Abstract: A method and apparatus for a test pattern used in the alignment of an ink-jet pen which deposits fixer fluid, or other clear ink precursor fluid, on print media uses the change in reflectivity caused by overprinting a series of positional-calibration indicia with colorant to obtain data with respect to deviations in a carriage-scan x-axis and a paper scan y-axis. Thus the invention measures distances between pens or nozzles.

Abstract: Imaging apparatus and method for providing images of uniform print density. The apparatus includes a print head having a plurality of nozzles containing ink. Each nozzle has an image forming characteristic, such as print density, associated therewith. A heater associated with each nozzle is in heat transfer communication with the ink for heating the ink, so that, as the ink is heated, its surface tension relaxes. As surface tension relaxes, static back-pressure acting on the ink ejects the ink from the nozzle. A voltage supply unit is provided for supplying a voltage pulse to each of the heaters for activating the heaters and a controller interconnects the heaters and the voltage supply unit for controlling the voltage pulse. Controlling the voltage pulse causes the image forming characteristic for each nozzle to be altered to the extent that the image forming characteristics for all the heaters will become uniform.

Abstract: Determination of the quantity of consumable product, notably of ink, remaining in a reservoir. A capacitor (36) is formed on each side of the reservoir (24) and a resonant circuit including this capacitor is formed with a circuit forming a notional inductor (74), such as a gyrator, and another capacitor (68), the capacitor (36) being integrated into the circuit forming a notional inductor.

Abstract: A carriage, driven along a carriage rod, rests on the carriage rod at carriage V-bearings. The V-bearing connection is open at the bottom. A magnetic preloader applies a magnetic force biasing the carriage toward the carriage rod. A roller coupled to the carriage runs along a track surface away from the carriage rod. At high slew velocities, a local discontinuity, such as a bump, encountered by the roller causes an acceleration of the roller away from the track surface. The upward rotation causes a torque rotating the carriage around the carriage rod. A magnetic restoring torque is applied in the vicinity of the roller to keep the roller running smoothly along the track surface.

Abstract: In a printer that allows dual-way printing, a test pattern is formed to adjust the print timing with a high accuracy, or more concretely to eliminate a deviation of dots created in the course of a main scan in a backward direction from dots created in the course of the main scan in a forward direction. The test pattern is based on a normal dither matrix. The test pattern includes a plurality of dots that are regularly arranged both in a main scanning direction and in a sub-scanning direction. When the test pattern is printed at an appropriate timing, it is observed as a substantially homogeneous state without unevenness of the density. In case that the dot print timing is deviated, on the other hand, a deviation in dot interval causes unevenness of the density. The deviation of the dot print timing is accurately detected, based on the presence or the non-presence of such unevenness of the density.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting method for ejecting liquid by generation of a bubble includes preparing a head comprising an ejection outlet for ejecting the liquid, a bubble generation region for generating the bubble in the liquid, a movable member disposed faced to the bubble generation region and displaceable between a first position and a second position further from the bubble generation region than the first position; and displacing the movable member from the first position to the second position by pressure produced by the generation of the bubble in the bubble generating portion to permit expansion of the bubble more in a downstream side nearer to the ejection outlet than in an upstream side.

Abstract: Each nozzle of an ink-jet head has heaters having different heating capacities, and in accordance with the heater driven, a diameter of an ink dot formed by ink which is discharged from the nozzle is changed, thereby printing a large dot or a small dot. When multi-value image data is inputted, the multi-value image data is modulated such that a pixel having high density is printed with both the large dot and small dot. On the basis of the modulated print data, any of the heaters included in each nozzle of the ink-jet head is driven, whereby printing an image having tones based on the multi-value image data.

Abstract: A document-endorse arrangement has a document transport mechanism wherein documents are advanced down a track past one or more print stations where a jet-print nozzle array projects an ink stream to the document. One or more angled air streams arise from the track. Each air stream is directed downstream of the track at an acute angle of approximately 20 degrees with respect to the track. At least one of the airstreams is upstream of the nozzles and is adapted to pneumatically float each document past the nozzles so as to maintain a prescribed gap between the document and both the track and nozzles. This inhibits contamination of the nozzle from surplus ink and dust.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of creating a permanent copy of an image captured on an image sensor of a handheld camera device having an interconnected integral computer device and an integral printer means for printing out on print media stored with the camera device, the method comprising the steps of sensing an image on the image sensor; converting the image to an encoded form of the image, the encoded form having fault tolerant encoding properties; printing out the encoded form of the image as a permanent record of the image utilizing the integral printer means. Preferably, the integral printer means includes means for printing on a first and second surface of the print media and the sensed image or a visual manipulation thereof is printed on the first surface thereof and the encoded form is printed on the second surface thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the characteristics of a droplet of a liquid, such as a droplet of ink, includes a laser for generating and projecting a beam of light along a path. The beam is directed into a photodetector, such as a photodiode, which detects the amount of light provided by the beam and provides an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of light detected. Adjacent the output end of the laser are lenses which focus the beam of light at a focal point and form the beam into a sheet at the focal point. An ink jet head is adjacent the path of the beam at the focal point. The ink jet head projects a droplet of ink to and through the sheet portion of the beam so as to change the amount of light detected by the photodetector. From the electrical signal output of the photodetector various characteristics of the droplet can be determined, such as the size, shaped and velocity of the droplet.

Abstract: Every printing system has characteristic defects which detract from high quality printing. Xerographic printing systems show defects such as banding, mottled colors in large fill areas, trail-edge deletion and starvation where toner concentrations deplete at certain color edges, misregistration, and so on. Ink jet printing systems can show ink bleeding, streaking in the direction of head movement, and so on. If a printer defect occurs predictably, it is possible to pre-compensate for the defect by modifying the digital signal in such a way that the modifications cancel out or hide the expected defect. However, most printing defects, while statistically predictable, vary over time in the severity and extent of the defect. Some defects, such as misregistration, may vary in severity and direction with each print, because the defect is caused in part by paper feeding and shifting during printing. Other defects, such as trail-edge deletion, starvation, halo, tenting, etc.

Abstract: An inkjet printing system includes a permanent or semi-permanent inkjet pen containing small glass beads for ink containment and to provide backpressure to the ink. The inkjet pen walls are transparent, and the printer has an optical sensor that detects changes in reflectivity in the glass beads. The glass beads change in reflectivity depending on whether or not they are saturated with ink. The change in reflectivity therefore functions as an effective out-of-ink detector. When an out of ink indication is made, the printer executes a refill of the pen. Two embodiments of refill mechanisms are disclosed: a trailing tube design, and a take-a-sip design.

Abstract: A method and system for compensating for nonfunctional ink jets in an ink jet printer. The ink-jet printer includes a printhead having a plurality of ink jets, each ink jet being assigned to print respective dots on a respective raster line of a recording medium in accordance with a print mask, wherein when an ink jet is detected as being defective, at least a portion of said print mask is replaced with a replacement mask such that one or more of the remaining ink jets of the plurality of ink jets compensates for the defective ink jet. The method includes: detecting when an ink jet is nonfunctional; and when an ink jet is determined to be nonfunctional, replacing at least a portion of the print mask with a replacement mask such that one or more of the remaining ink jets of the plurality of ink jets compensates for the nonfunctional ink jet.

Abstract: Upon executing printing by latching an input digital image signal temporarily stored in a shift register (502) by a latch circuit (501), and energizing and driving a heater (401) using a power transistor (410) using an nMOSFET on the basis of the latched image signal, a voltage converter (111) boosts a voltage representing the ON state of the latched digital signal, and applies the boosted voltage to the power transistor (410).

Abstract: A drive regulation method for an ink jet print head, wherein a plurality of ejection signals are prepared for driving an ink jet print head in various states. The ink jet print head is controlled to eject ink based on each of the selected signals. The ejection signal that achieves the most stable ejection aim from each of the nozzles is used as the ejection signal for that ink jet print head. In order to determine which of the ejection signals achieves the best result, dot arrays are printed on a recording medium for each ejection signal and the recorded dot arrays are examined for degree of unevenness. The ejection signal that achieves the most even dot array is selected. The ejection signals selected for each ink jet print head are stored in a memory device.

Abstract: A recording apparatus capable of printing with high resolution and high precision at high speed while preventing drying of the ink jet head includes an ink jet head for emitting a plurality of types of inks one by one while performing reciprocating operation, an ink receiving equipment provided outside a recording area for receiving the inks emitted from the ink jet head, an ink emission amount setting unit for each ink, for setting the amount of emission of the ink emitted to the ink receiving equipment, and a control unit for controlling the ink jet head such that the ink of the emission amount is periodically emitted to the ink receiving equipment.

Abstract: A print cartridge latching mechanism for a displaceable print cartridge chute used in an inkjet printer. The chute holding the print cartridges is displaceable from the carriage that sweeps the cartridges relative to the media during printing. The chute can be moved from a printing position engaged with the carriage to a service position adjacent a side of the printer so as to facilitate installation and removal of the cartridges through the side rather than the top of the printer. The print cartridge latching mechanism is operable through an access opening in the side of the printer. The mechanism latches the chute to the carriage, aligns the print cartridges in proper position for printing, and maintains sufficient force to ensure good electrical connection between the printer control electronics and the printhead.

Abstract: Disclosed are a printing apparatus and a printing method which can prevent a deterioration in printing image quality when printing is executed on a time-division basis while performing scanning continuously with a printer head.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a carriage on which are exchangeably mounted a recording discharging portion, for which is formed a recording liquid discharging port from which a recording liquid is discharged, and a processing liquid discharging portion, for which is formed a processing liquid discharging port from which a processing liquid is discharged to process the recording liquid, a dedicated recording liquid recovery member for, when the carriage is halted, performing a recovery process on a face in which the recording liquid discharging port is formed, and a processing liquid recovery member dedicated for, when the carriage is halted, performing a recovery process on a face in which the processing liquid discharging port is formed.

Abstract: A method of printing utilises a print head comprising a plurality of printing elements which may be actuated independently to print on a substrate, and a control means which produces control signals for the printing elements for independently addressing and controlling the printing elements so that the print head may print a desired character, the method comprising analysing the performance of the individual printing elements to determine the printing characteristic of the print head and to produce control data, feeding the control data to the control means which utilises the control data to compensate for variations in the performance of the individual printing elements whereby the control means produces modified control signals for the printing elements so as to adjust the printing characteristic of the print head, wherein the control means compensates for variations in the performance of the printing elements by activating one or more of the printing elements at a different time to others of the printing e