Abstract: MEMS inkjet nozzle cleaning and closing mechanism. An inkjet nozzle closing mechanism (1) having a slider (2) attached to the face of a nozzle plate (5). The nozzle plate (5) has a front face (5a) and a reservoir side which abuts the ink flow. A gear (10) and rack (4) are incorporated to actuate the movement of the slider (2). The slider (2) has cutouts (6) which cause the orifices (11) to be in either an open or closed state depending upon the position of the slider (2). The horizontal motion of the slider (2) wipes away any ink residue which causes build-up which may eventually block the orifices (11).

Abstract: A printer for forming a full-width image on a receiver exclusive of a transverse side of the receiver, and method of assembling the printer. The printer comprises an ink jet print head adapted to eject a plurality of ink droplets onto a receiver sheet for forming an image that extends a full-width of the receiver sheet. To achieve this result, the print head commences ejection of ink droplets beginning at a predetermined distance from a transverse side of the receiver sheet. A reservoir is disposed adjacent the transverse side and along the predetermined distance for collecting ink droplets ejected along the predetermined distance, so that none of the ink droplets are inadvertently deposited onto the transverse side or onto components housed in the printer. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reservoir is an absorbent material that absorbs the ink droplets ejected along the predetermined distance.

Abstract: A cleaning and capping station for an ink jet print head having a nozzle plate forming a plurality of ink ejecting nozzles includes an elastomeric seal for forming an enclosure around the nozzles in the nozzle plate. A mist of fluid containing an ink solvent is sprayed into the enclosure onto the nozzle plate. Ink is ejected from the head onto an absorbent material, and the nozzle plate is wiped with an elastomeric wiper after ink is ejected from the print head.

Abstract: A camera including a housing, a dual position flash pivotable between a folded position against the housing and an unfolded position extending from the housing, a taking lens, a shutter blade movable to momentarily uncover the taking lens in order to take a picture, and a shutter actuator manually depressible to initiate movement of the shutter blade, is characterized in that the shutter actuator is located on the flash to be pivoted with the flash and is manually depressible in the folded and unfolded positions of the flash to initiate movement of the shutter blade in each one of the positions.

Abstract: A compact camera including a housing, and a pivotal flash that can be pivoted between a folded position against the housing and an unfolded position extending from the housing, is characterized in that the housing has a pair of elongate surfaces that come together to define a corner portion, and the pivotal flash is pivotally supported beneath the corner portion and has a pivot actuator that is located to be swung around the corner portion from over one of the surfaces to over the other surface in order to pivot the pivotal flash from the folded position to the unfolded position.

Abstract: A camera having an exposure system and including an electrical function board, such as a flash board, operatively coupled to the exposure system. A cover closely adjoins the electrical function board and has an opening that exposes a part of the board including a contact pad and a protruding subunit closely adjoins the contact pad. The opening has a rimless margin. An elastomeric button is disposed in the opening. The button has a bridge and a conductive puck connected to the bridge. The button is resiliently deformable from a non-actuated conformation, in which the puck is spaced apart from the contact pad, to an actuated conformation, in which the puck shorts the contact pad. The bridge overlies the protruding subunit in both conformations. The bridge has an excursion that is insufficient to substantially transmit force to the protruding subunit.

Abstract: A compact camera including a housing, a manually depressible shutter release button, and a movable flash supported for movement between a folded position against the housing and covering the shutter release button and an unfolded position extending from the housing and not covering the shutter release button, is characterized in that the movable flash has a built-in actuator for the shutter release button which covers the shutter release button when the movable flash is in its folded position, but can be manually depressed sufficiently to similarly depress the shutter release button.

Abstract: A push-button mechanism for plunger-type electrical switches of the type having a push rod actuator, is provided with a base unit having a pair of undercut tabs. A button member has a pair of heels respectively receivable in the undercut of the tabs for sliding movement of the button to move the push rod actuator to thereby change state of the switch. The button member is retained to the base unit by snap-fit between the heels and the tab undercuts. The switch has a pair of flanges; and the base unit has a pair of tapered slots respectively aligned with the flanges and adapted to releasably receive the flanges upon assembly of the switch to the base unit. The push rod actuator has a recess; and the button member has a pair of opposed ribs aligned with the recess and adapted to be received by the recess upon assembly of the switch to the base unit.