Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having a fiducial reference point sensor that individually monitors the position of first and second fiducial reference points on a moving print device that are in spaced relation to one another.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink-jet recording apparatus capable of automatically adjusting the feed of a recording medium without troubling a user. Such an ink-jet recording apparatus is provided with a means for forming at least two adjustment charts for one band by means of at least one nozzle disposed at both end portions of a print head, a nozzle width detecting means for detecting the nozzle width of the print head on the basis of information of two adjustment charts in the same band printed by both end portions, a feed detecting means for detecting an actual feed of the recording medium on the basis of information of adjustment charts printed in adjacent bands by either one end portion out of both end portions, and a compensating means for performing a compensation for a predetermined feed for one band of the recording medium on the basis of the detected nozzle width and the actual feed.

Abstract: A method of imaging substance depletion detection in an imaging device. The method includes the steps of identifying a theoretical coverage of an imaging substance for a first area of a sheet of print media; determining an actual coverage of the imaging substance for the first area of the sheet of print media; comparing the theoretical coverage with the actual coverage; and determining whether a depletion of the imaging substance has occurred based on a result of the comparing step.

Abstract: The printing in which dots are formed on a recording medium through the ejection of ink droplets from nozzles is performed. The adjustment value to adjust recording position misalignment in the main scanning direction in such printing is determined automatically. An ink droplet is expelled according to a fixed cycle from a nozzle n0 while the print head is being conveyed in the forward pass of main scanning. The detection time tfp at which the ink droplet crosses a laser beam L is measured. Similarly, an ink droplet is expelled according to a fixed cycle from the nozzle n0 while the print head is being conveyed in the reverse pass of main scanning. The detection time tbp at which the ink droplet crosses the laser beam L is measured. The ink droplet ejection timing adjustment value can be obtained from these measurement values tfp and tbp and from the carriage position at these times.

Abstract: A thermal ink jet printer having enhanced heat removal capability and method of assembling the printer. The thermal inkjet printer includes a thermal inkjet print bead adapted to hold an ink body therein. A heating element is adapted to be in fluid communication with the ink body for generating heat to heat the ink body. A vapor bubble forms in the ink body to eject an ink drop when the heating element causes the ink body to reach a predetermined temperature. Presence of the vapor bubble forces on ink drop out the printer to form an image on a recording medium. A conductive heat removal structure is in thermal communication with the heating element and is also in fluid communication with the ink body. Heat generated by the heating element is transferred from the heating element and into the heat removal structure. The heat removal structure then surrenders the heat to the ink body, which functions as an “infinite” heat sink.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting a head gap between printing paper and a nozzle of a printing head in an inkjet printer includes a carrier mounted with the printing head, a chassis having a carrier shaft guiding a movement of the carrier, an eccentric cam formed on one end of the carrier shaft, a carrier driving part moving the carrier right and left along the carrier shaft, and a paper-transporting roller driving part driving a paper-transporting roller of transporting printing paper to be printed. The apparatus includes a carrier ascent/descent part ascending and descending the carrier by rotating the carrier shaft, and a clutch device selectively transmitting a driving force of the paper-transporting roller driving part to the carrier shaft to rotate the carrier shaft and disposed to be actuated by the carrier which is moved by the carrier driving part when the head gap should be adjusted.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the condition of an inkjet printhead. A test image is printed by the printhead and a second reference printhead. The density of ink dots in the test image is selected so that each dot just contacts adjacent dots while avoiding significant overlap. A defective nozzle can produce misplaced or undersized dots, creating abnormal spacing between adjacent dots. At the selected ink dot density, the abnormal spacing is most perceptible to the eye.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head for ejecting liquid by generation of bubble includes an ejection outlet for ejecting the liquid; a liquid path in fluid communication with the ejection outlet; a bubble generation region for generating the bubble in the liquid; a movable member having a fulcrum and a free end and disposed faced to the bubble generation region; wherein the movable member moves from the first position to the second position by pressure produced by the generation of the bubble, and a resistance against movement of the movable member, is smaller adjacent the free end than adjacent the fulcrum.

Abstract: Performing an ejection testing method for nozzles in accordance with the present invention makes it possible to determine whether a plurality of nozzles contain inoperative nozzles incapable of ejecting ink drops, thus allowing the presence or absence of such inoperative nozzles to be confirmed without receiving test data for each of the nozzles.

Abstract: A system construction section 24 receives mechanical modules, such as printer modules, and a scanner, produced by a mechanicals expendables production section 22, and assembles the mechanical modules and a built-in computer for driving and controlling the mechanical modules, so as to construct a printing system. Constructed printing systems 132, 134, and 136 are installed in a mini-labo 32, a drugstore 34, and a shopping mall 36. An expendables supply section 26 obtains a supply of expendables, which have been consumed in the respective printing systems 132, 134, and 136, from a mechanicals expendables production section 22. The supply of expendables from the mechanicals expendables production section 22, which produces genuine expendables suitable for the printer modules, ensures sufficient execution of the printing performances of the printing system.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which may effectively manage information related to each ink cartridge and an ink cartridge therefor are provided. A printing apparatus having a cartridge mounting portion on which a plurality of ink cartridges are detachably mountable, each ink cartridge having an element which may be written with information, an accumulating means for accumulating a discharge amount of ink discharged for every ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and a writing member for writing information into the element, in which the writing member writes information into an element in the ink cartridge selected according to an accumulated result of the accumulating means, out of the plurality of ink cartridges mounted on the cartridge mounting portion.

Abstract: The presence or absence of inoperative nozzles is detected by comparing a specific threshold with a time interval between successive detection pulses. The presence or absence of inoperative nozzles can thus be established without the use of information about the positional relation between the print head and the ink drop detection device, dispensing with the need to align the print head and the ink drop detection device with high accuracy.

Abstract: An ink jet apparatus comprising a nozzle arranged to eject ink droplets and an edge detector arranged to detect droplets having a first range of trajectories and arranged not to detect droplets having a second range of trajectories, the nozzle being arranged to eject one or more first droplets from each of a plurality of positions known relative to the edge detector, the positions being arranged such that the number of first droplets detected by the edge detector varies in dependence upon the magnitude of a component of the ejection direction of the nozzle, the apparatus being arranged to substantially determine a component of the ejection direction of the nozzle in dependence upon the detection by the edge detector.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead position detection system includes a light emitting device emitting at least one beam of light having a first edge and a second edge nonparallel to the first edge. An inkjet printhead includes a light detecting device detecting the at least one beam of light as the inkjet printhead scans across the light. A time period between when the light detecting device crosses the first edge of the at least one light beam and when the light detecting device crosses the second edge of the at least one light beam is dependent upon a position of the inkjet printhead.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which uses a printing medium, which can retain a large amount of coloring material near its surface and can cause ink solvent to permeate rapidly, and can perform printing in a printing mode that is suitable for the above-mentioned printing medium, is provided. Furthermore, a user friendly printing apparatus is realized. More specifically, the printing mode for the above-mentioned printing medium is a mode that uses less ink ejection per one pixel. Even in this case, high speed printing based on printing of sufficient density and high ink absorption become possible. Furthermore, even in the case printing is made on ordinary paper, a lesser ink ejection amount in the same printing mode is performed, but since this printing mode uses processing liquid that makes the ink insoluble, in a similar way, printing of sufficient density and high speed printing becomes possible.

Abstract: An apparatus to adjust a head gap of an ink-jet printer. The apparatus includes a shaft rotatably disposed at a main frame and having an eccentric supporting shaft, a head assembly movably disposed on the shaft and having a head to provide ink to a printing medium, a motor to provide a driving force to rotate the shaft, a worm wheel connected to the supporting shaft to rotate in association with the supporting shaft, a rotation angle control unit to restrict a rotation angle of the worm wheel to restrict a range of a head gap between the head and the printing medium, and a clutch unit to selectively transmit the driving force of the motor to the worm wheel and prevent a transmission of the driving force from the motor to the worm wheel when the worm wheel is overloaded by the rotation angle control unit.

Abstract: There are provided an ink jet head and an ink jet recording apparatus having a judging unit for making a judgment with ease on an ink filling state of a printing head without consuming any ink and recording medium that are used for verification. A controlling means 500 controls a selection means 300 to drive one of side walls adjacently disposed in ink passages provided on a head chip 200 and obtains a piezoelectric signal generated on the other one of the side walls from a signal processing means 400, to thereby judge the ink filling state in the ink passage.

Abstract: The presence of invisible ink drops may be relatively easily detected on a print medium by detecting the changes in specular reflection between the print medium and the print medium upon which invisible ink drops are located. An optical sensor having a detector for capturing diffuse reflections and a detector for capturing specular reflections may be implemented to detect the presence of both sufficiently colored ink drops as well as invisible ink drops. In one respect, the location of the detected invisible inks may be utilized to determine whether an ink ejection element that fired the drops of invisible inks is offset or misaligned. In another respect, the drop size of the ink drops may be detected to determine the health of the nozzles. In this regard, the method of detecting the presence of invisible ink drops may be implemented as a routine or sub-routine to determine ink ejection element alignment, apply a positional calibration of the ink ejection element, and apply a printing mask.

Abstract: This invention relates to an ink-jet printer equipped with an ink-jet printhead and a control method and apparatus for the ink-jet printer. The printhead incorporates an EEPROM storing head information including the ink discharge amount characteristics of the printhead. The head information stored in this EEPROM is transmitted from the ink-jet printer having the printhead to the printer driver of a host computer. The printer driver then selects a gamma correction table in accordance with the head information. In this case, a gamma correction table is selected from a plurality of gamma correction tables in which pieces of correction information which make print densities uniform are stored in correspondence with ink discharge amounts. This table also includes correction data for correcting an increase in ink discharge amount to prevent beading due to an increase in ink discharge amount with a rise in the temperature of the printhead.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a resistive element attached to a region of the substrate and formed of a first material having a first temperature coefficient of resistivity. In addition, the apparatus includes a pair of traces coupled to the resistive element, attached to the substrate, and formed of a second material having a second temperature coefficient of resistivity with the first material selected so that the first temperature coefficient of resistivity exceeds the second temperature coefficient of resistivity. An apparatus includes a substrate and a resistive element disposed onto a first region of the substrate and formed of a first material having a first temperature coefficient of resistivity.