HP has been granted a patent for an image forming apparatus that includes a print engine, gloss treatment device, medium conveying device, and processor. The apparatus can form an image on a print medium and perform a gloss treatment on it. The processor controls the print engine and medium conveying device based on print data, selectively providing the print medium to the gloss treatment device when a gloss treatment option is set. The patent also mentions conveying paths for single-sided printing, double-sided printing, and gloss treatment. GlobalData’s report on HP gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on HP, device power optimization was a key innovation area identified from patents. HP's grant share as of September 2023 was 58%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Patent granted for an image forming apparatus with gloss treatment
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11774898B2) describes an image forming apparatus and method that includes a print engine, a gloss treatment device, a medium conveying device, and a processor. The print engine is responsible for forming an image on a print medium, while the gloss treatment device performs a gloss treatment on the print medium. The medium conveying device provides the print medium to the print engine and selectively provides the print medium to the gloss treatment device. The processor controls the print engine to form the image based on print data and controls the medium conveying device to selectively provide the print medium to the gloss treatment device depending on whether a gloss treatment option is set in the print data.
The image forming apparatus includes different conveying paths for the print medium. When the gloss treatment option is set in the print data, the print medium is conveyed along a single-sided printing conveying path, a double-sided printing conveying path, and a gloss treatment conveying path. The medium conveying device picks up the print medium and provides it to the print engine through the single-sided printing conveying path. In the double-sided printing conveying path, the printing side of the print medium is changed, and the print medium is provided to the print engine again. A gloss treatment conveying path branches off from the double-sided printing conveying path and provides the print medium to the gloss treatment device.
The processor controls the medium conveying device to convey the print medium along the single-sided printing conveying path when the gloss treatment option is not set in the print data. Additionally, when the gloss treatment option is set, the processor controls the medium conveying device to convey the print medium in the gloss treatment conveying path at a lower speed than in the single-sided printing conveying path. The print medium is picked up at longer intervals when the gloss treatment option is set compared to when it is not set.
The image forming apparatus uses cyan toner, magenta toner, yellow toner, black toner, and clear toner to form the image. The gloss treatment device includes a heating roller, a pressure roller, a belt, and a cooling device. The belt has a base layer made of a heat-resistant resin or metal and a releasing layer made of a fluorine-based resin.
Overall, this patent describes an image forming apparatus and method that allows for selective gloss treatment of print media based on user preferences. The apparatus includes different conveying paths and a processor to control the conveying and treatment processes.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
