Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording head for discharging ink drops and disposed on a carriage which makes a reciprocating motion in the width direction of a recording medium, a cap for sealing the recording head in a non-printing area and receiving the ink drops discharged for the maintenance of the recording head during a printing operation, an ink receiving member which is capable of moving within a moving locus range of the recording head and disposed in the non-printing area situated opposite to the cap side. As the ink receiving member is positioned close to the side end of recording paper in agreement with its width, the distance between the ink receiving member and the side end of the recording paper is shortened.

Abstract: A nozzle plate free from stray fly and defective jetting is achieved by a method which has a first step of putting a photosensitive resin film 5 in pressure contact with a back surface of a nozzle plate 1. A part of the photosensitive resin film 5 is caused to step into a nozzle 4 by controlling the viscosity thereof by changing temperature. Then, the thus processed photosensitive resin film 5 is hardened by injecting ultraviolet rays thereto. Next, a front surface 2 of the nozzle plate 1 is subjected to a eutectoid plating 6 process. By regulating a step coverage d of a part of the eutectoid plating 6 into the nozzle 4 by the hardened photosensitive resin film 5, a-nozzle plate having consistent nozzles, each being free from stray fly and defective jetting can be formed.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus including an ink jet recording head 1 that is shuttled by a carriage 4 and jets ink droplets in synchronism with a print signal, a capping device 8 to which a negative pressure of a sucking pump 10 is supplied, a first ink tank 12 that communicates with the atmosphere through an opening 14 and contains a printing ink, a second ink tank 13 that contains ink in a degassed condition, a selector valve 16 that selectively connects the first and second ink tanks to the recording head, and a controller 20 that controls the selector valve 16. Ink in the first ink tank 12 or the second ink tank 13 is discharged out of the recording head 1 by causing the capping device 8 to apply negative pressure to the recording head 1 during a cleaning operation of the recording head 1.

Abstract: A recording sheet has a base and a receptive layer disposed on at least one surface of the base. The receptive layer contains at least a water-absorbent copolymer and said water-resistant graft copolymer whose main chain is polyvinyl alcohol. The water-absorbent copolymer absorbs inks, and the water-resistant graft copolymer makes the receptive layer resistant to discoloration, blurring, and gloss or luster irregularities. The water-absorbent graft copolymer comprises a graft copolymer produced by grafting a vinyl monomer having a carboxyl group and a monomer having a functional group reacting with the carboxyl group. The water-absorbent copolymer comprises a copolymer of acrylic acid and vinyl alcohol. The water-resistant graft copolymer and the water-absorbent copolymer are added at a ratio in parts by weight ranging from 20/80 to 80/20, preferably, from 30/70 to 70/30.

Abstract: An ink container contains main tanks into which ink can be poured from the outside and the ink in the main tanks is supplied to recording heads via deaerators incorporating hollow fibers to which negative pressure is applied from the outside. The ink in the ink tanks is deaerated by the deaerators before an ink-end condition is brought on and then supplied to the recording heads.

Abstract: An ink cartridge including a flexible, rectangular ink bag located within a case main body which has a cover, wherein the ink bag is attached on one side to an ink depletion detecting plate which has a detecting piece and a plurality of projecting pieces. The projecting pieces extend from the outer edge of the ink bag and are capable of coming in contact with a side wall of the case main body when the cartridge is dropped or shaken and keep the deformation of the ink bag to a minimum thereby protecting the ink bag from damage during transportation.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus including: a printing head having a plurality of nozzle opening rows, the nozzle opening rows jetting ink drops separately from each other; a cap for selectively sealing the plurality of nozzle opening rows and a pressure device for forcibly discharging ink from the plurality of nozzle opening rows; and control means for causing the cap to seal the nozzle opening rows and the pressure device to forcibly discharge ink from the nozzle opening rows to perform a jetting recovery operation when an electric power is turned on or at a print start time, for causing ink drops to be jetted from the nozzle opening rows based on print data to perform a printing operation and stopping the printing operation for performing an ink jetting capability maintaining operation of the nozzle opening rows, and further causing the cap to seal the nozzle opening rows and the pressure device to forcibly discharge ink from the nozzle openings to perform the jetting recovery operation, wherein the controll

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ink cartridge for use in an ink jet recorder, comprising the step of providing an ink bag having a top end, and a bottom end below the top end, the top end being open and the bottom end having an ink feed port therein; moving the ink bag from a first position near a top edge thereof and positioning the ink bag in a vacuum chamber; depressurizing the vacuum chamber; charging a selected quantity of ink into the ink bag; sealing the open end of the ink bag at a second position below the first position; pressing the sealed portion of the ink bag to a selected thickness with press plates; sealing the bag in the pressed position at a third position below the second position; and cutting the ink bag between the second and third positions.

Abstract: There is disclosed shortening for chocolate which contains SUS type triglycerides whose constituent fatty acids contain SUS saturated fatty acids having 20 to 24 carbon atoms and SSU type and/or type triglycerides whose constituent fatty acids do not contain saturated fatty acids having 20 or more carbon atoms, both triglycerides being present in an eutectic crystal state, and a crystal form of said former SUS type triglycerides being in a stable crystal form. A process for producing the shortening, chocolate comprising the shortening and a process for producing the chocolate are also disclosed.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording device which carries out flushing of the nozzle holes of color-ink recording heads without suspending the printing operation. When flushing of the color-ink nozzle holes is required, the device determines, using bit-map data, whether or not black ink dots are to be printed in nearby locations that correspond to the nozzle holes requiring flushing. If so, flushing is effected by discharging color-ink drops in the locations where black-ink dots are to be formed. Subsequently, the black-ink dots that are larger than the color-ink dots are superposed over the color-ink dots, thereby concealing the color-ink dots. Alternatively, flushing of the nozzle holes of the color-ink recording heads is effected by discharging each of three colors at a location where a black-ink dot is to be formed, thereby forming a composite black dot and obviating the necessity to superpose a black-ink dot.

Abstract: A photosensitive resin film is pressed onto the surface 1 of nozzle plate 1, with one portion entering the inside of nozzle, then by ultraviolet radiation directed from the rear surface of nozzle plate the intruded portion is hardened as plug, at the same time the portion of photosensitive resin film directly above nozzle being hardened by the ultraviolet radiation to form an extensive portion, of a size at least that of nozzle diameter, being no larger than 1.4 times that of nozzle diameter; finally, using the shape of extensive portion, an ink-repellent eutectoid plating coating layer is applied to the whole surface of nozzle plate with the exception of the edge of nozzle, forming on that surface, a water-repellent surface that does not cause deviation in the flight of ink droplets, while restricting the lining of the inside of nozzle with the coating layer.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus has a plurality of ink jet recording heads, a cartridge mounting mechanism having cartridge detectors 124 and 125 and levers for the insertion/removal of ink cartridges, cap members covering each recording head but disposed outside the printing area, and a pump effecting a negative pressure within the caps. An ink cartridge replacement status determiner 130 detects the mounting condition of ink cartridges according to a signal from ink cartridge detectors 124 and 125. A pump controller 135 controls the pump which supplies a negative pressure for a prescribed period to a cap member of a recording head which has had an ink cartridge replaced (in the case where the mounting of an ink cartridge is detected by determiner 130). Ink is supplied only to a recording head which has had a cartridge replaced.

Abstract: A nozzle plate free from stray fly and defective jetting is achieved by a method which has a first step of putting a photosensitive resin film 5 in pressure contact with a back surface of a nozzle plate 1. A part of the photosensitive resin film 5 is caused to step into a nozzle 4 by controlling the viscosity thereof by changing temperature. Then, the thus processed photosensitive resin film 5 is hardened by injecting ultraviolet rays thereto. Next, a front surface 2 of the nozzle plate 1 is subjected to a eutectoid plating 6 process. By regulating a step coverage d of a part of the eutectoid plating 6 into the nozzle 4 by the hardened photosensitive resin film 5, a nozzle plate having a consistent nozzles, each being free from stray fly and defective jetting can be formed.

Abstract: A recording head has a plurality of nozzle opening trains for respectively ejecting different inks having different drying indices, and corresponding cap members disposed outside a printing region. Clogging of ink is efficiently prevented by disposing the nozzle opening train having ink with a higher drying index closer to the cap members than the nozzle opening train with a lower drying index. Timers detect times for idle ejection. When only the nozzle opening train with the higher drying index must perform an idle ejection, a controller positions it opposite the cap member nearest the printing area; the other nozzle opening train is thus not, at that time, positioned opposite a cap member.

Abstract: An anti-blooming composition which comprises a fatty acid monoglyceride composed of a fatty acid having 16 carbon atoms (A) and a fatty acid monoglyceride composed of a fatty acid having 18 carbon atoms (B), a weight ratio of A/B being 30/70 or larger is disclosed. A laurin fat and laurin fat chocolate containing the above anti-blooming composition is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cleaning solution supplying device is set in such a manner that it is communicated with a cleaning solution supply section through a cleaning solution supply pipe, and covers the end face of an ink jet head, and a cleaning solution sucking device, which is communicated with a used solution receiving section through a suction pump, is connected to a cleaning solution discharge outlet provided between the ink jet head and the ink supply passageway, so that the cleaning solution is intermittently sucked into the ink jet head through the orifices or ink filter of the latter and discharged therefrom, thereby to positively remove foreign matters from the ink jet head.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus with an ink jet print head which forms dots on a recording sheet by ink jets shot from an array of nozzles, a microcomputer determines whether a printing defect is a light printing defect caused by paper particles and dust adhering to the nozzles or a heavy printing defect caused by the entry of air bubbles into the ink flow paths. The determination is made on the basis of intervals of operating a print recovery button mounted on a chassis of the recording apparatus. For the light printing defect, the computer puts a cap member to the front face of the nozzles of the print head and applies a negative pressure to the nozzles, thereby to reduce the amount of ink emitted from the nozzles. For the heavy printing defect, the computer increases the amount of ink.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus with an ink jet print head which forms dots on a recording sheet by ink jets shot from an array of nozzles, a microcomputer determines whether a printing defect is a light printing defect caused by paper particles and dust adhering to the nozzles or a heavy printing defect caused by the entry of air bubbles into the ink flow paths. The determination is made on the basis of intervals of operating a print recovery button mounted on a chassis of the recording apparatus. For the light printing defect, the computer puts a cap member to the front face of the nozzles of the print head and applies a negative pressure to the nozzles, thereby to reduce the amount of ink emitted from the nozzles. For the heavy printing defect, the computer increases the amount of ink.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus with an ink jet print head which forms dots on a recording sheet by ink jets shot from an array of nozzles, a microcomputer determines whether a printing defect is a light printing defect caused by paper particles and dust adhering to the nozzles or a heavy printing defect caused by the entry of air bubbles into the ink flow paths. The determination is made on the basis of intervals of operating a print recovery button mounted on a chassis of the recording apparatus. For the light printing defect, the computer puts a cap member to the front face of the nozzles of the print head and applies a negative pressure to the nozzles, thereby to reduce the amount of ink emitted from the nozzles. For the heavy printing defect, the computer increases the amount of ink.