Cartridge Patents (Class 347/86)
  • Patent number: 11623451
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid storage container that allows for a simplified structure and a reduction in the size and the cost of a printing apparatus. To this end, the liquid storage container includes: two liquid chambers partitioned from each other; a flow path through which liquid can move between the liquid chambers; a valve configured to open and close the flow path; a refilling port that is configured to be opened and closed and through which a liquid chamber can be refilled with the liquid; and a pressure adjustment mechanism that is provided in a liquid chamber configured not to be refilled with the liquid through the refilling port and that adjusts a pressure in the printing head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taketsugu Murakami, Junichiro Iri, Hiroyuki Murayama, Satoru Takahashi, Yusuke Hashimoto, Hiroaki Kusano
  • Patent number: 11613138
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a tank configured to contain ink; a print head configured to eject ink supplied from the tank; a supply flow path through which liquid is supplied from the tank to the print head; a collection flow path through which liquid is collected from the print head to the tank; a circulation unit configured to circulate ink inside a circulation flow path including the tank, the supply flow path, the print head, and the collection flow path; and a cooling unit configured to cool the tank by blowing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Kida, Hideaki Nagahara, Hiroyuki Saito, Takao Kawai, Nanae Uchinuno, Toshimitsu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11607887
    Abstract: A ROM unit mounted to a bottle has a plurality of terminal plates on the front end surface of the ROM unit. The ROM unit is movable in a direction orthogonal to a bottle axis Ax, and can be positioned at a retreat position where an interference with a contamination preventing eaves is avoided, and a contact position projected more front than the retreat position. The terminal plates can be electrically contacted with reservoir terminals when positioning at the contact position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: KEYENCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyauchi, Mamoru Idaka
  • Patent number: 11597210
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a valve unit configured to be movable to a position to close the atmosphere communication hole and a position to open the atmosphere communication hole; and a lever configured to fix the valve unit to the position to close the atmosphere communication hole by pressing the valve unit and configured to be capable of moving the valve unit to the position to open the atmosphere communication hole by removing the pressing against the valve unit, wherein the lever is configured to remove the pressing against the valve unit by moving in a direction intersecting a direction in which the valve unit moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Kishikawa, Keisuke Kouno, Hiroki Hayashi, Tatsuo Nanjo
  • Patent number: 11590758
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a prescribed insertion space of a cartridge-attachment section in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction to be attached thereto in an attached posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes: a housing including a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply hole, an electrical interface disposed at an upper surface of the housing, and an interfering surface. The interfering surface is positioned upward of the storage chamber and extends in a widthwise direction of the housing. The interfering surface is positioned downward and frontward relative to the electrical interface and is configured to abut against a projection provided at another insertion space different from the prescribed insertion space of the cartridge-attachment section during an insertion of the printing-fluid cartridge into the another insertion space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Nukui, Fumio Nakazawa, Suguru Tomoguchi, Hiroaki Takahashi, Akihito Ono, Tetsuro Kobayashi, Takahiro Miyao
  • Patent number: 11584136
    Abstract: A tank set includes: tanks arranged in a predetermined direction, each of the tanks being composed of a casing including: a liquid storage chamber defined by mutually opposing two surfaces and configured to store liquid; an inlet provided to inject the liquid into the liquid storage chamber; and a liquid outflow port through which the liquid flows out from the liquid storage chamber to a liquid-consuming unit. Each of the two surfaces extends in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction, and is at least partially composed of a film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Taichi Shirono, Masako Kawagoe, Yoshinori Osakabe
  • Patent number: 11584133
    Abstract: An ink tank includes: a first liquid storage chamber; a second liquid storage chamber communicating with the first liquid storage chamber through a communication passage; an injector having an opening supplying liquid to the first liquid storage chamber; a cap movable between an open position and a closed position with respect to the injector; a slide member which is inserted so as to be vertically movable with respect to the opening of the injector, the slide member being moved downward by the cap in the closed position; a valve body which is vertically movably inserted in the communication passage and includes a first sealing member opening the communication passage by moving downward together with the slide member moved downward by the cap in the closed position; and an urging member always urging the valve body upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumio Nakazawa, Yoshinori Osakabe, Naoya Okazaki, Satoru Oki, Masahiro Hayashi, Nanami Ashida
  • Patent number: 11571691
    Abstract: A unitary, molded fluid reservoir body to which a fluid ejection head substrate is attached. The unitary, molded fluid reservoir body includes one or more discrete fluid chambers therein. Each of the one or more fluid chambers have an open top, side walls, and sloped bottom walls attached to the side walls, wherein each of the one or more fluid chambers terminates in a fluid supply via, and wherein the sloped bottom walls have an angle ranging from about 6 to about 12 degrees relative to a plane orthogonal to the sidewalls. An ejection head support face is disposed opposite the open top for attachment of a single fluid ejection device to the ejection head support face for ejecting fluid provided from the one or more chambers through the one or more fluid supply vias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventors: Adam D. Carrithers, James D. Anderson, Jr., Michael A. Marra, III
  • Patent number: 11571904
    Abstract: A method of installing a printhead in a print module includes the steps of: positioning the printhead in a nest of the print module; moving first and second ink couplings towards the nest and into engagement with complementary first and second ink ports positioned at opposite ends of the printhead; and moving a depressor towards the nest and into urging engagement with a portion of the printhead positioned between the first and second ink ports. The first ink coupling, the second ink coupling and the depressor are moved simultaneously, linearly and parallel to each other, thereby to datum the printhead against the nest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventors: David Burke, Norman Berry, Harrick Selvan Anothonysamy, Reynovel Pacinio Anciano, Soon Keat Fah, Poh Lai Say
  • Patent number: 11541665
    Abstract: A liquid storage container includes a storage chamber that stores a liquid, a filter chamber that is provided with a filter and receives the liquid from the storage chamber to filter the liquid by the filter, and a partition wall that separates the storage chamber and the filter chamber. The partition wall is provided with a communication hole structure that allows the storage chamber and the filter chamber to communicate with each other. A shape of one or more openings of the communication hole structure in the storage chamber is a shape in which a distance from a center of gravity of an entirety of the one or more openings to the closest point in a contour defining the one or more openings is smaller than a radius of a circle having the same area as an area of the entirety of the one or more openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Naito, Masahiro Karasawa
  • Patent number: 11541664
    Abstract: An ink-sack-replaceable ink cartridge includes a cartridge body, which includes a bottom wall, two lateral walls extending upward from two sides of the bottom wall, and two end walls extending upward from two ends of the bottom wall and connected to the lateral walls. The bottom wall, the lateral walls, and the end walls jointly define a receiving space. The bottom wall is formed with a through hole. Each of the lateral walls includes a cartridge-body slide coupling section. A cartridge cover includes a top wall and two side walls extending downward from two sides of the top wall. Each of the side walls includes a cartridge-cover slide coupling section. The cartridge-cover slide coupling sections are slidably connectable with the cartridge-body slide coupling sections, so that the cartridge cover is combinable with and separable from the cartridge body through slidable connection for closing or opening the receiving space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN NANOTECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Cheng-Yang Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11538285
    Abstract: A method for franking mail items fed to a franking machine. The mail items are drawn from the underside of a stack for separation or are fed individually on a conveying section upstream of the franking machine to a printing unit for franking, after franking, are discharged in the opposite direction from the printing unit. The mail items are fed via a diverter section to the conveying section, after franking, are conveyed via the diverter section which is switched over to change the conveying direction into a depositing apparatus below the diverter section. The mail items are guided in the opening region of the franking machine into the printing position and are returned out of the printing position. The printing position of a mail item fed to the printing unit is determined by a print head movement-controlled from a readiness position pursuant to the format length of the mail item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FRAMA AG
    Inventor: Thomas Peter Haug
  • Patent number: 11529812
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a printing-fluid consuming apparatus in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached thereto in a first posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes: a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply port, an upper surface and a locking surface positioned upward of the storage chamber, an electrical interface disposed at the upper surface, and a contact surface positioned rearward relative to the supply port of the supply portion in the insertion direction in the first posture. The printing-fluid cartridge inserted in the printing-fluid consuming apparatus is movable between the first posture and a second posture. In the first posture, the locking surface engages a lock portion and the contact surface abuts against a positioning portion. In the second posture, the locking surface is positioned downward relative to the lock portion and the contact surface is separated from the positioning portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Suguru Tomoguchi
  • Patent number: 11524501
    Abstract: The liquid storage unit includes a rectangular parallelepiped case having an open upper surface and a liquid storage pack including a rectangular parallelepiped adapter. The liquid storage pack is detachably housed in the case, the case includes a convex portion that protrudes from the inner side surface along a first direction perpendicular to a bottom surface, the adapter includes a concave portion that is formed on the outer side surface along a first direction and open to the lower surface, and the concave portion can engage with the convex portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the inner side surface, and is formed asymmetrically with respect to a surface that passes through the center of the adapter in the first direction and is perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yu Katano
  • Patent number: 11524502
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid storage pack including: a flat flexible bag member storing a liquid to be supplied to a liquid ejection apparatus; and a spacer member provided inside the bag member. The spacer member has an outer shape that is symmetrical with respect to a predetermined reference plane, and is disposed such that, in a state where the bag member is fully filled with the liquid, the reference plane is offset from a center plane of the bag member in a thickness direction of the bag member, the center plane passing a center of the bag member in the thickness direction and being perpendicular to the thickness direction. This liquid storage pack can stably supply the liquid therein at a uniform concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Ikegame
  • Patent number: 11518173
    Abstract: A liquid tank includes: a liquid supply section; a liquid chamber; a liquid-communication flow path an air-communication flow path. The liquid-communication flow path has, in a liquid flow direction from the liquid chamber toward the liquid ejecting head: an upstream end coupled to the liquid chamber; an upward flow path located downstream of the upstream end and extending upward in the attached state; a downward flow path located downstream of the upward flow path and extending downward in the attached state; and a downstream end located downstream of the downward flow path and coupled to the liquid supply section and the air-communication flow path. The liquid-communication flow path has, at an intermediate position thereof, a narrow portion in which the sectional area of the liquid-communication flow path is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shoma Kudo, Yusuke Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 11491795
    Abstract: The printing apparatus includes a carriage having a print head mounted thereon, a carriage guide configured to guide movement of the carriage and to support the carriage, an optical scale member having an optical scale, an optical sensor mounting member having an optical sensor mounted thereon to read the optical scale, the optical sensor mounting member being fixed to a support surface of a support wall of the carriage, and a head portion of the fixing screw configured to be switched between a fixed state in which the optical sensor mounting member is fixed to the carriage and a release state in which the fixed state is released. The head of the fixing screw is located on a side opposite to the support surface with respect to the support wall when the optical sensor mounting member is in the fixed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroya Hochi, Kenichiro Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11479047
    Abstract: Examples of a print liquid supply unit are described herein. In some examples, the print liquid supply unit includes a first housing component including an alignment feature. In some examples, the print liquid supply unit includes sensor circuitry. In some examples, the print liquid supply unit includes a sensor support secured to the first housing component with the alignment feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Anthony Donald Studer, David Olsen, Quinton Buford Weaver
  • Patent number: 11472187
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes a casing, a tank formed with a liquid storage chamber which stores liquid, an inlet which allows the liquid to be poured into the liquid storage chamber, and a liquid outflow channel which allows the liquid to flow out from the liquid storage chamber, a conveying mechanism which conveys a recording medium along a conveying path extending in a front-rear direction, a carriage which moves in a left-right direction, and a head mounted on the carriage and having a nozzle which jets the liquid onto the recording medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism. The tank, the conveying path, and the carriage are arranged inside the casing, the tank is arranged outside the conveying path in the left-right direction, and at least a part of the tank is arranged inside both ends of a movement area of the carriage in the left-right direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Tomohisa Higuchi, Akira Shinoda, Akinori Igarashi, Suguru Tomoguchi, Hisaki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 11472188
    Abstract: A liquid storage container includes a container main body that is capable of storing a liquid and at least a portion of which includes a translucent outer wall; a support member that is integrally formed with the container main body; and a rotation member that is rotatably supported by the support member. The rotation member includes a float that rotates due to fluctuations in a liquid level of the liquid, and a display member that rotates in conjunction with the float and is capable of displaying a position of the float to an outside through the translucent outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahisa Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11465414
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a first head having a first channel pipe, a channel member having a second channel pipe, and a first tube that communicates the first channel pipe with the second channel pipe and that has flexibility. The first tube has a first end portion and a second end portion that is opposite to the first end portion. The first tube is coupled to the first channel pipe in such a manner that the first end portion covers an outer periphery of the first channel pipe. The first tube is also coupled to the second channel pipe in such a manner that the second end portion covers an outer periphery of the second channel pipe. A fixation strength between the first tube and the first channel pipe is greater than a fixation strength between the first tube and the second channel pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ishii
  • Patent number: 11465419
    Abstract: A liquid container includes: a bag that contains a liquid; and a pair of members configured to be reused when the liquid container is reassembled by replacing the bag used. The pair of members are fixed to each other by one or more swaging pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriyuki Fukasawa, Hiroyuki Kawate, Taku Ishizawa, Takumi Nagashima
  • Patent number: 11458734
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an inkjet head configured to discharge ink and an ink tank including a plurality of ink storage portions in which the ink is stored to supply the ink to the inkjet head via a connected tube, and replenishing ports via which the plurality of ink storage portions is replenished with ink, wherein the ink tank has an outer wall facing an outer side of the ink tank and having a thickness greater than a thickness of a partition wall arranged between the plurality of ink storage portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatomo Ojima, Hirofumi Okuhara, Tatsuo Nanjo, Chiaki Muraoka
  • Patent number: 11453220
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes a housing, a circuit board including an electrode, and a liquid supply portion extending from the housing in a depth direction. The housing includes a top wall, and first and second protrusions protruding upward from the top wall. The first protrusion is positioned rearward but the second protrusion is positioned frontward relative to the circuit board. The first protrusion is higher than an upper edge of a front end of the second protrusion. No part of the liquid cartridge is positioned higher than an imaginary plane in a height direction in a region between a first point on the first protrusion and a second point on the second protrusion (the upper edge of the front end of the second protrusion) in the depth direction. The imaginary plane passes through the first and second points, and extends perpendicularly to the depth direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari Ishibe
  • Patent number: 11433679
    Abstract: A cartridge is configured to be moved in a ?Y direction and then rotated in an intersecting direction intersecting with a Y direction in an installation process of installing the cartridge in a printing device including a device terminal holder holding device terminals and having first and second positioning portions. The cartridge includes cartridge terminals and a cartridge terminal mounting portion disposed on a case and has the cartridge terminals thereon in a movable manner in the Y direction and a rotation radial direction relative to the case. The cartridge terminal mounting portion includes a restricting portion configured to restrict the movement of the cartridge terminals in the Y and Z directions during the installation process. The restricting portion includes first and second restricting portions located at respective ends in the +Y and ?Y directions of the cartridge terminal mounting portion and being in contact with the respective first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 11427007
    Abstract: Proposed is an ink storage tank that stores ink to supply the ink to an inkjet head equipped with a plurality of nozzles configured to eject the ink, the tank including an agitator configured to agitate the ink in an ink storage space defined in a housing of the ink storage tank, where the agitator includes a rotary shaft horizontally installed in the ink storage space, one or more blades that protrude outward from the rotary shaft, and a rotation drive unit configured to rotate the rotary shaft, and where the bottom surface of the ink storage space has a concavely curved shape corresponding to the trace of the outer edges of the rotating blades. The ink storage tank has an effect of maintaining desired dispersibility of particles in ink due to the agitator having the horizontal rotary shaft and the concavely curved bottom surface of the ink storage space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: GOSANTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-Hee Lee, Ji-Hee Boo, So-hyeon Park
  • Patent number: 11400726
    Abstract: Printing is performed with a printing material accommodated in a printing material accommodation body. Accommodation body information on the printing material accommodation body is acquired. When the accommodation body information on the printing material accommodation body is first information, an operation of a first mode is performed. Meanwhile, when the accommodation body information on the printing material accommodation body is second information, in a case in which a permission condition is satisfied according to communication with a server apparatus, an operation of a second mode is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Oguchi, Yasuaki Hirai, Shunichi Hizawa
  • Patent number: 11396186
    Abstract: A tank includes: a wall separating a liquid storage chamber, which stores a liquid to be supplied to a liquid consuming part, from an outside; an inlet penetrating the wall; and a liquid outflow part which allows the liquid to flow to the outside of the liquid storage chamber. The wall includes a view wall, which extends upward and downward and allows a user to visually check a liquid level in the liquid storage chamber, and a bottom wall, which defines an inner bottom surface of the liquid storage chamber by being connected to the view wall. The inner bottom surface of the bottom wall includes an inclined part which extends from at least a part of the view wall to incline downward in a direction away from the view wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Taichi Shirono
  • Patent number: 11396185
    Abstract: A liquid container includes: a liquid containing section that stores liquid; a supply port joined to the liquid containing section, the supply port having an opening for supplying the liquid to an outside; a seal member disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the opening of the supply port; a cap configured to be attached to a position where it covers the supply port, the cap having a tubular protruding portion extending from a cap opening formed at a center of the cap, the protruding portion having a length sufficient to be inserted into the opening of the supply port; and a fixation portion that fixes the cap to the supply port, wherein the tubular protruding portion has a shape that abuts the seal member disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the opening when the cap is fixed to the supply port by the fixation portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Naito
  • Patent number: 11383520
    Abstract: In a state where a liquid container is mounted in a liquid ejection device, the position of a handle is maintained at a predetermined position. A device main body that ejections a liquid and a liquid container that contains liquid are provided, the liquid container is attachable to and detachable from the device main body in a direction orthogonal to a width direction, the device main body has a first fitting portion, the liquid container has a handle that rotates around an axis that extends in the width direction, and the handle has a second fitting portion that fits to the first fitting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryota Yamada
  • Patent number: 11383521
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to discharge liquid includes a plurality of liquid discharge modules arranged at different inclinations in the apparatus. Each of the plurality of liquid discharge modules includes a liquid discharge head, a containing member, and a holding member. The liquid discharge head is configured to discharge liquid. The containing member is configured to contain liquid to be supplied to the liquid discharge head. The holding member is configured to hold the containing member. The holding member of each of the plurality of liquid discharge modules includes a first adjuster configured to adjust a position of the containing member relative to the liquid discharge head in a vertical direction in the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Daisuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11370224
    Abstract: A liquid storage container includes: a housing including a case having a case opening, and a lid that closes the case opening; and a sheet that holds the lid and the case together, the sheet extending over lid exterior faces and case exterior faces and being disposed so as to surround the outer circumference of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriyuki Fukasawa, Taku Ishizawa, Tadahiro Mizutani, Mao Otashiro
  • Patent number: 11364724
    Abstract: A logic circuitry package for a replaceable print apparatus component includes an interface to communicate with a print apparatus logic circuit and at least one logic circuit including a memory storing a reference parameter. The at least one logic circuit is configured to receive, via the interface, a first request sent to a first address to read the reference parameter; and transmit, via the interface, the reference parameter in response to the first request. The at least one logic circuit is configured to receive, via the interface, a second request sent to a second address to implement a task; and implement the task to output a digital value via the interface in response to the second request. The reference parameter corresponds to the digital value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: James Michael Gardner, David B. Novak
  • Patent number: 11364723
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a housing including first and second protrusions; and a circuit board including an electrode. The first protrusion is positioned rearward but the second protrusion is positioned forward relative to the circuit board. When viewed in a width direction crossing a gravitational direction, an outline of the liquid cartridge between a first point and a second point is lower than an imaginary line. The imaginary line passes through the first point on the first protrusion and the second point on the second protrusion. A distance between a front edge of the electrode and the first point is smaller than a distance between the front edge and the second point. A dimension between a front end and a rear end of the second protrusion is greater than a distance between a frontmost end of the housing and the front end of the second protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari Ishibe
  • Patent number: 11364720
    Abstract: A print liquid supply interface structure is provided, to fluidically connect a fluid supply container to a receiving station, comprising a liquid channel having at least one liquid channel wall, the liquid channel including a liquid interface, and at least one key pen next and parallel to the needle receiving portion of the liquid channel, protruding from a base over more than 10 millimeters. In another example a key pen structure is provided. In yet another example an interface structure for receiving a separate key pen is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Judson M. Leiser, Miquel Boleda Busquets, Bernd Karlsboeck, David Olsen, Michael E. Peterschmidt
  • Patent number: 11351793
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a carriage, a liquid container provided on the carriage and in which a liquid is to be injected, the liquid container having a liquid level check portion through which a level of the liquid in the liquid container is visually checked, a recording head disposed in the carriage, and an operation panel disposed on a front surface of the apparatus along the width direction, the operation panel and an exposure section through which the liquid level check portion is exposed are disposed such that the operation panel and the exposure section are visually checked, and the carriage is moved from a home position toward the exposure section and the operation panel and the liquid level check portion are arranged in the width direction when the apparatus side surface is viewed from the front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Miyazawa, Hisayuki Akahane, Shintaro Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 11351792
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into a cartridge-attachment section in an insertion direction includes a casing, and a lever supported by the casing. The lever is pivotable about a pivot axis between a first position and a second position. The lever includes a light-blocking portion configured to block or attenuate light traveling in a widthwise direction crossing the insertion direction and a gravitational direction, and a force-receiving portion positioned closer to a front wall of the casing than the light-blocking portion is to the front wall in the insertion direction. The light-blocking portion is positioned lower at the second position than at the first position. The pivot axis is positioned frontward of the light-blocking portion and rearward of the force-receiving portion in the insertion direction. The lever pivots from the second position to the first position upon application of an external force to the force-receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Takahiro Miyao, Akihito Ono, Tetsuro Kobayashi, Fumio Nakazawa, Kosuke Nukui
  • Patent number: 11347982
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid container and a control unit. The liquid container has an upper limit mark. The upper limit mark is arranged so that in a first case where an entire amount of liquid stored in a refilling container is injected into a storage portion when a notification unit notifies of a first state, a liquid level of the liquid in the storage portion is located between an inlet port and the upper limit mark, and in a second case where the entire amount of liquid stored in the refilling container is injected into the storage portion when the notification unit notifies of a second state, the liquid level overlaps with the upper limit mark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuichi Koganehira, Tomoyuki Hirano
  • Patent number: 11331933
    Abstract: A cassette connectable to a printer includes a housing configured to house a recording sheet, a connector that is connected to a feed port of the printer for supplying the recording sheet to the printer, and a sensor group including sensor modules that measure a state in a space surrounded by the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: FUJITSU COMPONENT LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Wakui, Sumio Watanabe, Masahiro Yanagi, Toshiya Koyama, Tatsuya Oguchi
  • Patent number: 11325389
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid, a liquid storage portion that stores the liquid, a supply flow path that communicates the liquid ejecting head and the liquid storage portion with each other, and an air chamber that is coupled to the supply flow path through a plurality of flow paths. The supply flow path includes a filter. The plurality of flow paths are, in the supply flow path, connected upstream of the filter, and the air chamber is positioned at a position higher than the filter when in a posture during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Koase, Yuta Komatsu
  • Patent number: 11312142
    Abstract: A printing device may include an input port to interface with a supply simulator; and a drain fluidic interface to interface with a removable extraction reservoir simultaneously with the coupling of the supply simulator with the input port; the supply simulator comprising a memory device to transfer data related to an amount of fluid transferred between the printing device and the removable extraction reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher John Arnold, Jefferson P. Ward
  • Patent number: 11312146
    Abstract: A logic circuitry package for a replaceable print apparatus component includes an interface to communicate with a print apparatus logic circuit, and at least one logic circuit to receive, via the interface, requests corresponding to different sensor IDs with the component connected to the apparatus. The logic circuit is to transmit, via the interface, a digital value in response to each request. The digital values corresponding to the different sensor IDs are distinct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Quinton B. Weaver, James Michael Gardner, David N. Olsen, Anthony D. Studer
  • Patent number: 11310387
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, for which a color material cartridge that contains color material and has a storage unit can be attached/detached. The apparatus comprises an obtaining unit that obtains color material information related to a color of the color material stored in the storage unit, a generator that generates a color conversion parameter based on the color material information, and a color convertor that converts the input image signal into a color signal for the color material using the color conversion parameter. If the color material information is not changed, the generator does not generate the color conversion parameter, otherwise the apparatus generates the color conversion parameter based on the color material information after the change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11305547
    Abstract: In an example, a print component includes a guide structure. The example guide structure includes a recess to receive a print material container and a guideway with a guide wall to support rotation of the print material container. Upon rotation of the print material container, an electrical contact of the print material container moves towards an electrical contact coupled to the guide structure of the print component. In another example, a container includes a housing, a material transfer interface, and a mechanical interface. In that example, the mechanical interface includes a guide structure that defines a protrusion and a guideway to allow the container to rotate within a recess defined by a receptacle shell. Upon rotation of the container, an electrical contact coupled to the guide structure moves towards an electrical contact on the receptacle shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Daniel Fitzgerald, Jeffrey H. Luke, Mathew Lavigne
  • Patent number: 11298948
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus including: a liquid consuming section; a tank having a liquid storage chamber and an inlet port; a cap; and a casing having a cover movable with respect to the tank between a closed position and an open positon. The cover has an inner surface and a projection projected from the inner surface toward the tank. The projection of the cover is provided with a pressing portion facing the outer surface of the cap at a predetermined spacing distance, under a condition that the liquid consuming apparatus is in a normal state in which the cover is in the closed position and that the cap is installed in the inlet port, and the pressing portion abuts firstly against the outer surface, under a condition that the cap is moved in the insertion direction for allowing the cap to be removed from the inlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshinori Osakabe
  • Patent number: 11298945
    Abstract: A liquid replenishing system includes a liquid tank and a liquid storage bottle for storing liquid to be replenished to the liquid tank. The liquid tank includes a tank body, a cylindrical adapter, and a needle penetrating into the tank body inside the cylindrical adapter. One end of the needle is located outside the tank body and another end of the needle is located inside the tank body. The liquid storage bottle includes a bottle body, a nozzle having an ejection port for ejecting a liquid stored in the bottle body, and includes a slit valve provided at the ejection port. In a case where the nozzle of the liquid storage bottle and the cylindrical adapter of the liquid tank are fitted to each other, one end of the needle is inserted into the slit valve so that the liquid storage bottle is secured to the liquid tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Yashiro, Chiaki Muraoka, Tatsuo Nanjo, Hirofumi Okuhara, Kazumasa Matsushita, Yuji Tamaru
  • Patent number: 11292259
    Abstract: In one example, a fluid interconnect to exchange liquid in a first container with air in a second container that is unvented during an exchange. The interconnect includes a first conduit, a second conduit, and an air flow director to direct air in a second container toward the second conduit during an exchange when a first container and a second container are connected to the interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Kenneth Russell Williams
  • Patent number: 11292260
    Abstract: An ink storing device includes an ink tank having an injection port, a first cover including a cap configured to close the injection port, the first cover being movable between a closing position, and an opening position, a second cover including, at an inner face thereof, a display unit configured to display information relating to the ink, the second cover being movable between a covering position at which the inner face covers the first cover at the closing position, with the inner face being oriented downward, and a cover opening position at which the inner face does not cover the first cover at the closing position, wherein the cap, when viewed in a vertical direction, does not overlap the display unit included in the second cover at the cover opening position when the first cover moves between the closing position and the opening position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koki Fukasawa, Nobuaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 11285724
    Abstract: A waste liquid collecting device is a device which is located to face a nozzle surface in which nozzles of a liquid ejecting portion are disposed, which includes a waste liquid receiving member to receive a liquid to be discharged from the nozzles, and which collects the liquid, and the waste liquid receiving member has dripping waste liquid receiving areas which are provided with through-holes and which receive the liquid to drip down after being discharged from the nozzles and staying on the nozzle surface and flushing receiving areas which are not provided with the through-holes and which receive the liquid to be ejected from the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Chikashi Nakamura, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11279140
    Abstract: A tank set includes: tanks arranged in a predetermined direction, each of the tanks being composed of a casing including: a liquid storage chamber defined by mutually opposing two surfaces and configured to store liquid; an inlet provided to inject the liquid into the liquid storage chamber; and a liquid outflow port through which the liquid flows out from the liquid storage chamber to a liquid-consuming unit. Each of the two surfaces extends in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction, and is at least partially composed of a film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Taichi Shirono, Masako Kawagoe, Yoshinori Osakabe