Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a laser beam scanning unit adapted for scanning laser beams on a surface of a charged image bearing member (5). The laser beam scanning unit (53) comprises a semiconductor laser array (21) having a plurality of light emitting portions (21a) and a rotating polygon mirror adapted for deflecting laser beams emitted from the light emitting portions to the image bearing member (5). The light emitting portions (21a) are disposed two-dimensionally on a surface of the semiconductor laser array. The lighting and the amount of light of the light emitting portions (21a) are discretely controlled by a control unit. The scanning unit further includes a collimator lens having a focal length fc, where a distance between a most spaced two of the plurality of light emitting portions is .delta. max, and fc/.delta. max is 25 or more.

Abstract: A method for adjusting the amplitude of the pressure modulation waveform in a multi-nozzle continuous jet printhead having a pressure modulator for causing streams of ink emitted from the nozzles to be broken up into individual droplets, and charge electrodes and change electrode controllers for controllably applying a charge to individual ones of the droplets in each stream.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead which includes a substrate having a plurality of individual ink ejection chambers defined by a barrier layer formed on a first surface of said substrate and having an ink ejection element formed on the first surface of said substrate in each of said ink ejection chambers, said ink ejection elements electrically connected to electrodes on said substrate.

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus and method recording is performed by using a replaceable ink cartridge mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus, and includes a recording head for delivering ink therefrom. Cleaning of the recording head is carried out by sucking ink from the recording head. A cartridge absence time period is detected over which continues a cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus. An amount of ink to be sucked for the cleaning is set, based on the cartridge absence time period, when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus.

Abstract: In an ink-jet type recording head including a nozzle plate provided with nozzle openings, a spacer provided with partitions for partitioning pressure generating chambers, ink supply ports and reservoirs, and a plate member sandwiched and fixed together. Displacement of the plate member is produced by piezoelectric vibrators to thereby generate ink droplets. The spacer is formed by anisotropic etching of a silicon single crystal substrate so that the pressure generating chambers, the ink supply ports and the reservoirs are formed as through-holes communicated with each other. Accordingly, etching conditions for the respective through-holes are made equal to each other. Particularly, through-holes small in sectional area such as the pressure generating chambers and the ink supply ports can be formed with a high accuracy.

Abstract: Methods of printing a desired color image on a printing medium by construction from individual ink drops deposited in pixel arrays includes passing a multiple-nozzle ink-discharging pen or an odd number of staggered pen cartridges across the medium multiple times, each pass creating a portion of a respective segment of the image, and periodically advancing the medium so that portions of successively different segments are created by the pen(s). During each pass, the “portion-creating” function includes discharging from the pen(s) an odd submultiple of the full density of ink desired in the segment of the desired image that is being created, so that printing full density in each segment requires an odd number of passes. The medium is advanced by an odd submultiple of the height of the segment being created in each pass and is preferably advanced after each pass of the pen(s). The portion-creating includes creation by the pen(s) of a multiplicity of spaced-apart diagonal lines.

Abstract: A system and associated method for forming three-dimensional objects under computer control and from a material which may be rendered flowable and then dispensed on a layer-by-layer basis. The layers of the material solidify or otherwise physically transform upon being dispensed thereby forming successive cross-sections. The dispensing process is repeated whereby successive layers adhere to each other thereby forming the object.

Abstract: An ink supply system for an ink jet printhead having an orifice plate with orifices includes an ink reservoir connected through a valve and a luer connection to an ink supply container and an air pump arranged to produce a vacuum in the ink reservoir to draw ink form the ink supply container into the ink reservoir. The ink reservoir has an ink sensor to detect a desired ink level in the reservoir and to detect a low ink condition along with a control unit which controls the operation of the air pump for a predetermined period established by the control unit in response to signals from the sensor. A restricted passage connects the ink reservoir to the atmosphere through a filter so that the ink in the reservoir is maintained at atmospheric pressure and the level of the ink in the reservoir is selected to provide a desired negative liquid pressure head at the orifices in the ink jet printhead.

Abstract: A transaction printing device includes a printhead cartridge having an integrally formed wiper cleaning station and printhead. The wiper cleaning station is positioned so as to engage a wiper as the cleaning station travels and includes a pair of recessed wiper debris collectors. Each of the debris collectors opens into a corresponding debris accumulation channel to facilitate accumulating removed wiper debris with the debris collectors.

Abstract: A light-emitting array and its driving circuitry are integrated into a single device. The driving circuitry is formed in a semiconductor substrate and has an array of output terminals on a surface of the substrate. Organic electroluminescent elements are formed directly over the output terminals, in electrical contact with the output terminals. The electroluminescent elements are driven by direct current. An optical head assembly has one or more of these light-emitting arrays mounted on a printed circuit board.

Abstract: A pressure adjustment device in an ink cartridge employs an elastic air bag in communication with the atmosphere through a ventilation hole in a connection body which is installed in a top wall of the cartridge housing. Response to pressure changes is increased by a spring connected between a bottom end of the air bag and a bottom wall of the cartridge housing which applies a pulling force to the bottom end of the air bag.

Abstract: Electrostatic developing units are arranged in the record paper conveyance direction, form dot latent images in conformity with image dot data through the issue of scanning light on photosensitive drums in rotation, and after developing by toner components, transfer dots onto record paper for development. For each lighting noticeable dot amount image dot data, a quantity-of-light control unit provides control and output of optical energy of the noticeable dot on the basis of peripheral dots which may have influence on the size of the noticeable dot on the record paper, for example, in response to the distance from the peripheral dots.

Abstract: Bit data of a received video signal is partially converted into a first signal representing a data sequence corresponding to the resolution of an LED head. The first signal is transmitted to the LED head in the form of a real printing data signal that is to be printed on a basic raster line in synchronism with a line timing signal. The remaining bit data of the received video signal, which are not converted into the first signal, are converted into a second signal representing another data sequence, and then stored in a line buffer. The second signal stored in the line buffer is transmitted to the LED head in the form of a real printing data signal that is to be printed on an additional raster line in synchronism with an additional line timing signal. The LED head drive energy with which the basic raster lines are printed and another LED head drive energy with which the additional raster lines are printed are set independently of each other. The LED head may be provided with such a resolution function.

Abstract: A sheet treating apparatus has a container containing a plurality of sheets therein, a recorder for effecting recording on the sheets, a substantially straight path for conveying the recorded sheets and a heat-developer for heat-developing the sheets in the path. The container and/or the recorder are disposed under the heat-developer, are vertically overlapped with one another, and may be vertically overlapped with the heat-developer. The container and the straight path are disposed so that the straight path and the sheets in the container may be substantially parallel or substantially orthogonal to one another.

Abstract: A self-cleaning printer system (400) with a cleaning liquid supply and a wiper blade assembly (32) includes a print head (16) defining a plurality of ink channels therein, each ink channel terminating in an ink ejection nozzle (25). The print head (16) also has a surface (15) thereon surrounding all the nozzles (25). The wiper blade assembly (32) is disposed relative to the surface (15) and/or nozzles (25) for directing a flow of cleaning liquid along the surface (15) and/or across the nozzles (25) and to direct sliding contact of a wiper blade (195) to clean a contaminant from the surface (15) and/or nozzles (15). The wiper blade assembly (32) is configured to introduce the cleaning liquid to the print head surface (15) to facilitate and augment cleaning by the wiper blade (190). In addition, the wiper blade (190) is combined with channels for delivery of the cleaning liquid and vacuum suction to remove cleaning liquid (250 and 260, respectively).

Abstract: A pocket assembly for use in an ink jet printer included in a mailing machine. The pocket assembly is adapted to receive an ink cartridge and includes: a housing defining a pocket for receiving the ink cartridge, a needle, a door and a door mechanism. The housing has an open end and a closed end and includes a recess extending away from the pocket. The needle is mounted to the housing closed end and protrudes into the pocket. The door is movably mounted to the housing and is located within the pocket. The door mechanism is operatively coupled with door for repositioning the door between a closed position blocking access to the needle and an open position allowing access to the needle. The door is seated in the recess when in the closed position so that the door is less likely to be manually repositioned to the open position.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, for a two-pass print mode, instead of two or more color printheads depositing the same amount of ink for each pass, one of the passes (the primary pass) in a predetermined direction deposits a substantial majority of the ink, and other pass (the secondary pass) deposits the remainder of the ink. The primary pass for a particular composite color must always be in the same direction for minimizing color shift, at least when printing contiguous swaths of the same color. For minimizing color shift, the choice of a direction for the primary pass can be arbitrary, related to performance, or related to the order of the primary colors in the carriage. This majority ink pass will dominate the ink effects and cause color shifts to be less perceptible. The amount of ink per pass may be determined on an empirical basis.

Abstract: An inkjet pen has a body enclosing an ink reservoir and defining a vent aperture. A vent plug defining an elongated serpentine channel occupies the aperture. The plug may be cylindrical, with smaller diameter pilot ends to facilitate insertion. The serpentine channel may include several segments that alternate in direction, and which occupy a major portion of the plug surface away from an elongated spine surface portion that extends the length of the plug without interruption by the channel.

Abstract: A printhead apparatus for filtering ink which includes an elongate open-ended trough having a bottom wall and opposing end walls and opposing side walls attached to the bottom wall, an ink exit port attached to the bottom wall between the opposing end walls and side wall, a filter member disposed in the open-ended trough between the end walls and the side walls and an elongate cover assembly attached to the end walls and the side walls covering the trough defining a filter chamber containing filter element, the cover assembly containing an ink inlet valve and a gas outlet valve. The device is disposed between an ink cartridge and an ink jet pen containing one or more printheads and is activated automatically when a new ink cartridge is installed on the pen thereby removing unwanted air and gas bubbles from the filter chamber and providing gas free ink to the pen and one or more printheads.

Abstract: A waste ink pad system includes a separate first and second pad of absorbent material, each pad having a hole which is blocked by the opposing pad. The rate of evaporation of volatile components from waste ink is reduced by introducing the waste ink into the waste ink pad system at an interface between the first and second pads through a sleeve inserted into one of the blocked holes.