Abstract: The present invention provides a head driving device and method capable of ejecting a necessary amount of a viscous body from a head including a pressure generating element, such as a piezoelectric element, a droplet ejecting apparatus including the head driving device, a head driving program, and a device manufacturing method including, as one manufacturing step, a step of ejecting a viscous body using the method. The invention can be achieved by applying a drive signal COM to a pressure generating element, such as a piezoelectric element included in a head. A clock signal can be supplied to a drive signal generating circuit that generates the drive signal COM. The drive signal generating circuit generates the drive signal in synchronization with the clock signal.

Abstract: A lithographic method using an ultra-fine probe needle in which a base end of a nanotube is fastened to a holder with the tip end of the nanotube protruded from the holder. The tip end of the thus obtained nanotube probe needle is brought to contact a sample surface, a voltage is applied across the probe needle and sample, and the probe needle is moved while the sample substance in the area of contact of the probe needle is removed by the application of the voltage, thus forming a groove-form pattern on the sample surface.

Abstract: A recording apparatus, including a reciprocating carriage equipped with a record head, an on-carriage first ink tank, a second ink tank distant from the carriage, an ink supply unit for supplying the ink from the second ink tank to the first ink tank, and a remaining ink amount detection unit for detecting a remaining ink amount in the first ink tank, calculates and stores an ink amount required to record a part of the image data while the image data reception, calculates and stores a maximum ink amount required to record the image data except for the above calculated portion, and then starts the record operation at a time when a sum total value of the stored ink amount required and the stored maximum ink amount becomes lower than the remaining ink amount, whereby the ink can be supplied and refilled effectively and appropriately.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates providing apparatus and methods for recommending to a consumer an optimal replacement consumable size, based on a record of the consumer's past utilization rate and on recommended intervention rate information stored in a memory device on the consumable.

Abstract: An ink jet printer apparatus and method includes a print head having at least one nozzle. In response to a signal related to media type that is to be recorded upon, gray level image data relating to at least three different drop volumes including no ink drop are recorded at different pixel locations to form dots of different dot size or dot density on the recording medium. In recording image data of the same multitone image data value on different media, drop volumes deposited on one medium by the nozzle are different than drop volumes deposited on another medium by that nozzle. In some embodiments or printing modes image data is also recorded by depositing a variable size dot on a reference raster location and a supplementary dot at an adjacent pixel location on a shifted raster.

Abstract: An electron beam system for treating filamentary workpieces includes an electron beam irradiation chamber having openings through which passes a filamentary workpiece, an electron beam generator including means for generating, accelerating and focusing electrons, and a communicating section which connects the electron beam generator with the electron beam irradiation chamber. The system also has a differential evacuating means for holding the pressure within the electron beam generator below that within the electron beam irradiation chamber. Electrons are generated, accelerated, and focused by the electron beam generator into a beam which passes from the generator through the communicating section to the electron beam irradiation chamber where the beam is directed at a filamentary workpiece. The system is able to uniformly, efficiently, and continuously apply electron beam irradiation to a traveling filamentary workpiece.

Abstract: The perceived quality of ink jet printed output is enhanced by a variety of methods of the present invention. A porous layer is first applied on a printed substrate, which includes deposited ink spots composed of colorants, as a coating to protect the printed images from damages. A reflow agent is then applied to the coated printed substrate for solubilizing the deposited ink, thereby the colorants can diffuse into adjacent regions in the upper part of the printed substrate and into the adjacent region of the matrix layer. The matrix layer controls the diffusion of the reflow agents,thus controls the diffusion of the selective colorants in the deposited ink.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus of the invention includes: a head having a nozzle, a main scanning unit that causes the head member to move in a main scanning direction relatively to a recording medium, a pressure-changing unit that causes pressure of ink in the nozzle to change, and a level-data setting unit that sets a selected level data from a plurality of level data based on each of ejecting data forming a row corresponding to a main scanning movement. The level-data setting unit is adapted to set a selected level data of relatively high density based on each of the ejecting-sequential data, to set a selected level data of relatively low density based on the anterior edge data, and to set a selected level data of relatively low density based on the posterior edge data.

Abstract: The apparatus is provided with a holddown device for a medium lying on a platen, said device comprising first cockle-control means which in a medium output zone downstream of the print zone control an expansion of the medium to be in the form of a wave defined by a plurality of bubbles and substantially adapted in frequency to a ridged surface of the supporting platen; the holddown device may comprise second cockle-control means which control an expansion of the medium in the print zone to be in the form of at least two parallel waves defined by a plurality of bubbles and alternated such that a downward bubble of one of the waves is adjacent to an upward bubble, or no bubble, of an adjacent wave in the direction (Y) of advance of the medium. The effects of cockle are improved without tensioning the medium downstream from the printing zone, and improving vertical banding.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus and method subjects recording data to conversion, for example, thinning, when the recording data is not text data and a double-sided recording mode is selected. By effecting recording based on this recording data, recording quality is prevented from being reduced due to ink spread and thinning.

Abstract: A first lever 70 is linked to coupling unit 60 to couple and decouple a pair of rollers 26, 30 which pinch and deliver a recording sheet 20 in a delivery direction toward an image-forming zone for image formation. This first lever 70 is placed near an inlet port 16.

Abstract: There is disclosed a head driving device which drives a plurality of pressure generating elements for generating pressure fluctuation in a jetted object contained in each of associated pressure chambers formed in a jetting head of a jetting apparatus to eject the jetted object from each of nozzles communicated with the associated pressure chambers. In the device, a head driver generates a drive signal which is selectively applied to at least one of the pressure generating elements to be driven. A bias potential provider selectively applies a bias potential to at least one of the pressure generating elements not to be driven.

Abstract: Images are printed up to the edges of printing paper while preventing ink droplets from depositing on the platen. According to the present invention, an area R for ejecting image-forming ink droplets is specified for a region lying beyond the edges of a printing paper P. The pixels of an external upper edge portion Rfp, extending beyond the upper edge Pf, and the pixels of an internal upper edge portion Rfq, disposed downstream of the external upper edge portion Rfp are recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot of the platen. When dots are recorded, blank spaces are prevented from forming in the edge portions of the printing paper, and ink droplets are prevented from depositing on the platen when the printing paper P deviates from its intended position.

Abstract: A label printer-cutter includes a frame and a print head assembly connected to the frame. The print head assembly includes a print head for printing to a label media. The label printer-cutter includes a cutting assembly connected to the frame, and the cutting assembly is for catting the label media. The printer-cutter also includes a controller in operative association with the print head assembly and cutting assembly. The controller can be programmed to control the print head assembly and the cutting assembly such that printing to and cutting of the label media does not occur simultaneously in the label printer-cutter. Printing by the print head is controlled to correspond to cutting assembly rollers being positioned in a non-cutting position. Advantageously, printing to and cutting of a label media in a single label printer-cutter unit is accomplished in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Abstract: An on-demand inkjet printhead includes an ink chamber provided with a plurality of nozzles and a single piezoelectric actuator for increasing pressure of ink within the chamber. Each nozzle is equipped with a heater element. Ink is ejected from selected nozzles of the printhead by energizing the heater elements of the selected nozzles to reduce surface tension and viscosity of ink at the selected nozzles, and applying an actuation voltage to the piezoelectric actuator to generate a pressure pulse in the ink within the ink chamber that ejects ink droplets from the selected nozzles but not from the non-selected nozzles. The ink chamber can also be provided with a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, each of which can be actuated independently.

Abstract: A two-dimensional auto compensated multi-axis tolerance adaptive system used in the cartridge carrier of an inject office machine is constructed to include a carrier unit, a reciprocation mechanism, and a driving mechanism, the carrier unit having a clearance sensor and a bias sensor, the driving mechanism including a rotating unit fastened pivotally with the carrier unit and a lifting unit coupled to the reciprocation mechanism for a linear movement for enabling the plane of rotation of the rotating unit to form with the straight lifting line of the lifting unit a X-Y plane and Z-axis space coordinates system. By means of the detection and scanning of the clearance sensor and the bias sensor, the ink cartridge carrier actively controls the optimum printing clearance between the ink jet nozzle and the media.

Abstract: An inkjet printer is provided which includes a carriage that has a plurality of print heads and that reciprocates with respect to a recording sheet, a printer main body having a main power supply, and a cable that establishes electric conduction between the main power supply and the plurality of print heads. In addition, a voltage generating unit that generates head drive voltages according to the plurality of print heads from a voltage supplied from the main power supply is provided on the carriage.

Abstract: A platen gap from a nozzle orifice is detected by a platen gap detecting sensor (16). A control section (46) limits usable recording modes to a high-speed recording mode and a first high-resolution recording mode in case that the detected platen gap is a large gap. At this time, in case that a control command from a host computer is a command for specifying a second high-resolution recording mode, the recording mode to be used is switched to the first high-resolution recording mode.

Abstract: A method of detecting a fault within a micro electro-mechanical device in the form of an ink ejection nozzle having an actuating arm that moves an ink displacing paddle when heat inducing electric current is passed through the actuating arm and having a movement sensor associated with the actuating arm. The method comprises the steps of passing at least one current pulse having a predetermined duration through the actuating arm and detecting for a predetermined level of movement of the actuating arm. If a fault is detected to exist, as indicated by an insufficient level of movement of the actuating arm, at least one further current pulse having an energy level greater than the fault detecting pulse may be passed through the actuating arm in an attempt to clear the fault.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing an image on a large surface area or walkway provides for imagewise marking of the surface with a color marking solution, to form a visible image on the surface during an image recording mode of a marking engine. A vehicle supports the marking engine and includes a drive that engages the surface at plural locations and moves the marking engine relative to the surface. The marking engine is located outboard of an area defined by lines connecting the plural locations so that during operation of the marking engine during the image recording mode the drive does not engage areas of the surface that have been previously imagewise marked.