Abstract: An ink container, such as that used in an ink jet recording apparatus, is improved to effectively suppress permeation of ambient air into ink compartments through the container walls and to permit easy refilling with ink. The ink container includes a container body which has a plurality of liquid compartments defined therein by a plurality of partition plates to accommodate the ink, and inter-compartment communicating portions through which adjacent ink compartments communicate with each other, so that successive liquid compartments are emptied one after another as the liquid is progressively consumed. The container body also has a buffer compartment which covers at least the top walls of said liquid compartments. The ink container may have a discrete segments of a porous member which are disposed only in the inter-compartment communicating portions.

Abstract: Provided is an ink-jet recording process comprising, using an ink containing a coloring matter, a liquid medium and at least one thermoreversible thickening polymer, ejecting the ink from orifices of a recording head onto a recording medium in accordance with recording signals to perform recording, wherein said ink is heated to various temperatures corresponding to recording image color signals to vary an optical density or a color reproduction range of a printed matter formed on a recording medium, thereby performing recording.

Abstract: A recording apparatus capable of determining malfunction of an ink detection device such that a light emitting device of an ink detection sensor provided for the recording apparatus to detect ink depending upon whether ink traversing a detection optical axis exists is periodically operated to emit light. Malfunction of the ink detection sensor is determined in accordance with the quantity of light received by a light receiving device in a state where ink traversing the detection optical axis is not discharged.

Abstract: In a jet recording method, a normally solid recording material is placed in a heat-melted state within a nozzle and heated to generate a bubble therewithin by applying a bubble-generating heat energy, thereby ejecting droplets of the recording material out of the nozzle onto a recording medium. In the method, the ejection of the recording material droplets can be stabilized by applying prior to the bubble-generating heat energy a preheating energy which decreases continuously or discontinuously.

Abstract: An ink jet head, characterized by having a sealing member formed of a composition comprising a solvent-free one-component silicone-modified epoxy resin in the liquid state at room temperature as a principal component, said composition containing, other than said silicone-modified epoxy resin, a latent hardener, wherein said silicone-modified epoxy resin comprises a silicone component in an amount of 10 to 60 parts by weight versus 100 parts by weight of a starting epoxy resin. And ink jet apparatus which is provided with said ink jet head and a recovery means for said ink jet head. The ink jet head always performs stable ink discharging to provide a high quality print.

Abstract: A fiber wiper cleaning system is provided for removing ink residue from a wiper after wiping an inkjet printhead in an inkjet printing mechanism. A service station supports the wiper while removing ink residue from the printhead through relative motion of the wiper and printhead. The service station has a fiber wiper cleaner that contacts and cleans the wiper to present the printhead with a fresh wiping surface during the next wiping stroke. Any auxiliary flaps used to clean areas adjacent the printhead are also cleaned using this system. Interaction of the wiper and cleaner pumps ink residue from between the cleaner fibers to ready the fibers for the next cleaning cycle. An inkjet printing mechanism having such a fiber wiper cleaning system is also provided, along with a method of wiping accumulated ink residue from an inkjet printhead installed in an inkjet printing mechanism.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus provided according to the present invention does not generate any printing density streaks in low density areas of an image and is therefore capable of outputting stabilized images without any density unevennesses and density streaks in any tonality. The apparatus is structured so as to correct density signals in accordance with a correction table 1 for indicating the recording characteristics of each of the recording elements of the head and the recording characteristics indicated by this correction table 1, and to drive the recording head in accordance with a correction table 2, which does not allow the fore-going corrections to be made when the density signals are lower than a given density, and the density signals corrected by this correction table 2.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge having ink-storing part for storing ink to be supplied to a recording head which ejects ink in droplets and being mountable to and demountable from a recording apparatus, the ink tank cartridge comprises a main body of a container constituting the ink-storing part; an ink-absorbent held in the main body of the container for storing the ink; an ink-supplying part for supplying the ink to the recording head; and an air communication part to communicate the interior of the main body of the container with the air, the air communication part having a large-diameter opening capable of opening the interior of the main body of the container to the outside and being provided with a plug member having a fine opening attachably to and detachably from the large-diameter opening.

Abstract: A reusable media printing system is provided for temporarily printing an image to a reusable print media having a changeable property that changes the optical appearance of the reusable print media when exposed to a physical effect. A reusable media printhead installed in a printing mechanism, preferably in place of an inkjet printhead, selectively exposes the reusable print media to this physical effect in response to a firing signal generated by a controller to change the optical appearance of the reusable print media to display the image for viewing. A reusable print media, a method of making the reusable media, and a reusable media cartridge are also provided. A method is provided for printing a temporary image to a reusable print media. The reusable printhead may be a stationary, page-wide array or a replaceable cartridge carried by a carriage mechanism across a printzone adjacent the reusable media.

Abstract: Upon adjustment of an ink level of an air buffer in an ink supply system supplying an ink to a printing head via the air buffer from a sub-tank, by driving a pressuring motor of the sub-tank, the ink is fed under pressure. When the ink is reached at the position of a connection opening of the air buffer, the excess amount of ink is discharged for adjustment of the ink level. At this time, the ink discharged through the connecting opening is returned to the sub-tank via the ink tube. Thus, the ink consumed during the ink level adjustment can be avoided. With a construction set forth above, the shown case, the in the ink-jet cloth printing apparatus, in which the ink is supplied to the printing head via the air buffer, the ink amount to be consumed during the ink level adjustment of the air buffer is eliminated so that the ink consumption of the overall can be reduced.

Abstract: An optical information medium comprises an optically transparent substrate and a protective layer formed on the substrate for protecting a record portion so that information which is optically readable by means of a laser beam can be recorded. A hydrophilic film is formed at a side opposite to a side through which reproduction light of the optically transparent substrate is passed. The film has a hydrophilic surface on which an aqueous printing ink is fixable. Printing is possible on the hydrophilic surface by use of an ink jet printer. A method for printing on the hydrophilic surface is also described.

Abstract: A plurality of thin image data are generated based on desired image data. A single region on a recording medium is scanned a plurality of number of times on the basis of the plurality of thin image data, thereby recording the thin images a plurality of number of times. The scan interval in this case is set to be an interval equal to or longer than a required minimum interval, which does not cause deterioration of image quality due to blurring. Furthermore, the interval is properly changed according to the print duty, environmental condition, or the like.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel inkjet print cartridge (pen) in which a body of polyurethane foam is inserted into an ink chamber of the pen for ink containment and backpressure. The ink chamber has a tall narrow aspect ratio. The body of polyurethane foam is felted in the width direction of the pen to have a width less than 20% of its pre-felted width. After felting, the body of foam is cut to have a "near net size" as the interior volume of the ink chamber. Specifically, the pre-insertion volume is less than about 130% of the interior volume of the ink chamber. The substantial felting in the width direction provides sufficient stiffness to the foam that it can be inserted into the tall, narrow aspect ratio ink chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel ink jet print cartridge (pen) in which polyurethane foam is used for ink containment and backpressure. The disclosed pen uses a flexible film of low friction material wrapped around the foam before insertion into the ink chamber. Once inserted, the film covers the two major faces of the foam and a portion of the bottom face of the foam. The disclosed pen has a tall narrow aspect ratio. The low friction film minimizes problems due to wrinkling and other compression anomalies in the foam, with the associated problems of ink stranding and reduction in the positive seal with the ink pipe. One embodiment of the film is absorbent and expands when exposed to ink.

Abstract: In the ink jet printing system described in the specification, a hot melt ink jet printhead having two ink reservoirs is coupled through an ink supply line to a remote hot melt ink supply and a temperature controller is arranged to control the temperatures of the ink in the remote ink supply, the supply line, the ink reservoirs in the printhead and passages leading from the reservoirs to the ink jet orifices at selected temperature levels to inhibit high-temperature degradation of the ink while permitting the ink to be jetted at the desired jetting temperature. In addition, a pressure control system controls the pressure of the ink in the printhead at one or more selected levels to permit the printhead to be used at different orientations and to permit purging of air bubbles and contaminants from the orifice passageways and to supply a relatively high vacuum to a deaerator in the printhead to extract dissolved air from the ink.

Abstract: A recording method employing a medium that includes a substrate, and an ink-receiving layer provided thereon wherein the ink receiving layer contains water-insoluble and amorphous basic aluminum salt. In the recording medium, the basic aluminum salt is represented by the general formula (1) below:Al.sub.x (OH).sub.y X.sub.z (1)where x, y, and z are respectively positive integers and satisfy the relations of z=3x-y, and x/z.gtoreq.3, and X is an acid radical.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an ink cartridge for use in printing an ink on a print medium with an electronic printer. The ink cartridge includes an ink disposed therein having a viscosity of between approximately 1.5 and 10 centipoise. An ink cartridge has an unfelted foam therein. The foam carries the ink and has a plurality of pores disposed substantially in communication with each other. The pores have an effective porosity of between approximately 60 and 90 pores per inch. The ink cartridge further has a printhead assembly disposed in fluid communication with the foam. The foam has an effective porosity, dependent on the viscosity of the ink, wherein ink is allowed to flow from the foam to the printhead assembly during periods of operation, and is substantially prevented from flowing from the printhead assembly during periods of inoperation.

Abstract: A water-soluble ink for ink jet type recording is disclosed, which comprises water, a water-soluble dye, a wetting agent and a surfactant, wherein said surfactant is a mixture comprising a compound represented by the following formula (A): ##STR1## wherein R represents a halogen atom or an alkyl group; and n represents a positive integer, and a compound represented by the following formula (B): ##STR2## The water-soluble ink for ink jet type recording may provide a high quality printed image having a large printed dot diameter on various kinds of papers such as ordinary paper and poor quality paper with a reduced amount of ink.

Abstract: A printhead structure for direct electrostatic printing having a back electrode and a particle supplying unit. The particle supplying unit conveys charged particles to a particle source positioned adjacent to the back electrode. A flexible control unit interposed between the back electrode and the particle supplying unit converts a stream of electronic signals, defining image information, into a pattern of electrostatic fields that within a predetermined print area of the print head structure selectively permit or restrict the transport of said charged particles from the particle source toward the back electrode. The flexible control unit is positioned and maintained in a spaced relation to the particle source. The flexible control unit is aligned with the particle source and the distance between a surface of the flexible control unit and the particle source is adjustable.

Abstract: A variable optical density print system and method for continuous variation of the optical density among successive droplets expelled from the same nozzle, the print system comprising a fluid channel connected to a basis fluid supply and a fluid channel connected to a colorant concentrate fluid supply. Each fluid channel is in fluid communication with a single ink firing chamber. Appropriate amounts of basis fluid and colorant concentrate fluid are delivered to the firing chamber by briefly opening a microvalve positioned within each fluid channel. The fluids mix in the firing chamber and are then ejected as a single ink droplet which possesses a desired optical density.