Abstract: An inkjet printing system having multiple independent power supplies for providing firing energy to the ink ejection elements of one or more printheads. Different ones of the power supplies can be connected to different print cartridges each of which prints a different color ink; to different arrays of ink ejection elements within a single print cartridge, where each array prints a different color ink; or to different sections of the ink ejection element array of a single printhead for a single color ink. The output of each power supply is independently set to an appropriate voltage level for each different print cartridge, ink ejection element array, or section of an array.

Abstract: A humidity determination system for a hardcopy device, such as an inkjet printing mechanism, determines ambient humidity so printing routines may be adjusted to provide fast, high quality output in all environments. The system includes a thermal device having a viewable surface with a temperature which changes in response to a control signal. An optical sensor observes the viewable surface to detect an optical change in the sensor, such as when the surface passes through the dew point. A controller determines humidity from an ambient temperature reading and the temperature of the viewable surface at which the optical change occurs. With this information, the controller may change operating parameters of the hardcopy device. A hard copy device having such a humidity determination system is also provided, along with methods of determining humidity and operating a hardcopy device.

Abstract: In a micro device including a through hole for piercing a substrate and a fragile part provided around or across a part corresponding to a through hole of a multilayer film and relatively thinner than the other part, an opening can be formed in the multilayer film by cutting the multilayer film along or inside the fragile part and a through hole can be formed.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes ink ejection outlet for ejecting ink, a plurality of heat generating resistors for generating thermal energy contributable to ejecting the ink, and ink flow path comprising the plurality of the heat generating resistors and being in fluid communication with the ejection outlet, the heat generating resistors generating the thermal energy upon receiving a driving signal, so that a bubble is generated in the ink within the ink flow path to eject the ink through the ink ejection outlet; wherein the plurality of the heat generating resistors are arranged in parallel, relative to the ink ejecting direction, in the ink flow path, and the distances from the heat generating centers of the heat generating resistors to the ejection outlet are different.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conveying printer status information to a user are provided. One or more moving light sources are selectively illuminated to convey printer status information to the user and to attract the user's attention. Different illumination states correspond to different printer status and configuration information. The light source may be part of an optical sensor. In this manner, the light source may have dual functions: (1) to illuminate the print media during a calibration operation performed by the optical sensor; and (2) to selectively illuminate during a printing operation to convey printer status information to the user.

Abstract: A camera system is disclosed including: an image sensor device for sensing an image; a processing device for processing the sensed image; a print media supply device provided for the storage of a roll of print media for printing of images; a page width print head moulding including a print head for printing the sensed image on print media stored internally in the print media supply device in addition to a series of ink supply chambers for the storage of ink; a portable power supply interconnected to the print head, the sensor and the processing device; a cutting mechanism for cutting portions of print media containing images; a first drive motor adapted to drive the paper media supply device for moving the paper media past the print head; and a second drive motor adapted to drive the cutting mechanism for cutting the portions. Preferably, each of the drive motors includes a gear chain mechanism for driving corresponding mechanisms in a geared manner.

Abstract: A printer and method for shortening printing time is provided for in-line thermal printers using two banks of print elements. Electric currents to the banks are interleaved together. Interleaving provides the advantages of pulse modulation, but with an improved print speed. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a first set of printing elements is supplied with a first current signal for heating up the first set of printing elements up to the printing temperature. Then, the first set of printing elements is supplied with a series of shorter current signals to retain the temperature of the first set of printing elements until a first bank of dots is printed. Interleaved between the first series of shorter current signals, is a second series of short current signals supplied to the second set of print elements to heat up the second set of printing elements up to the printing temperature.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing method of applying an ink containing dyes onto cloth without need for a subsequent step of washing the cloth to produce printed cloth excellent in water, weather and abrasion resistance and dye-specific color brilliancy as well as soft to the touch. In the ink-jet printing method, the cloth is treated with an ink acceptor solution containing an ink holding agent and a synthetic resin having a glass transition temperature from 60 to 150° C. before it is subjected to ink-jet printing and then wet-heat treatment.

Abstract: An ink jet head that prevents pressure interference between nozzles without incurring an increase in size is provided. A pressure change buffer is provided for preventing pressure interference in this ink jet head can also be easily formed with the desired characteristics. An ink reservoir 1010, orifice 1008, and ejection chambers 1006 are formed in a horizontal arrangement between the nozzle plate 1002 and cavity plate 1003 of this ink jet head 1001. Pressure change buffer 1022 for buffering pressure change in the ink reservoir 1010 is formed in a first wall 1010b, which is part of the wall determining the shape of the ink reservoir 1010. It is therefore possible to prevent pressure interference between nozzles without incurring an increase in size. In addition, the pressure change buffer 1022 can be easily formed with the desired operating characteristics.

Abstract: An inkjet printing system uses high-resolution printheads holding different color inks to produce true 600 dpi color printing with a single pass of the printheads. By achieving a smaller drop size in the range of 25-50 picoliters for each printhead having a separate ink color (yellow, cyan, magenta, black), a full range of high-resolution color print-quality modes is possible. In an exemplary embodiment with a carriage scan speed of 25 ips, a two-pass draft mode uses a 7.5 kHz firing frequency, a four-pass normal mode uses a 4 kHz firing frequency, and an eight-pass best mode uses a 2 kHz firing frequency. In all of these print modes, each printhead can provide color inkdrop placement on every pixel row during a single pass.

Abstract: An adhesive bonding laminate includes a first adhesive film that is capable of adhesively bonding to an epoxy coating and a second adhesive film that is capable of adhesively bonding to a stainless steel substrate. The first adhesive film is adhesively bonded to the second adhesive film. Ink jet printheads, ink jet print cartridges and methods of attaching a flexible circuit to a substrate employ the adhesive bonding laminate.

Abstract: A structure of an ink-jet printer head of a piezoelectric type comprising a deformable polymer membrane, an actuator and an ink tank is provided. The deformable polymer membrane covers the top opening of the ink tank to enclose the ink tank. The actuator, which is a double-layer piezoelectric ceramic plate, is mounted on the deformable polymer membrane with one end thereof being fixedly connected to the polymer membrane and the other end thereof being free to vibrate. As a double-layer piezoelectric ceramic plate is employed as the actuator, it includes a top and a bottom piezoelectric layers. A predetermined voltage signal is applied selectively across the upper-surface electrode and the lower-surface electrode of the top and bottom piezoelectric layer respectively such that the top piezoelectric layer extends and the bottom layer shortens selectively.

Abstract: In order to determine a distribution of product present in a reservoir (112), particularly a distribution of ink in the reservoir of an image transfer device, a device includes electrodes (121, 122) disposed in contact with the product in the reservoir, a circuit (117) for successively supplying the electrodes with an excitation signal (SE) causing an electromagnetic radiation from the product, a receiving antenna (116) for sensing the electromagnetic radiation caused by the respective supplying of the electrodes, and a circuit (115) for processing the radiation sensed into a signal representing the distribution of product contained in the porous body inside the reservoir.

Abstract: The efficiency and speed in ink jet printing can be improved by adding a storage register between the shift register and the jet drive logic. By adding the storage register, jet print data that is serially loaded into the shift register can be parallel transferred to the storage register, where it is used by the jet drive logic to fire ink jets. While the jets are being fired new data is loaded and transferred to the storage registers to be used by the jet drive logic. This improves the system efficiency by eliminating the need for two extra pulses that are usually needed to load the first block of data and fire the last block of data.

Abstract: A selfcalibrated sensor module for inkjet printing devices includes a new circuitry and a new calibration method to provide the best output signal independently of optical component functionality variations and external light source influences. The circuitry for processing the photodetector output signal is designed to process that signal by a bank of amplifiers or by an amplifier of variable gain and includes an input for adding an offset to the signal. The calibration system, implemented in a processing unit, calibrates the sensor module, firstly finding the level of light that should be applied to the LEDs to maximize it so as to grant the best signal possible, in terms of the signal to noise ratio (SNR), Secondly, it determines which amplification factor will be used in order to ensure that the resulting sampled signal is not saturated. Thirdly, it determines the necessary offset to be added to the signal to center it in the dynamic margin of the ADCs.

Abstract: The flat bed raster drawing machine is controlled automatically, includes a flat table to bear a flexible material, such as paper, fixed guides on which a carriage moves perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the flexible material between the aforementioned guides, and a second carriage bearing the pin printer array type head that moves over the preceding one, in the direction of the lengthwise axis of the paper. The paper is moved in a controlled manner on the table parallel to its lengthwise axis.

Abstract: A method for detecting accuracy of media advancement is disclosed. A first set of nozzles of a printhead imprints a first swath of prints on a media sheet. After the media sheet is advanced by a predetermined distance, a second set of nozzles located in front of the first set of nozzles in the direction of the media advancement imprints a second swath of prints on the media sheet. The degree of the alignment of these two swaths of prints then serves as an accuracy factor of the media advancement and the accuracy factor can then be ascertained.

Abstract: A nozzle detection test pattern has been developed which can be sensed by an optical sensor located on an inkjet printer carriage. By having the same nozzle print ink drops on multiple pixels to form a single thickened test line during multiple passes of the printhead, it is possible to thereafter scan across such test line and automatically determine by the light contrast ratios which nozzles are not firing properly. A green light LED is used to illuminate the magenta, cyan and black test patterns as they are being sensed, and a blue light LED is used to illuminate the yellow test pattern as it is being sensed. A separate test pattern is used for each printhead ink color. The test pattern constitutes six rows with forty test lines on each row for a printhead having 240 active nozzles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink circuit comprising an ink cartridge (10), an additive cartridge (11), a recovery tank (12), a storage tank or accumulator 913), a main filter (24), solenoid valves (8), an ink transfer pump (14) equipped with a pressure/temperature sensor (53), an air pressure regulator (30), said ink circuit comprising a double face support unit with a hydropneumatic face and an electronic face making it possible to separate the hydraulic, pneumatic and electronic assemblies, all the functional components being fitted outside on one or other of the two faces.

Abstract: A method and system for compensating for swath skew with respect to a perpendicular direction of carrier travel. An amount of swath skew is determined, and gross and/or fine skew adjustments are applied to reduce the swath skew to visually imperceptible limits. The method and system according to this invention can be carried out through software and/or hardware and thus eliminates the need for mechanical adjustment of an ink jet printer. The method and system operates by determining appropriate gross and fine skew adjustments upon insertion of a new printhead into a carrier. The fire order sequence of the fire groups in the printhead can be altered, and the swath data adjusted to compensate for swath skew caused by nozzle plate and/or printer skew with respect to the perpendicular direction of carrier travel.