Abstract: An overtube device includes: a tube body having a bending part and a main body part; a wire having a distal end part fixed to the bending part and a proximal end part positioned on the proximal end side and extending along a longitudinal axis; an operation part capable of pulling the wire to the proximal end side; and an overtube base configured to fix the tube body in a longitudinal axis direction so as not to advance and retract, and configured so that the operation part is provided in a state where the wire is pulled toward the proximal end side of the wire until a curved shape of the bending part is held. In a state where the operation part is mounted on the overtube base, the overtube base holds the wire in a state where the wire is pulled toward the proximal end side of the wire.

Abstract: A medical system includes a medical device, an over-tube, and a console. The medical device includes an insertion portion. The over-tube is configured to receive the insertion portion. A console having a first connector is attached to the medical device and a second connector is attached to the over-tube. The over-tube has a tubular main body and a proximal-end portion. The proximal-end portion comprises a tubular member having an insertion port for receiving the insertion portion of the medical device therethrough. A base portion is coupled to the second connector and a moving mechanism is coupled to both the tubular member and the base portion. The moving mechanism is configured to cause the tubular member to move with respect to the second connector such that the tubular member has two or more degrees of freedom with respect to the second connector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical device including: an insertion part having a longitudinal axis; a first balloon and a second balloon attached to the insertion part; and a fluid supply path through which a fluid is supplied to the first balloon and the second balloon. The first balloon can be expanded and contracted and is movable in the longitudinal-axis direction. The second balloon can be expanded and contracted and is disposed closer to a distal end side than the first balloon is. One end of the second balloon is fixed to the distal end of the insertion part, and the other end of the second balloon is fixed to the first balloon. The fluid supply path has a connecting flow path communicating between the first balloon and an inner space of the second balloon. The second balloon is expanded after the first balloon is expanded, by supplying the fluid.

Abstract: An overtube device includes: a tube body having a bending part and a main body part; a wire having a distal end part fixed to the bending part and a proximal end part positioned on the proximal end side and extending along a longitudinal axis; an operation part capable of pulling the wire to the proximal end side; and an overtube base configured to fix the tube body in a longitudinal axis direction so as not to advance and retract, and configured so that the operation part is provided in a state where the wire is pulled toward the proximal end side of the wire until a curved shape of the bending part is held. In a state where the operation part is mounted on the overtube base, the overtube base holds the wire in a state where the wire is pulled toward the proximal end side of the wire.

Abstract: A medical system includes a medical device, an over-tube, and a console. The medical device includes an insertion portion. The over-tube is configured to receive the insertion portion. A console having a first connector is attached to the medical device and a second connector is attached to the over-tube. The over-tube has a tubular main body and a proximal-end portion. The proximal-end portion comprises a tubular member having an insertion port for receiving the insertion portion of the medical device therethrough. A base portion is coupled to the second connector and a moving mechanism is coupled to both the tubular member and the base portion. The moving mechanism is configured to cause the tubular member to move with respect to the second connector such that the tubular member has two or more degrees of freedom with respect to the second connector.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer, ink cartridges are set individually in predetermined positions of a cartridge holder portion. Information on the ink cartridges is read by read portions and it is determined whether or not the ink cartridges are adaptive. If all the ink cartridges set in the predetermined positions of the cartridge holder portion are determined to be adaptive, a drive unit is driven to perform a connecting operation.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a head section, an ink heating section, and an ink cooling section. The head section includes an ink head which discharges ink. The ink heating section heats the ink supplied to the head section. The ink cooling section cools the ink supplied to the head section. The ink flows through the ink cooling section, the ink heating section and the head section in the order mentioned.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer, ink cartridges are set individually in predetermined positions of a cartridge holder portion. Information on the ink cartridges is read by read portions and it is determined whether or not the ink cartridges are adaptive. If all the ink cartridges set in the predetermined positions of the cartridge holder portion are determined to be adaptive, a drive unit is driven to perform a connecting operation.

Abstract: The inkjet printer of the present invention includes: a transportation unit for transporting a recording medium; a recording unit including a recording head that jets ink to the recording medium transported by the transportation unit; an ink path for supplying ink to the recording head; a first housing accommodating the transportation unit and the recording unit; and a second housing attached to the first housing and accommodating a portion of the ink path, wherein the second housing is attached to the first housing in such a way that it can be moved to a first position and to a second position that is different from the first position.

Abstract: A positioning structure of an image forming apparatus comprises an image recording medium to be transported; an ink head unit for ejecting ink fluids onto the image recording medium; a transport mechanism for transporting the image recording medium; a recording unit for retaining the ink head unit; an apparatus body frame for retaining at least the recording unit and the transport mechanism; a transport roller for introducing the image recording medium to the transport mechanism by regulating a transport position of the image recording medium; a restrict unit, being installed in the recording unit and the transport mechanism, for restricting a positional interrelationship between the recording unit and the transport mechanism; and an elevator mechanism for making a gap between the recording unit and transport mechanism changed, wherein the recording unit is retained by the apparatus body frame and/or the transport mechanism at three points.

Abstract: A maintenance apparatus of a recording head is appressed against a head main body of a recording head during cleaning processing, and an air current which performs suction and removal flows in a direction crossing an ink discharge direction and travels along a nozzle surface to suck foreign particles or a residual ink.

Abstract: There is disposed a sealing mechanism having a container which stores an ink liquid; an ink head which spouts the ink liquid; and an ink channel switching section which is disposed in an ink channel connecting the container to the ink head and which switches the ink channel to a sealed state or an opened state, wherein the ink liquid flowing into the ink head from the container is quickly replaced with air (bubble) flowing through the container from the ink head during the switching of the ink channel to the opened state from the sealing state.

Abstract: In discharge recovery processing, a continuous sheet 23 is moved from a facing position facing a head portion 21 to a first position (in the down direction in the drawing) as an evacuating position in the discharge recovery processing, thereafter, a discharge recovery processing unit 22 in the standby mode at a second position (in the up direction in the drawing) different from the facing position is moved to the facing position, and the discharge recovery processing is performed. In the discharge recovery processing, the head unit 21 is not moved and therefore the preferable positional reproducibility is obtained after ending the discharge recovery processing.

Abstract: On a carriage which a plurality of ink heads are arranged and from which an arm rotatable supporting an introduction roller for an image forming medium extends on an upstream side of a conveying path of the image forming medium; a conveying mechanism which is provided under the carriage in such a manner as to face the carriage and which conveys the image forming medium on a downstream side of the conveying path; and a plurality of regulation sections arranged in the carriage and the conveying mechanism respectively, wherein a positional relation between the carriage and the conveying mechanism is regulated by contacts among the plurality of regulation sections.

Abstract: A positioning structure of an image forming apparatus comprises an image recording medium to be transported; an ink head unit for ejecting ink fluids onto the image recording medium; a transport mechanism for transporting the image recording medium; a recording unit for retaining the ink head unit; an apparatus body frame for retaining at least the recording unit and the transport mechanism; a transport roller for introducing the image recording medium to the transport mechanism by regulating a transport position of the image recording medium; a restrict unit, being installed in the recording unit and the transport mechanism, for restricting a positional interrelationship between the recording unit and the transport mechanism; and an elevator mechanism for making a gap between the recording unit and transport mechanism changed, wherein the recording unit is retained by the apparatus body frame and/or the transport mechanism at three points.

Abstract: A method of assembling an ink jet head unit, according to the present invention, is used to assemble the ink jet head unit configured by fixing a plurality of ink jet heads such that one ink jet head is fixed to the other ink jet head adjacent thereto, each ink jet head having an ink ejecting portion in which a plurality of nozzles to eject ink are arrayed. In this method, the ink jet heads are positioned by abutting the ink jet heads on a common positioning unit, and the plurality of ink jet heads are fixed such that one ink jet head is fixed to the other ink jet head adjacent thereto, in a state that the ink jet heads are so positioned as described above.

Abstract: A maintenance apparatus of a recording head is appressed against a head main body of a recording head during cleaning processing, and an air current which performs suction and removal flows in a direction crossing an ink discharge direction and travels along a nozzle surface to suck foreign particles or a residual ink.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes ink jet heads for recording an image on a recording medium, an ink bottle for holding ink, an ink supply path connecting the ink bottle to each ink jet head, and an electromagnetic valve provided on the path. In the printer, the bottle, the valve and the heads are arranged downward in this order in the vertical direction, the path constantly exists upwards in the vertical direction in such a manner that air entered into the path moves up above the valve due to a difference in the specific gravity between the air and the ink, the path is provided with a branching portion provided between the valve and the heads, and a sub ink tank is provided at an end of the branching portion so as to be positioned lower than the heads in the vertical direction.

Abstract: A printer comprises a transportation belt, a printer head, and a pneumatic paper sucker. The transportation belt is driven by a driving roller that drives a driven roller. The printer head includes a plurality of head units each having ink-jet surfaces. In the printer, print paper is adsorbed to the transportation belt by the sucker, and transported in a direction of transportation. Ink drops jetted out from the head units are shot at correct points on the print paper specified in print data. Thus, printing is achieved. According to the printer, the printer head need not be shifted in the process of printing, but printing can be achieved at a high speed. Moreover, the costs of manufacturing can be reduced, and the printer can be designed compactly.

Abstract: A printer system includes a host computer, K, C, M, and Y printer elements for four colors, a paper feeding section, and a head cleaning section. The printer elements each include a head controller and print head groups. The head controllers are connected to the host computer via SCSI interfaces in a daisy chain. When printing, the host computer transfers information, such as an image-printing region, image-printing data, to the head controllers via the SCSI interfaces, thereby executing image printing. The printer system can control a large number of print heads with a simple configuration and also can perform high-accuracy image printing.