Famous Patents
The first match was accidentally discovered in 1826 when John Walker scraped a stick with chemicals on the end against a stone floor.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8186817 | System and method for transporting fluid through a conduit A fluid transport apparatus facilitates flow of fluid from a source to a receptacle. The fluid transport apparatus includes a fluid transport conduit for transport of fluid through the conduit, the conduit being coupled between a fluid supply and a fluid receptacle,... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8186818 | System for maintaining temperature of a fluid in a conduit 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 ... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8167418 | Method of feeding solid ink sticks into an ink loader of a phase change ink printer A method of feeding ink sticks into an imaging device enables identification of data useful for device control. The method includes inserting at least one ink stick into an ink loader, the at least one ink stick including a plurality of code element patterns formed ... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8162462 | Check valve unit for solid ink reservoir system A check valve unit is provided for a high-speed phase change ink image producing machine between a reservoir for receiving and holding a volume of melted ink from a source and a receiving unit, which may be a printhead system. The check valve unit includes a plurali... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8162463 | Solid ink stick delivery system with static constraints, strategic barriers and breakage control An ink delivery system of a phase change ink imaging device more effectively guides properly configured solid ink sticks from a first end of a feed chute to a melting device at a second end of the feed chute. The feed chute may include a sensor to detect coded senso... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8152288 | Method and system for achieving uniform ink and web temperatures for spreading A system for use with a phase change ink imaging device comprises a leveler roller disposed along a web path downstream from a printing station. The leveler roller is formed of a thermally conductive material and includes a heater configured to generate thermal ener... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8152289 | Supply units having an associated electronically-readable memory device A machine, such as a phase change or solid ink printing apparatus, has at least one multiple supply unit in the form of an ink stick disposed therein. The ink stick has an electronically-readable memory device associated therewith, and the memory device has stored t... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8136933 | Solid ink melt tub with corrugated melt region and offset outlet A phase change ink melting assembly includes a tub having an open top, a bottom surface, and a plurality of side walls extending upwardly from the bottom surface. The bottom surface has a solid ink melt region and a melted ink outlet offset from the solid ink melt r... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8118417 | System and method for processing solid ink stick exception conditions in a solid ink printer A system provides an operator of a solid ink stick printer method with information regarding solid ink stick exception conditions detected in a solid ink printer. The system includes a solid ink stick identifier that obtains identification data from a solid ink stic... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8096647 | Solid ink sticks having a verification interlock for verifying position of a solid ink stick before identifying the ink stick A solid ink stick facilitates verification of the position and orientation of a solid ink stick prior to an ink stick identification operation. The solid ink stick includes a solid ink stick body configured for insertion in a solid ink stick printer in a predetermin... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8096648 | Ink melt device with solid state retention and molten ink pass-through A phase change ink melting assembly for use in a phase change ink imaging device includes an ink melt perimetric constraint having an open top and a melted ink egress positioned at a bottom of the perimetric constraint. The open top is sized to receive a leading end... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8091999 | Melt plate for use in a solid ink jet printer A melt plate for use in a solid ink printer is formed with a drip plate to provide controlled flow of melted ink from the melt plate to a drip point. The melt plate includes a first portion having a perimeter, a second portion having a perimeter, the second planar p... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8092000 | Heat element configuration for a reservoir heater A heater for use in a phase change ink printhead reservoir is provided that includes a first insulating layer having at least one ink supply path opening, and a second insulating layer having at least one ink supply path opening that aligns with the at least one ink... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8083336 | Ink stick jam detection and recovery system and method An ink jam detection and recovery system for use in a phase change ink imaging device includes an ink stick conveyance configured move ink sticks in a forward direction toward a melt plate at a melt end of an ink stick feed path and a reverse direction away from the... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8079690 | Method for reconfiguring ink loaders to accept different ink stick identifiers A method of using a phase change ink imaging device includes receiving an nth ink stick in an ink loader of a phase change ink imaging device where n is a predetermined number. The nth ink stick includes at least one sensor contour formed there... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8079691 | Foam plate for reducing foam in a printhead A reservoir assembly for use in an imaging device, the reservoir assembly includes an ink input port configured to receive liquid ink from an ink source and an ink tank configured to receive ink from the input port. A filter is positioned between the input port and ... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8075119 | Method for feeding solid ink stick with multiple interlocking axis in a solid ink printer A method of feeding solid ink sticks to a melting device in a phase change ink imaging device enables the solid ink sticks to move through the ink delivery system without buckling or being diverted from the feed path. The ink sticks fed to the ink delivery system ha... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8075118 | Segmented ink stick A method facilitates insertion of a segmented ink stick into an ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer. The method includes bending of a flexible strand between ink stick segments during insertion of the ink stick segments and then straightening the flexi... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8052265 | System and method for verifying position of an object before identifying the object A solid ink stick loader verifies position and orientation of an ink stick prior to an ink stick identification operation. The solid ink stick loader includes an identification code detector located proximate an ink stick insertion area, the identification code dete... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8052264 | Melting device for increased production of melted ink in a solid ink printer A solid ink printer is enabled to eject ink onto image substrates at rates that are greater than previously known solid ink printers. The solid ink printer includes a print head that ejects melted ink, a web of image substrate that moves past the print head to recei... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8047643 | Temperature sensor mount for melt plate A solid ink printer includes a melt plate configured to melt solid ink. A heater is connected to the melt plate in order to raise the temperature of the melt plate. The temperature of the melt plate is detected by a temperature sensor that is provided away from the ... | 11/01/2011 |
| 8042927 | Melt reservoir housing An ink storage and supply assembly includes at least one ink reservoir configured to hold a quantity of liquid ink and to communicate the ink to at least one printhead of an imaging device. A housing at least partially encloses the at least one ink reservoir and inc... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8016403 | Solid ink stick with visual orientation indicator An ink stick for use in a phase change ink imaging device comprises an ink stick body configured for insertion in an insertion orientation into an ink loader of the phase change ink imaging device. The ink stick body has a plurality of surfaces. A visual orientation... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8007095 | Apparatus for reading markings on a solid ink stick A system for reading a coded marker of an ink stick has been developed. The system includes an optical detector that detects light reflected from different areas of the generates signals in response to detecting light having at least two signal strengths that is ref... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7992986 | Method for increasing printhead reliability A method of reducing intermittent weak or missing (IWM) jet failures in a phase change ink imaging device comprises fluidly connecting a positive pressure source to a print head assembly of a phase change ink imaging device. The print head assembly includes a plural... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7988274 | Ink consumption determination An ink jet printer includes an ink feed apparatus. The ink feed apparatus includes an ink feed channel for conducting discrete substantially solid ink sticks along a feed channel path, a plurality of ink sticks in the ink feed channel, each of the ink sticks compris... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7976144 | System and method for delivering solid ink sticks to a melting device through a non-linear guide A solid ink delivery system provides solid ink sticks to a melting device in a printer. The delivery system includes a guide for guiding the stick in a prescribed path. The guide defines an inlet for receiving the stick. The inlet provides unobstructed passage of th... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7971979 | High-speed phase change ink image producing machine including a static eliminating solid ink container An image producing machine including (a) an imaging member having a surface; (b) a printhead for forming an image onto the imaging surface; (c) a substrate supply system for feeding substrates to receive the formed image; and (d) a static eliminating container that ... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7971980 | Solid ink stick with reflection features An ink stick for use in an imaging device comprises an ink stick body formed of a phase change ink material; and a reflection surface formed in the ink stick body. The reflection surface is configured to receive light from a light source associated with the reflecti... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7967430 | Heated ink delivery system An ink umbilical provides different colors of heated ink to multiple print heads in an integrated structure. The ink umbilical includes a first and a second plurality of conduits, each conduit in the first and the second plurality of conduits having a flat surface b... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7963645 | Ink stick with electronically-readable memory device A machine, such as a phase change or solid ink printing apparatus, includes at least one ink stick and a coupler external to the ink stick. The ink stick has an electronically-readable memory device attached thereto, with the memory device having stored therein elec... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7959277 | Air filter for use with a liquid ink umbilical interface in a printer An air filter is configured for incorporation in a solid ink umbilical interface to a printhead. The air filter includes a housing having a first component and a second component that mate to one another to form the housing with an internal cavity, the housing havin... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7942514 | Keying elements for solid ink loader Insertion elements can be used to provide keying features for ink loaders. Such elements connect to ink stick receptacles in the loader. The insertion elements can provide a border to a non-integer number of edges of the receptacles and be shaped to complement at le... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7909445 | Solid ink stick delivery system with static constraints, strategic barriers and breakage controls A system for an ink delivery system of a phase change ink imaging device comprises a feed chute having an insertion end and a melt end. An ink stick transport is configured to move at least one ink stick between the insertion end and the melt end of the feed chute. ... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7896482 | Ink stick with electronically-readable memory device A machine, such as a phase change or solid ink printing apparatus, includes at least one ink stick and a coupler external to the ink stick. The ink stick has an electronically-readable memory device attached thereto, with the memory device having stored therein elec... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7891792 | Solid ink stick with transition indicating region An ink stick comprises an ink stick body having a plurality of tracks formed in one or more side surfaces extending from a leading surface to a trailing surface substantially parallel to a feed direction of the ink loader. Each track forms a path corresponding to a ... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7891793 | Ink stick with electronically-readable memory device A machine, such as a phase change or solid ink printing apparatus, includes at least one ink stick and a coupler external to the ink stick. The ink stick has an electronically-readable memory device attached thereto, with the memory device having stored therein elec... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7887173 | Transport system having multiple moving forces for solid ink delivery in a printer A solid printer includes a solid ink transportation system that uses multiple forces to direct solid ink to a melting assembly within the printer. The solid ink transportation system includes a housing having an opening through which solid ink is inserted, a first t... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7883195 | Solid ink stick features for printer ink transport and method A solid ink stick adapted for use with solid ink printers is provided. The stick includes a body defining a longitudinal axis of the body. The body defines an external periphery of the body. The external periphery has a groove formed on the periphery. The groove ext... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7883196 | System for delivering solid ink through a feed channel having non-linear sections A system facilitates transport of solid ink by a motorized feed drive through a feed channel in a solid ink printer. The system includes a feed channel, a motorized feed drive in at least a portion of the feed channel, a meltable ink body having a drive coupler that... | 02/08/2011 |
