inside of the reservoir and an atmospheric space above an upper side of a liquid surface of the ink; and an air port sealing member which a needle tube is capable of inserting and pulling out of, and which seals the air port in a state where the needle tube is not inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Hiroaki Sakai