The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 28, 2008
Filed:
Apr. 28, 2006
Masahiko Sasa, Nagoya, JP;
Naohisa Kinoshita, Nagoya, JP;
Masahiko Sasa, Nagoya, JP;
Naohisa Kinoshita, Nagoya, JP;
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Abstract
A droplet ejection apparatus which includes: a platen on which an ejection target medium is conveyed; a head that ejects droplets toward the platen, the head being provided in a reciprocable manner along the platen; a light emitting device that emits a light in an oblique direction toward the platen within a plane including a straight line along a moving direction of the head and a normal line with respect to the platen; a light receiving device that receives the light emitted from the light emitting device and regularly reflected by one of the platen and the ejection target medium; and a calculation device that calculates a distance between the one of the platen and the ejection target medium, and the head, based on a position at which the light receiving device receives the light during a movement of the head. One of the light emitting device and the light receiving device reciprocably moves integrally with the head, and the other is provided separately from the head.