Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a passage unit and an actuator. A nozzle for ejecting liquid and a common liquid chamber are formed in the passage unit. An individual liquid passage formed in the passage unit includes a first passage a pressure chamber, a second passage, and a restricted passage. The first passage communicates between the nozzle and the pressure chamber. The second passage communicates between the pressure chamber and the restricted passage. The restricted passage is smaller than the second passage in the sectional area perpendicular to the flow of the liquid. The actuator can selectively take a first state in which the volume of the pressure chamber is V1 and a second state in which the volume of the pressure chamber is V2 larger than V1. The actuator changes from the first state into the second state and then returns to the first state to eject the liquid from the nozzle.

Abstract: A wave-guiding system and method for mode-selective transmission of a spatially coherent light beam is disclosed. The system comprises a wave-guide with an inlet and an outlet for transmitting one or more modes; a first mode-shaping optical element for shaping the spatially coherent light beam before it enters through the inlet of the wave-guide to a desired mode of the wave-guide; and a second mode-shaping optical element for shaping light beam after it exits from the outlet of the wave-guide for obtaining a desired vectorial field.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an electronic-photonic device. The device includes a planar substrate having a top layer on a middle layer, active electronic components and active photonic waveguide components. The active electronic components are located on first lateral regions of the top layer, and the active photonic waveguide components are located on second lateral regions of the top layer. The second-region thickness is greater than the first-region thickness. The top layer has a higher refractive index than the middle layer.

Abstract: A droplet ejection head comprises: a substrate having first through-holes forming reservoir chambers, a second through-hole forming a supply chamber, and a bonding film on one surface; a nozzle plate having nozzles for ejecting ejection liquid and one surface contacting the bonding film, the nozzle plate is bonded to the substrate through the bonding film to cover the first through-holes and the second through-hole; a sealing plate on another surface of the substrate covering the first through-holes, one surface of the sealing plate contacting the substrate's another surface; and piezoelectric means on another surface of the sealing plate for driving the droplet ejection head. The bonding film containing an Si-skeleton constituted of constituent atoms containing silicon atoms, with siloxane (Si—O) bonds and elimination groups bonded to the silicon atoms, the constituent atoms being randomly bonded together, and the elimination groups existing near a surface of the bonding film.

Abstract: An optical interconnect device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an optical waveguide, an electrical wiring and a switching device. The first substrate has an electrical wiring circuit, an electrical-optical converter for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal, and a light emitting device for emitting a light. The second substrate has an electrical wiring circuit, an optical-electrical converter for converting the optical signal to the electrical signal, and a light receiving device for receiving the light from the light emitted device. The optical waveguide optically connects the light emitting and light receiving devices. The electrical wiring electrically connects the electrical wiring circuits of the first and second substrates. The switching device determines a fast signal of data to be transmitted via the optical substrate and a slow signal of data to be transmitted via the electrical wiring.

Abstract: A method positions a first end of an optic fiber a distance from a target and applies a laser light to a second end of the optic fiber such that the laser light is guided by the optic fiber from the second end to the first end of the optic fiber and is emitted from the first end of the optic fiber toward the target as a beam of light. The beam of light has a first area of incidence at the target. The optic fiber is then bent such that the beam of light continues to reach the target and such that the area of incidence of the beam of light at the target changes without changing the distance between the first end of the optic fiber and the target. A device having two plates with raised portions inside a metal case is provided for bending the optic fiber.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: an ink holding chamber having a through hole to jet ink, and holding the ink; and a head unit jetting the ink held in the ink holding chamber from the through hole. The head unit includes an ultrasonic wave generation member, an ultrasonic wave focusing member focusing the ultrasonic waves generated at the ultrasonic wave generation member in a vicinity of the through hole, an ultrasonic wave propagation portion propagateting the ultrasonic waves leaving the ultrasonic wave focusing member, and a container portion containing the ultrasonic wave generation member, the ultrasonic wave focusing member, and the ultrasonic wave propagation portion.

Abstract: A method is for heating a functional liquid of a droplet discharging device that has a storage which houses a container storing a functional liquid containing a functional material; a droplet discharge head discharging the functional liquid in a droplet; a cooling means included to the storage and cooling the functional liquid; and a supply tube supplying the functional liquid that is cooled in the storage to the droplet discharge head. The method includes: heating the functional liquid in the supply tube with waste heat that is generated correspondingly to cooling of the cooling means.

Abstract: A device for optical communication including a conductor circuit and an insulating layer formed and laminated, an optical circuit and an optical path for transmitting an optical signal, and an optical element or a package substrate on which an optical element is mounted. An optical path converting member is disposed at the optical path for transmitting an optical signal so as to transmit an optical signal between the optical element and the optical circuit. The optical path converting member comprises a lens and an optical path conversion mirror having an entrance surface, an exit surface and a reflection surface. The lens is provided at either the entrance surface or the exit surface on the side facing the optical circuit.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection head having: a vibrating plate at which is formed a piezoelectric element which deforms when voltage is applied; a wiring board disposed above the piezoelectric element, an electric wire for deforming the piezoelectric element being disposed at the wiring board; a liquid storage chamber provided at a side opposite to the piezoelectric element, with the wiring board sandwiched therebetween; a pressure chamber provided at a side opposite to the wiring board, with the vibrating plate sandwiched therebetween; an ejection opening that ejects liquid droplets from the pressure chamber; a liquid supply opening that supplies liquid within the liquid storage chamber to the pressure chamber; and an electrical connection portion that passes through the wiring board and electrically connects the piezoelectric element and the electric wire through the liquid supply opening, is provided.

Abstract: A line-type liquid ejecting head includes an ejection unit group constituted by a plurality of ejection units each including a plurality of nozzle openings through which droplets of liquid are ejected, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle openings, and a pressure generator capable of generating a pressure change in the liquid in the pressure chamber, the liquid being supplied from a liquid source through a liquid supply channel to the pressure chambers and being ejected through the nozzle openings in a form of droplets by the pressure generators. The ejection unit group is sectioned into a plurality of unit blocks each constituted by a plurality of sets of the ejection units. Each of the unit blocks is provided with a block common channel, a distribution channel communicating with the liquid supply channel and the block common channel, and individual supply channels extending from the block common channel to the pressure chambers of the ejection units.

Abstract: An ink collection device for a servicing station of a franking machine, said ink collection device comprising: an ink collection reservoir for receiving the ink ejected, during a servicing stage, by ink ejection nozzles of at least one print module; at least one drainage duct placed above the reservoir and opening out in register with said at least one print module while defining a gap between a top of the drainage duct and the print module; and, mounted across said at least one drainage duct and at a small predetermined distance from the top of the drainage duct, means for causing the fine ink droplets ejected by said ink ejection nozzles to coalesce to form a plurality of thicker ink drops, and for causing said ink drops to drip under gravity into said ink collection reservoir.

Abstract: An optical transmission substrate includes an optical transmission body provided in a through hole which has excellent and uniform propagation characteristics. The optical transmission substrate includes: a substrate 1 formed by laminating a plurality of dielectric sheets 10; and a plurality of cylindrical refractive-index distribution bodies 11, each of which is made of a photosensitive polymeric material formed in a through hole 10a penetrating each of the dielectric sheets, each of the refractive-index distribution body including a truncated conical core 12 and a periphery. Each of the cores 12 has a higher refractive index in the radial direction than the periphery and has a large-diameter end face and a small-diameter end face. The cores of refractive-index distribution bodies have a first core and a second core in the two adjoining dielectric sheet, and, the large-diameter end face of the first core and the small-diameter end face of the second core face each other and optically couple together.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes first active portion which correspond to a central portion of each of pressure chambers and a second active portion which correspond to a portion, of each of the pressure chambers, located on outer circumferential sides with respect to the central portion of the pressure chamber. The first active portion and the second active portion are deformed by applying the voltage to each of the first and second active portions. The first active portion is polarized in a direction parallel to the electric field generated in the first active portion, and the second active portion is polarized in a direction opposite to the electric field generated in the second active portion, thereby making it possible to suppress the crosstalk even when a high density arrangement of the pressure chambers is realized.

Abstract: Optical ring resonator devices are disclosed that can be used for optical filtering, modulation or switching, or for use as photodetectors or sensors. These devices can be formed as microdisk ring resonators, or as open-ring resonators with an optical waveguide having a width that varies adiabatically. Electrical and mechanical connections to the open-ring resonators are made near a maximum width of the optical waveguide to minimize losses and thereby provide a high resonator Q. The ring resonators can be tuned using an integral electrical heater, or an integral semiconductor junction.

Abstract: To achieve high-quality printing by controlling an ink-traveling direction by an electrostatic force so that the ink can be accurately applied on a printing medium, the ink ejected to areas outside edges of the printing medium is prevented from being attracted to the end portions in margin-less printing. This configuration includes: a platen, made of a conductive material, positioned immediately below the printing medium; an absorber positioned at a side of the edge; and a mesh conductive member disposed on the absorber. A first voltage is applied to the platen, causing polarization in the printing medium, and a second voltage higher than the first voltage is applied to the conductive member. Thereby, ink ejected outside the edges in the margin-less printing, travels straight-forwardly toward the conductive member without being attracted to the end portions, and is absorbed into the absorber via the conductive member.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head including an energy generating element, which generates energy utilized for discharging a liquid, and a discharge portion provided at a position facing the energy generating element and having a discharge port for discharging the liquid is provided. This method includes the steps of forming a negative photosensitive resin layer used for a member that forms the discharge port on the substrate, and exposing the layer to an i-line to form the discharge portion that is tapered in a direction from the substrate to the discharge port, wherein the layer has an absorbance per 1 ?m thickness of about 0.02 to about 0.07 for light used for the exposure.

Abstract: An outlet device, which is to be arranged on a wall surface, includes an outlet box in which electric wiring and optical interconnection are to be accommodated, and a cover plate which covers the outlet box. The cover plate includes a plate surface formed with an opening section through which an electric connection port of at least one of a telephone jack and an electric power supply outlet is to be exposed, and a bulged portion formed, on left or right side of the plate surface, to bulge frontward from the plate surface. The bulged portion is operable to accommodate a connection adaptor to which an optical connector attached directly to an end portion of an optical fiber is fitted, and includes a bottom face formed with an opening through which an optical connection port of the connection adaptor is to be exposed so as to be oriented downward.

Abstract: A liquid ejection method is provided which ejects small-volume droplets from ejection openings and causes them to reliably combine together on the fly into a large droplet that is less susceptible to influences of air flows, thus realizing a printing with reduced droplet landing position deviations. To that end, each of the ejection openings is constructed of two openings spaced apart and a slit-like constricted connection portion that connects the two openings together.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head according to the present invention comprises plural pressure chambers for applying pressure to liquid, which respectively communicate with liquid discharge openings for discharging liquid; and plural piezoelectric elements, arranged respectively corresponding to the plural pressure chambers, which respectively include lower electrodes, piezoelectric layers and upper electrodes layered in order from the pressure chambers, the lower electrodes being extended to areas corresponding to areas between the plural pressure chambers, and wherein an insulating layer is provided so as to cover at least all the lower electrodes located in the areas corresponding to areas between the plural pressure chambers.