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. 19, 2010
Filed:
Oct. 08, 2008
Hirotaka Hayashi, Nagoya, JP;
Kazumasa Ito, Tajimi, JP;
Hirotaka Hayashi, Nagoya, JP;
Kazumasa Ito, Tajimi, JP;
Ricoh Elemex Corporation, Nagoya-shi, JP;
Abstract
A liquid-discharge-failure detecting apparatus detects a liquid discharge failure. A light-emitting element emits a beam onto a droplet of liquid discharged from a liquid-droplet-discharge surface with an optical axis of the beam making a right angle with a direction in which the droplet is discharged. A light-receiving element receives a scattered light generated by scattering of the beam by the droplet. A failure detecting unit detects the liquid discharge failure from data of the scattered light received by the light-receiving element. A distance changing unit changes a distance between the liquid-droplet-discharge surface and the optical axis of the beam based on, for example, a diameter of the droplet.