Abstract: A recording apparatus that includes a condensation guide portion is provided. The recording apparatus includes a recording head that discharges ink onto a recording medium, a heater that dries the ink discharged on the recording medium by the recording head without making contact with the recording medium, a medium supporting portion provided with an opening portion which allows vapor that evaporates from the ink due to the heater to pass therethrough, and a condensation guide portion which causes the vapor that passes through the opening portion to condense and thereby prevent the recording medium from being wetted by the condensed vapor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device for controlling discharge of a liquid includes a power supply terminal, a ground terminal, driving portions arranged along a straight line between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal to discharge a liquid, a power supply line extending along the straight line from the power supply terminal to supply a power supply voltage to the driving portions, and a ground line extending along the straight line from the ground terminal to supply a ground voltage to the driving portions. A width of the power supply line in a direction perpendicular to the straight line continuously or gradually decreases away from the power supply terminal, and a width of the ground line in the direction continuously or gradually decreases away from the ground terminal.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes forming an image on a print medium by discharging a specific ink; and transporting the print medium, wherein the forming and the transporting are alternatively performed for printing; in the forming an image, while a print head is moved relative to the print medium that stops in the printing area, scanning for discharging the ink from the print head to the print medium is performed a plurality of times, and the specific ink discharged to the print medium is fixed to the print medium by being supplied with energy; the print medium is a non-ink-absorptive or low-ink-absorptive print medium; and the specific ink contains 60% by mass or more of one or more kinds of organic solvent that have a boiling point of 120° C. to 240° C. and are selected from a group consisting of glycol ether-based solvents and non-protonic polar solvents in the ink.

Abstract: A printer includes a global skew adjustment and a print head assembly having an adjustment mechanism.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink, a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type scanner for reading, as image data, charts for correction printed in the ink discharged from the nozzles, light emitters for emitting light to the charts for correction, a scanner controller for causing the scanner to scan the charts for correction with a plurality of read conditions, a correction table creator for creating nozzle shading correction tables based on the image data read, and a shading corrector for carrying out shading correction for the nozzles based on the correction tables.

Abstract: A controller in the example of this invention operates to perform flushing by ejecting three types in size of ink droplets, i.e., smaller, middle and larger ink droplets, from each of nozzles. Then the controller operates an ink-droplet detector to perform an ejection test to detect ejection conditions. Thereafter, the controller operates an ink supply section to perform cleaning in accordance with results of the test. A combination in size of unejected ink droplets indicates a defective condition of the nozzle. Consequently, varying the degree of cleaning the nozzles in accordance with the size of the unejected ink droplets may achieve cleaning in a shorter time of period. As a result, time for cleaning the nozzle can be suppressed. This leads to a decreased proportion of maintenance to a starting time in an apparatus and increased availability of the apparatus.

Abstract: A user interface for a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus including a plurality of print heads and an apparatus control system, each of the plurality of print heads being movable in a first direction, includes a display including a window. The display is configured to be connected to the apparatus control system and arranged to visualize an aligning of the plurality of print heads in the window. The window includes, for each pair of neighboring print heads in the first direction of the plurality of print heads, a user operable digital object. A color of the user operable digital object is changeable by means of a color function on the window for selecting a color for the user operable digital object.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid treatment agent coating device including a coating roller that coats a recording medium with a liquid treatment agent; a pressing roller that cooperates with the coating roller to nip and convey the recording medium; a first container that holds the coating roller and the liquid treatment agent, wherein the first container has an opening portion in the vicinity of a nip portion between the coating roller and the pressing roller; a second container that accommodates an amount of the liquid treatment agent held in the first container, wherein the second container has second airtightness that is greater than first airtightness of the first container; a removal channel extending from the first container to the second container; a first on-off valve disposed in the removal channel; and a return channel extending from the second container to the first container.

Abstract: Each unit of an inkjet printing station includes chains arranged along a transportation path of a web paper. A holding mechanism is fixedly arranged on the chain. The holding mechanism holds both ends of a paper passing bar to which the web paper is attached. Driving the chain with a handle causes the holding mechanism to move. The paper passing bar is delivered between the units adjoining each other. Therefore, the paper passing bar is movable from one end to the other end of the inkjet printing station formed by the units. Moreover, when specifications are changed for changing combination of the units, the combination can be made optionally.

Abstract: A printer includes an inkjet head that includes a plurality of individual flow passages each including a nozzle and a manifold commonly communicating with the plurality of individual flow passages, a heater that heats ink in the manifold, and a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of ink in the manifold. After the heater heats ink in the manifold, liquid droplets are ejected from the nozzles of the inkjet head. Abnormal ejection of the nozzle is detected based on a detected change in a temperature of the ink in the manifold.

Abstract: An image processing method includes: applying mask processing to an abnormal recording element based on abnormal recording element information; converting input image data such that a pixel to be formed by the abnormal recording element is excluded; applying quantization processing that converts the converted input image data to image data having a gradation number less than a gradation number of the converted input image data; and assigning each pixel forming image data after quantization processing to a normal recording element.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a carriage which includes a recording head performing recording on a medium and is movable in a first direction; a shaft-shaped guide shaft which guides the carriage in the first direction and extends in the first direction; and a lubricant guiding unit which guides a lubricant to a sliding contact portion between the carriage and the guide shaft, wherein the lubricant guiding unit includes a cylindrical member which is loosely fitted on outside the guide shaft and the cylindrical member is rotated when the carriage is moved.

Abstract: According to the present invention, recording density information indicating a recording density of a plurality of recording elements is acquired on the basis of a test chart for density measurement output to a recording medium after carrying out recording defect correction in respect of existing recording elements having a recording defect, recording elements which record in the periphery of a new recording element having a recording defect are extracted as correction hold recording elements on the basis of a test chart for recording defect detection output to the recording medium, predetermined density correction values are set in respect of the correction hold recording elements, density correction values calculated on the basis of the acquired recording density information are set in respect of recording elements other than the correction hold recording elements, and output image data is output to the recording medium on the basis of the set density correction values.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a manufacturing method for an ink-jet head is disclosed. The method comprises forming an ink pressure chamber, forming an oscillating plate, and forming, on the oscillating plate, a first electrode having a predetermined footprint. The method further comprises forming, on the oscillating plate and on the first electrode, a piezoelectric film having a footprint that is geometrically similar to the predetermined footprint, forming, on the oscillating plate and the piezoelectric film, a second electrode having a footprint that is geometrically similar to the predetermined footprint, and forming a nozzle in the oscillating plate.

Abstract: An exposure device, which emits light according to a gray level of image data, includes plural light emitting element lines arranged at different positions in a sub scanning direction, a number of the light emitting element lines being a number of bits representing a number of gray levels. Each of the light emitting element lines includes plural light emitting elements arranged in a line in a direction parallel to a main scanning direction, the light emitting elements numbers of layers of organic electro-luminescence light emitting elements being the same. The numbers of layers of the organic electro-luminescence light emitting elements laminated in the light emitting element lines, which are arranged at different positions in the sub scanning direction, are different from each other.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus for printing images on printing paper by discharging ink while moving inkjet heads and the printing paper relative to each other. The apparatus includes an inkjet head holder for holding the inkjet heads, a controller for operating a plurality of motors to move the inkjet head holder vertically at least between a printing position and an origin position, and a monitoring unit for monitoring, during a vertical movement caused by the controller, synchronous rotations of the plurality of motors, and corresponding directions of rotation of the plurality of motors.

Abstract: A liquid-jet head includes a thin film member having a thin part and a thick part, and at least a part of the thin film member is formed of an electroformed film. In the liquid-jet head, the thin film member includes a metallic film forming the thin part, a first electroformed film formed on the metallic film, the first electroformed film forming the thick part, and a second electroformed film covering a connecting part between the metallic film and the first electroformed film.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes upper and lower electrodes providing driving voltages and a piezoelectric film formed between the upper and lower electrodes and providing a driving force to ink in a plurality of pressure chambers formed on an inkjet print head, respectively. The piezoelectric film may include a plurality of basin parts individually formed on respective tops of the plurality of pressure chambers and a large-area part connected to the plurality of basin parts, respectively, at one end of the plurality of basin parts and formed as a single body. The large-area part may include a groove formed on an extended line of a basin line partitioning the basin parts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cap member for a liquid discharge head. The cap member is configured to seal a discharge surface of the liquid discharge head and includes a lower receiving portion; a liquid-absorbing member disposed opposite the discharge surface of the head and including a nozzle-facing surface and a bottom portion; and a suction hole, provided at a bottom of the cap member, through which ink is discharged. In the thus-configured cap member, the bottom portion of the liquid-absorbing member is disposed apart from the lower receiving portion and from the suction hole disposed at the bottom of the cap member, and has a surface slanted toward the suction hole.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a nozzle plate in which a first nozzle row of nozzle openings aligned along a first direction X and a second nozzle row of nozzle openings aligned along the X direction are disposed side by side along a second direction Y, perpendicular to the X direction; and a channel member including pressure generating chambers aligned along the X direction and nozzle communication holes that allow the pressure generating chambers and the nozzle openings to communicate with each other. The nozzle communication holes include first openings communicating with the pressure generating chambers and second openings open to the nozzle plate. The second openings have a width in the X direction larger than a width of the pressure generating chambers, alternatively communicate with the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, and are alternatively arranged on different sides when viewed in the Y direction.