Abstract: A liquid ink printer in which liquid ink is deposited on a recording medium in swaths in response to image data received thereby including a power supply, having a maximum power rating determined as a function of a number of passes per swath necessary to compete a swath having maximum ink coverage. The printer includes a print power regulation circuit, including a regulation circuit input, for receiving the image data, and a regulation circuit output, for transmitting image data in a number of passes per swath, the number of passes per swath being determined as a function of the maximum power rating, and a liquid ink printhead, coupled to the power supply and to the print power regulation circuit, for ejecting the liquid ink according to the transmitted image data.

Abstract: In an ink jet printer having pressure generate means for pressurizing ink inside the printer nozzles, either a first electric pulse of an amplitude enabling ink drop ejecting, or a second electric pulse of an amplitude lower than the amplitude of the first electric pulse for mobilizing ink inside a nozzle, is applied to each pressure generator synchronized to a reference signal of a single frequency. An ink drop is not ejected when a low amplitude second pulse is applied to a pressure generating means. Applying said second electric pulse instead stimulates ink around the nozzle so that high viscosity ink at the nozzle tip mixes with low viscosity ink deeper inside the nozzle, thereby lowering the overall viscosity of ink in the nozzle so that ink drop ejecting is easier.

Abstract: A label printer performs recording on a roll label comprising a number of label sheets bonded in succession on a release sheet. The printer utilizes an ink jet method to attain a smaller size and to print information accurately. The printer comprises a conveyance section for conveying the label roll to an ink jet print head, an ink supply section for supplying ink to the head, and a recovery unit for making the head performance stable. A conveyance surface of the label roll is made substantially horizontal, with the ink jet print head and the recovery unit disposed above the surface and the ink supply section disposed underneath the surface.

Abstract: A heater chip module is provided comprising a rigid carrier, a nozzle plate and a heater chip. The carrier is adapted to be secured to a container for receiving ink. The carrier includes an opening extending completely through the carrier. The opening has an outer periphery. A nozzle plate is coupled to the carrier and extends out beyond the outer periphery of the opening so as to substantially cover the opening. A heater chip is positioned within the opening and is coupled directly to the nozzle plate. The heater chip is coupled to the carrier only by way of the nozzle plate. Thus, the heater chip does not directly contact the carrier.

Abstract: The present invention is a replaceable marking media container for use in an off-axis printing system. The printing system includes a printer portion responsive to electrical signals from the replaceable ink container for controlling printer parameters. The replaceable marking media container includes a plurality of electrical contacts with each of the plurality of electrical contacts electrically connected with a memory element. The memory element contains information for controlling printing system parameters. Included in the replaceable ink container a housing having an outer surface facing outwardly and an inner surface. The inner surface defines a cavity within the housing. The plurality of electrical contacts are attached within the cavity, so disposed and arranged, to engage corresponding electrical contacts associated with the printing system.

Abstract: A semi-automatic, user-interactive solution to a color printer's inter-pen misalignment is described. Plural test patterns are printed using two or more possibly misregistered color pens, and the operator selects the best, or a preferred, alignment pattern. The operator's choice of pattern is entered into the ink-jet printer's controller and adjustment, e.g. offset, data are stored by the controller in a non-volatile memory device to be used in subsequent printing to better align the misaligned color pens. Importantly, the test patterns use a linear hash-mark from one of the separate pens, e.g. black (K), and adjacent thereto a color combination from plural others of the separate pens, e.g. yellow (Y) and cyan (C), to produce alignment patterns that are readily visible to the operator. In accordance with the preferred method, an alignment pattern includes a background patch of visible ink, e.g. cyan, and a foreground linear hash-mark of `invisible` ink, e.g. yellow.

Abstract: It has been discovered that inkjet printhead lifetime is related to an amount of accumulated air within the inkjet printhead. The invention, therefore, comprises a method of: determining an amount of ink that is output by an inkjet printhead during a determined period; using the amount of ink so determined to derive an update air accumulation value that is indicative of an amount of air which has accumulated during the determined period within the inkjet printhead; and updating a stored air accumulation parameter in accord with the air accumulation update value. The stored air accumulation parameter is thus related to a projected remaining lifetime of the inkjet printhead. A preferred embodiment stores the air accumulation parameter directly on a memory that is integral with the inkjet printhead. The parameter can further be stored on a memory that is resident on an ink container employed in the inkjet printer.

Abstract: An ink printing system is described herein which includes a print cartridge, having an ink reservoir and an ink fill hole, and an ink refill system for engaging the print cartridge's ink fill hole and transferring ink to the ink reservoir. The ink fill hole has a stopper blocking the hole to prevent ink leakage through the hole. The ink refill system containing a supply of ink has a male valve, resembling a hollow needle, which is inserted through the ink fill hole and pushes the stopper into the ink bag. The male valve creates an airtight fluid communication path between the print cartridge and the ink supply in the ink refill system. Ink is then transferred from the ink refill system into the print cartridge. The ink refill system is then removed from the print cartridge. The male valve of the ink refill system has a releasable tip which is pulled into the ink fill hole to seal the ink fill hole. The tip is then released from the male valve such as by unscrewing the male valve from the tip.

Abstract: A laminated ink-jet recording head is provided that has a strong joint between the diaphragm and the piezoelectric vibrating element and which can be driven on low voltage. The recording head is of such a design that a lower electrode is provided on the diaphragm in at lest a region that corresponds to said pressure generating chamber, the lower electrode being overlaid with the piezoelectric vibrating element formed by a hydrothermal method, said piezoelectric vibrating element in turn being overlaid with an upper electrode and having a film thickness of not less than 1 .mu.m but not more than 10 .mu.m. The invention further provides a process for producing this recording head, as well as an apparatus such as a printer that is equipped with this recording head.

Abstract: An ink jet printer of the type having at least one customer replaceable ink cartridge with an ink monitoring system detects whether or not the ink in the cartridge contains qualified ink or not and adjusts the normal printing mode to a non-normal printing when non-qualified ink is detected, thereby providing the customer the option to print with non-qualified ink with minimized effect on the printer or print quality.

Abstract: A high-durability printhead for an ink cartridge printing system. The printhead includes a substrate having ink ejectors (e.g. resistors) thereon and an orifice plate positioned above the substrate. The orifice plate (which preferably involves a non-metallic polymer film) has a top surface, bottom surface and a plurality of openings therethrough. To improve the durability of the orifice plate, a protective coating is applied to the top surface and/or the bottom surface of the plate. Representative coatings involve dielectric compositions (including diamond-like carbon) or at least one layer of metal. This approach improves the abrasion and deformation resistance of the plate and avoids "ruffling" and "dimpling" problems.

Abstract: An ink jet apparatus, used with an exchangeable ink jet cartridge having an ink jet head and an ink container, includes a cap, a sucking device and a controller. When the cap caps the ejection orifices of the recording head, the sucking device sucks ink from the ejection orifices. The controller controls the operation of the cap and sucking device. After a sucking operation is performed, the cap is held away from the ejection orifices for a predetermined duration of time; the capping and sucking operations are then repeated.

Abstract: A user interface for high-quality image output and an image processing apparatus utilizing the user interface which performs apparatus setting for appropriate printing by selecting a print medium and a print mode in accordance with the type of ink cartridge. When an exchangeable ink cartridge, containing YMCK color ink or ink having different ink densities from those of the YMCK color ink in approximately the same color hues, is attached to a printer, the type of the ink cartridge is discriminated by an ink cartridge ID, and available print media and appropriate output image types are displayed for user's selection based on the ID. Then print operation is set in accordance with instruction by the user.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording head for use in an ink-jet printer comprises a plurality of head portions. Each of head portions includes an ink cavity for receiving an ink material, means for pressurizing the ink material in the ink cavity, and a nozzle through which the ink material is ejected. The nozzle has an individual cross section with respect to an axial direction thereof and the cross section of one head portion is different from that of another head portion.

Abstract: An ink jet recording device has a recording head with a first array of ink discharge ports for emitting a first ink and a second array of ink discharge ports arranged for emitting a second ink, the first and second inks being of different colors, a main scanning element for moving the recording head relative to a recording medium for a main scanning during an emission of the inks by the recording head, and a subsidiary scanning element for moving the recording head relative to the recording medium by a predetermined subsidiary scanning distance during a non-ink-emission by the recording head. The first and second arrays of ink discharge ports are arranged with a separation between arrays that is not less than the predetermined subsidiary scanning distance in the direction by the subsidiary scanning element.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head have heating elements respectively installed in nozzles of the recording head for heating the ink so as to eject the ink within corresponding nozzles; a driver for driving the heating elements in correspondence with received nozzle driving data; an interrupter having a voltage detector and pulse generator for generating an interrupt pulse in response to the driving of at least one of the heating elements; and a controller for outputting the nozzle driving data corresponding to image data to be recorded to the driver unit and for detecting whether or not the recording head has been driven in accordance with the input of the interrupt pulse.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing the driving of nozzles in an ink-jet printer having a plurality of nozzles for spreading ink and a nozzle driving unit for driving the nozzles by receiving a nozzle driving signal, includes: a nozzle drive detecting unit for detecting the variation of the voltage generated by the nozzle driving unit as the nozzles are driven, and for generating the predetermined detecting signal; a control unit for generating successively the nozzle driving signal fed to the nozzle driving unit, and for testing the driving state and finding defective nozzles when the detecting signal is inputted; and a result outputting unit for informing the user of the testing result performed in the control unit. It is possible for a user to take necessary actions according to the testing result, by informing the user of the number of defective nozzles which are found via the testing for the driving state of the nozzles instead of finding a defect manually.

Abstract: A container for safekeeping an ink jet cartridge is provided with the main body of a container for storing an ink jet cartridge having a recording head unit, and an ink tank unit containing ink to be supplied to the recording head unit, a lid element for covering the inlet and outlet of the main body of the container for storing or removing the ink jet cartridge, an elastic cap member provided in the main body of the container for covering the recording head unit. This container for safekeeping an ink jet cartridge comprises a rib arranged on the inner wall surface of the lid element for exerting pressure on the recording head unit of the ink jet cartridge to press it to the elastic cap member; and a recess arranged on the inner wall surface of the main body of the container in a position corresponding to the location where the elastic cap member is arranged.

Abstract: Mechanical and electrical characteristics of individual print cartridges are determined and used to generate control information for customizing control of each individual print cartridge. One or more characteristics including nozzle heater resistance, drop mass and drop velocity for individual print cartridges are determined and used to derive offset values for widths of pulses used to drive nozzle heaters in the individual print cartridges. While all three characteristics are preferably used, any one or two may also be used. Once determined, pulsewidths or offsets from nominal pulsewidths to improve or optimize printing using the print cartridges are stored in memory devices located on the print cartridges so that printers utilizing the print cartridges can retrieve the pulsewidth or offset data and utilize it in customizing or individualizing control of the print cartridges.

Abstract: An ink sensing apparatus for a value dispensing device having a printhead which prints an indication of value includes a device for determining a total amount of ink consumed by the value dispensing device based on a total number of indications of value printed by the printhead and a total number of maintenance actions performed on the printhead; a device for ascertaining that the total amount of ink consumed by the value dispensing device has exceeded a predetermined amount; and a device for providing an indication that the total amount of ink consumed by the value dispensing apparatus has exceeded the predetermined amount.