Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Other

Eveready Battery Company, Inc.

Loren E Johnson

Norman E Pawlowski

Hiang P Lauw

John R Moffatt

John L Stoffel, Jr

Howard Matrick

Kenneth A Norton

Sheau-Hwa Ma

Harry J Spinelli

James P Shields

Donald E Wenzel

Mark L Choy

Arthur C Shor

Margaret L Wooding

Winthrop D Childers

Jefferson Patrick Ward

Ronald Albert Askeland

Alexey S Kabalnov

Mark S Hickman

Keshava A Prasad

Michael L Bullock

Jayprakash C Bhatt

Qin Liu

Joseph W Tsang

Charles H McConica

Steven T Castle

David Herbert Donovan

Erick Blane Kinas

Zia Ur Rehman

Ravi Prasad

David E Hackleman

Suraj L Hindagolla

John M Skene

Steven J Bares

L Chris Mann

Leonard Slevin

Catherine B Hunt

Roger A Brown

John T Rich

John Lawrence Stoffel

Ravi Prasard

A downspout diverter for rainwater collection that is installed through a hole in the wall of a downspout and functions as a gate valve by redirecting the flow of water from a pan-like Interior gate through a fitted bushing and exterior hose spout. The gate can be turned from its horizontal capture position to its vertical non-capture position by rotating the bushing. It is easy to install and remove without disconnecting the downspout, and its small size and accessory plug effect a finished appearance to the downspout.

Gate valve downspout diverter for rainwater collection

An ink level sensing device and associated method. The ink level sensing device includes a near infrared illumination source that emits near infrared light, and a container configured to accommodate a supply of ink containing light absorption material. The device further includes a protruding chamber adjacent to the container. The protruding chamber is configured to accommodate a portion of the supply of ink accommodated by the container. The device also includes a sensor that is configured to receive a signal based on an amount of the light that passes through the protruding chamber. The method includes emitting a light from a near infrared illumination source and directing the light toward a protruding chamber of the ink supply. The method further includes sensing an amount of the light that passes through the protruding chamber in the ink supply.

Device and method for measuring ink levels in a container

Methods for digitally printing on various articles, particularly ceramic articles, are disclosed. A first step includes applying a fluid glazing material to an article creating a coated surface. The fluid glazing material can either contain an underprinting agent for accepting and adhering chromophores to the fluid glazing material, or the underprinting agent can be jetted onto the fluid glazing material prior to the jetting of chromophores onto the article. A chromophore-containing fluid is then jetted onto the ceramic article and the article is fired. Additionally, an inkjettable composition is disclosed having a large amount of metal ion present in the composition.

Methods for digitally printing on ceramics

The present invention concerns a fuel supply for a fuel cell. The fuel supply includes a fuel storage area configured to hold a fuel solution, a fuel solution outlet configured to pass the fuel solution from the fuel storage area, a waste storage area, a waste inlet configured to pass waste into the waste storage area, and a movable barrier separating the fuel storage area and the waste storage area. The movable barrier is configured to move as fuel solution is passed from the fuel storage area and waste solution is passed into the waste storage area to simultaneously decrease the volume of the fuel storage area and increase the volume of the waste storage area.

Fuel supply for a fuel cell

A fuel supply for a fuel cell is provided. The fuel supply comprises a fuel storage area, a fuel outlet configured to pass fuel from the fuel storage area, and a backpressure regulator configured to maintain a lowered pressure within the fuel storage area relative to atmospheric pressure outside of the fuel storage area when fuel is not being transferred to the fuel cell.

A process for alleviating bleed and improving color in printed elements comprises applying an anionic printing liquid and a cationic printing liquid to a substrate adjacent to one another, wherein at least one of the printing liquids contains a polymer and reacting the anionic and cationic printing liquids with one another; wherein the color integrity of the anionic and cationic printing liquids is maintained.

Process for alleviating bleed and improving color in printed elements

An ink-jet ink composition is provided which includes at least one primary surfactant and at least one co-surfactant, with the co-surfactant having an HLB at least about 1.5 units higher than that of the primary surfactant. The co-surfactant imparts good wetting and cloud point characteristics to the ink-jet ink composition without sacrificing the bleed control achieved with the use of the low-HLB surfactant. The improvement in wetting and cloud point characteristics achieved in the practice of the invention enables ink-jet printers to effect high print quality in a cost-effective manner. A method for increasing the wettability and cloud point of an ink-jet ink by including at least one co-surfactant having an HLB is also provided.

Use of co-surfactants to adjust properties of ink-jet inks

A method and ink-jet ink composition are provided for reducing crystallization of Acid Yellow 23 anionic dye in ink-jet ink compositions printed on transparencies and glossy media, both film- and paper-based. The method comprises formulating the yellow ink-jet ink composition in accordance with at least one of the following three conditions: (a) a first condition, wherein the yellow ink-jet ink composition includes about 6 to 9 wt % ethylhydroxypropanediol, about 3 to 9 wt % 2-pyrrolidone, and about 3 to 9 wt % diethylene glycol; (b) a second condition, wherein the vehicle of the yellow ink-jet ink includes a buffer in amount sufficient to maintain the pH of the ink-jet ink within the range of about 5 to 7; and (c) a third condition, wherein the cation of the inorganic salt component of the ink-jet ink comprises calcium ions to the substantial exclusion of magnesium ions. While any or all of the foregoing conditions may be implemented to reduce crystallization in the yellow ink, a combination of the three is particularly efficacious. A narrower embodiment also incorporates two alternative techniques, namely reducing the dye load of the yellow ink to no more than about 3.5 wt % and increasing the thickness of the clear polymeric surface coating of the transparency or glossy media to at least about 12 .mu.m from its typical 10 .mu.m. The solution offered by the present method and ink-jet ink composition is easily and inexpensively implemented and does not sacrifice overall print quality.

Mitigation of dye crystallization in images on transparencies and glossy

Process for alleviating bleed in printed elements

A set of thermal ink-jet inks and method for formulating the same are provided in which the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks contain a combination of surfactants and inorganic salts designed to reduce both color to color bleed as well as black to color bleed. In general, the present cyan, magenta, and yellow inks each comprise about 0.1 to 4 wt. % of at least one dye; about 3 to 20 wt. % of at least one diol; 0 to about 5 wt. % of at least one glycol ether; about 3 to 9 wt. % of 2-pyrrolidone; up to about 4 wt. % of at least one component selected from the group consisting of biocides and buffers; and water. To achieve a reduction in color to color and black to color bleed, the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are formulated to further comprise the following combination of surfactants and inorganic salts: (a) a surfactant component comprising about 1 to 4 wt. % of a first surfactant consisting essentially of at least one secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant predominantly having 4 to 8 ethoxylated units and an aliphatic chain having about 12 to 18 carbon atoms; and (b) about 3 to 6 wt. % of at least one inorganic salt component.

Thermal ink-jet inks having reduced black to color and color to color

Halo effect seen at the interface between a first ink, exhibiting sharp edge acuity, and a second ink, having low surface energy, is addressed by adding certain fluorocarbon compounds to the first ink. Edge acuity of the first ink is maintained.

Aqueous inks having improved halo characteristics

Aqueous ink compositions containing anti-curl agents substantially reduce or eliminate paper curl in plain-paper printed elements without adversely effecting storage stability, decap properties or print quality, and thus eliminate the need for expensive and bulky mechanical curl-arresting devices or special curl-resistant substrates. Printing the inks on plain-paper substrates is the sole step in a process for reducing paper curl in plain-paper printed elements.

Aqueous ink compositions containing anti-curl agents

If a small amount of alcohol (about 0.05 to 6 wt %) is added to water-based inks for thermal ink-jet printing, the resultant print has a rapid dry time and improved smear resistance. In addition, a high quality print is obtained, even on plain paper.

Ink composition having rapid dry time and high print quality for plain

A set of dyes is provided for use in vehicles employing high molecular weight saccharides. The dye-set comprises about 1 to 4% xanthene magenta, about 0.9 to 2% of a mixture of Acid Yellow 23 and Direct Yellow 86, and about 0.75 to 2.5 of Acid Blue 9 or a mixture of Acid Blue 9 and a copper phthalocyanine dye containing not more than about 25% copper phthalocyanine. The particular dye-set evidences the following properties: good crusting resistance, good stability, the proper viscosity, the proper surface tension, recognizable secondaries, high color saturation, little color-to-color bleed, rapid drytime, no negative reaction with the vehicle, be highly soluble in the vehicle, consumer-safe, and low strike-through.

High chroma color dye-set for use in ink-jet inks employing

An ink composition for printing on plain paper and other media using a thermal ink-jet printer is provided. The ink composition comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, present in an amount ranging from about 5 to 10 wt %; dye, ranging from about 1 to 4 wt %; and the balance water. A biocide ranging from about 0.01 to 0.3 wt % and/or a buffering agent ranging in concentration from about 0.05 to 0.5 wt % may also be included. The ink compositions of the invention permit printing on a large variety of plain papers, including bonds, photocopy paper and laser jet paper. These compositions are an improvement over other ink compositions and permit both high quality and letter quality printing to be achieved.

Low glycol inks for plain paper printing

Growing community of inventors

Corvallis, OR, United States of America

Loren E Johnson