Abstract: The invention provides for a refill unit for a printer cartridge having an operatively, negatively pressurized ink reservoir. The refill unit includes an ink bag housed within a docking assembly for docking with the printer cartridge. Also included is a valve actuator shaped and configured to actuate an outlet valve of the ink reservoir into a closed position and thereafter to actuate an inlet valve of the ink reservoir into an open position when the docking assembly docks with the cartridge. The refill unit also includes constrictor actuators engageable with the cartridge and configured to increase pressure in the ink bag during ink flow from the ink bag to the ink reservoir, and to permit a re-establishment of negative pressure in the ink reservoir upon disengagement of the refill unit from the cartridge.

Abstract: The invention relates to a robot for large-format, three-dimensional printing on a fixed surface, using five powered spindles. The inventive robot comprises an inkjet printing block, means for moving and orienting said printing assembly along several axes, at least one unit for controlling said means and a device for drying the ink sprayed onto the surface. According to the invention, the aforementioned movement and orientation means comprise: a support having three degrees of freedom in translation, which is used to position the printing assembly by enabling translational movements along horizontal, vertical and depth axes; and a wrist having two degrees of freedom in rotation, which is used to position and orient the printing assembly by enabling same to rotate in relation to two perpendicular axes. The invention also relates to a method of using said robot.

Abstract: A liquid detector includes: a case; a sensor base; a sensor chip; and a partition wall, dividing a part of a flow channel in the case into an upstream and downstream buffer chambers. The sensor chip includes a sensor cavity adapted to receive a liquid to be detected. The sensor base has: a first hole through which the liquid is introduced from the upstream buffer chamber to the sensor cavity; and a second hole through which the liquid is introduced from the sensor cavity to the downstream buffer chamber. The first and second holes are arranged in parallel at the same height, the partition wall is arranged between the first and second holes so as to extend along the sensor base, and a bottom bypass is formed at a lowermost position of the upstream and downstream buffer chambers to communicate the upstream and downstream buffer chambers with each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method which are capable of stabilizing the amount of ink ejection and of printing a high-definition image by selecting a driving condition with heat conductivity of an electrothermal converter being taken into consideration. The heat conductivity from a heater to ink is classified into heater ranks, and, on the basis of the heater rank, a voltage of a drive pulse to be applied to the heater is changed.

Abstract: The system and process enable a printer to more realistically apprise whether internal components require additional power in order for them to be ready for use. The process includes detecting a user operating a device that is coupled to a printing device and setting a higher power consumption level for the printing device in response to the detection of the user operation. This process may be enhanced by compiling a printing device usage profile for each user of the printing device and determining whether the usage profile indicates the power consumption level is to be increased in response to the detection of the user operation.

Abstract: An amount of deposit in an ink receiving portion can be controlled using an inexpensive configuration which does not require any complicated mechanisms or control and which avoids increasing ink consumption. An ejection control section controls ejecting of ink from a printing section into an ink receiving portion. The printing section has a first ink ejecting portion that ejects ink that accumulates easily in the ink receiving portion and a second ink ejecting portion that ejects ink that is hard to accumulate in the ink receiving portion. The ejection control section changes the landing position, in the ink receiving portion, of the ink ejected from the ink ejecting portions depending on the status of accumulation of the ink in the ink receiving portion.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the cross-process position of ink print heads including identifying a first roll error frequency related to a circumference of a first roll, identifying a first roll error phase with respect to a reference location along a process path, identifying a first roll error amplitude of cross-process motion, identifying a second roll error frequency related to a circumference of a second roll, identifying a second roll error phase with respect to the reference location, identifying a second roll error amplitude of cross-process motion, and controlling the cross-process position of a first and second print head based upon the identified first roll error frequency, first roll error phase, first roll error amplitude, second roll error frequency, second roll error phase, and second roll error amplitude, wherein the first print head is axially spaced apart from the second print head along the process direction.

Abstract: A fluid ejection device comprises a first metal layer and a second metallayer. The first metal layer comprises an address path portion and a nonaddress path portion. The second metal layer, which overlies the first metal layer, comprises a first portion which comprises a power conducting portion. The power conducting portion is routed only over the non-address path portion of the first metal layer.

Abstract: A print start position is set to an appropriate position, and the time required for printing is shortened. A printing apparatus, which forms a row of dots from a print start position in a scanning direction to print on a medium to be printed, is provided with a sensor that is capable of detecting an edge, in the scanning direction, of the medium to be printed. The printing apparatus stores the result of detecting the edge of another medium to be printed, and, when printing on the medium to be printed, it reads out the stored detection result and determines the print start position based on that detection result.

Abstract: Provided is a printing system for producing wallpaper. The printing system includes a frame, a cabinet on the frame, the cabinet configured to receive replaceable ink reservoirs and cartridges of blank wallpaper, and a pagewidth printhead arranged on the frame for printing images on the blank wallpaper. Also included are pilot guides for guiding the blank wallpaper fed from the cartridges via a media path defined in the cabinet past the pagewidth printhead to facilitate printing, and a dryer module configured to dry the printed wallpaper. The system further has a cutter module for cutting the printed wallpaper before the printed wallpaper is fed into a container which stores the wallpaper in a roll, and a data capture device configured to capture the identity of an identifier carried by a print sample. The printhead is configured, subsequent to the capture of the identity of the print sample, to print the pattern which corresponds to the print sample.

Abstract: A method of supplying a liquid material in the form of droplets onto a base 10A includes the steps of: preparing a base 10A; forming a plurality of partitions 18R, 18G and 18B on the base 10A, each of the plurality of partitions 18R, 18G and 18B being adapted to become a color element; and ejecting one or more droplet via a droplet ejection device 103 while mutually moving the base 10A with respect to the droplet ejection device 103, the droplet ejection device 103 having one or more nozzle 118 through which the liquid material is supplied onto each of the plurality of partitions 18R, 18G and 18B.

Abstract: A tube pump includes: an elastic tube (14); a circular arc-shaped guiding member (16) for guiding the tube (14); and at least one pressing member (15) for pressing the tube (14) against the guide member (16). The tube pump is characterized by being provided with a recessed portion (17) in a portion of the guiding member (16), in which the tube (14) is not pressurized by the pressing member (15) and can be recessed. Thus, there can be provided a tube pump in which a negative pressure inside an ink supply passage (7) can be eliminated and air can be readily prevented from entering the ink supply passage (7) when the main tank (5) is replaced, and an ink jet recording device using the tube pump.

Abstract: A method for controlling the media feed of a print media sheet in an imaging apparatus having a media feed roller includes selecting between using absolute positioning of the media feed roller and relative positioning of the media feed roller for various media feed roller moves.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus has a head, a transport mechanism, a memory, and a controller. The head ejects a liquid. The transport mechanism transports a medium in a transport direction with respect to the head in accordance with a target transport amount that is targeted. The memory stores a plurality of correction values, each of the correction values being associated with a relative position between the head and the medium, a range of the relative position to which that correction value is to be applied being associated with that correction value. In the case where a transport using the target transport amount is performed beyond the range of the relative position associated with the correction value that is associated with the relative position before the transport, the controller corrects the target transport amount based on the correction value associated with the relative position before the transport and the correction value associated with the relative position after the transport.

Abstract: A device (200) for manufacturing a color printing includes a printhead (10), a device (300) for additional printing of the color printing, and a printhead motion and jetting control (100). The device (300) also provided herein includes a printhead identification unit (80) and the host processor (90). The printhead identification unit is configured for identifying type of the N jets, calculating the numbers of the defective jets, and then outputting measurement information of the N jets and the defective jets. The host processor is configured for receiving the measurement information from the printhead identification unit and outputting movement instructions of the printhead with a starting position of the printhead in the first printing process.

Abstract: A printhead assembly comprising: at least one printhead module comprising: at least two printhead integrated circuits, each of which has nozzles formed therein; a longitudinal extending fluid transfer member configured to support the at least two printhead integrated circuits, wherein the fluid transfer member includes a plurality of chambers which are in fluid communication with a supply of printing fluid and respective ports of the at least one printhead module; and an electrical connector for receiving electrical signals for the at least two printhead integrated circuits; a drive electronics part incorporating at least one controller which is connected to at least one of the at least two printhead integrated circuits via the electrical connector for controlling the printing operation of at least one of the at least two printhead integrated circuits; and a casing part for supporting the drive electronics part and the at least one printhead module.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus of the present invention records an image on a recording medium by having ink landed on the recording medium. The apparatus includes ink-jet heads, a dot position memory unit, an image data memory unit, a print data generating unit and a head controller. The dot position memory unit stores therein dot positions which include: black dot positions where only ink droplets of black ink are landed and chromatic color dot positions where only ink droplets of chromatic color ink are landed. The head controller causes the ink-jet heads to eject the ink droplets to the dot positions, so that: only the ink droplets of the black ink lands in the black dot positions stored in the dot position memory unit; and only the ink droplets of the chromatic color ink lands in the chromatic color dot positions stored in the dot position memory unit.

Abstract: With this invention, compatibility between an image forming apparatus and a component mounted on the image forming apparatus is precisely checked. A cartridge, as the component, stores its ID (first information) and an ID (second information) of the image forming apparatus that can use the cartridge. The image forming apparatus stores its ID (third information) and an ID (fourth information) of the cartridge that can be used in the image forming apparatus. Then, when the fourth information includes the first information or the second information includes the third information, it is decided that the cartridge mounted in the image forming apparatus can be used. When the fourth information does not include the first information and the second information does not include the third information, it is decided that the cartridge mounted in the image forming apparatus cannot be used.

Abstract: This image generating apparatus comprises a control portion printing a print image by predicting an ambient temperature in an apparatus body substantially reaching a constant level after continuously printing the same print image from the data quantity of the print image and adding a heat quantity corresponding to the difference between the predicted ambient temperature in the apparatus body and a printing-time ambient temperature in the apparatus body detected by a second temperature sensor to a heat quantity of a thermal head decided in response to a printing-time temperature of the thermal head detected by a first temperature sensor.

Abstract: A custom designed drive mechanism to be utilized in conjunction with an ink jet printer having a motor, transmission, and gripping apparatus to transmit articles of manufacture to be printed upon through an enclosure having a linear bearing and spring system, an optical sensor, digital encoder and print mechanism such that the articles of manufacture travel in a single direction.