Abstract: The invention relates to an ink-jet printer which uses an ink containing fine solid particles of a pigment suspended in a carrier liquid. The print head of the printer has an ink ejection orifice at one end of an ink chamber, and the ink chamber is provided with a first electrode to which a first DC voltage is applied for concentrating the pigment particles in the vicinity of the orifice by electrophoresis and a second electrode to which a second DC voltage in pulse form is applied for ejecting an agglomeration of the pigment particles together with a small amount of carrier liquid from the orifice. In the printer, the length of waiting time, which elapses from the decay of a pulse of the second voltage, is checked.

Abstract: An ink cartridge is removably attached to a serial printer. The ink cartridge has a memory device in which information on the ink cartridge is stored. The information may include information such as viscosity, temperature coefficient, the hue and brightness of color ink, various user's settings of density of a printed image and color tone of a printed color image, and identification data indicative of a kind of the ink cartridge. A controller in the printer determines whether the attached cartridge is suitable for use with the printer, by comparing the identification data read from the ink cartridge with the reference data stored in the printer. The information may also include data of a maximum count of dots that the ink cartridge is capable of printing and data of a cumulative count of printed dots that the cartridge has printed.

Abstract: A printhead for an inkjet printer employs an integral pump disposed in an ink feed channel, input well, or output well to circulate ink to the ink expulsion chambers in the printhead.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes an ejection tank disposed above a conveying path and storing an image-forming solvent, a nozzle plate provided at the ejection tank as a bottom wall of the ejection tank and having a plurality of nozzle holes for ejecting the image-forming solvent, and at least one actuator for moving the nozzle plate reciprocally toward and away from an image-recording material on the conveying path. As the image-forming solvent is ejected from the nozzle holes, bubbles may enter into the ejection tank by way of the nozzle holes. However, the bubbles rise in the ejection tank without remaining in vicinities of the nozzle holes. As a result, a case in which bubbles close the nozzle holes and prevent the image-forming solvent from being released from the nozzle holes is avoided. Consequently, the image-forming solvent can be uniformly applied onto the image-recording material.

Abstract: An image forming material which comprises fine resin particles and a recording component held inside the fine resin particles. The recording component comprises a colorant and water, and the fine resin particles can, when supplied with an electric energy, release the recording component held inside. The image forming material is brought into contact with a latent image holding body on which a latent image has been formed. Then an image is produced by applying an electric energy on the image forming material for the liquefaction thereof to wet and develop the latent image on the latent image holding body with the recording component contained in the image forming material.

Abstract: An ink jet head including a diaphragm, cavity plate, piezoelectric element, a nozzle plate and a base plate. The adhesive layer for bonding the diaphragm to the cavity plate is formed by an adhesive agent which develops glass transition at a head temperature. The adhesive layers for bonding the piezoelectric element to the diaphragm, the cavity plate to the nozzle plate, and the piezoelectric element to the base plate are each formed by an adhesive agent which does not develop glass transition at the head temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for forming an image on a base material, which comprises the steps of (1) ejecting a liquid ink containing a disperse dye as droplets according to predetermined information to form an image on an ink-absorbent sheet, thereby obtaining an image-printing sheet; (2) bringing the image-printing sheet into close contact with a base material having a dye-receiving layer capable of receiving the disperse dye on its surface and high heat resistance of at least 150.degree. C.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method which can inhibit feathering or bleeding in a print and provide a sharp color image is disclosed. The ink jet recording method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: ejecting a droplet of an ink composition, comprising a colorant, a thermoplastic resin, and water, onto a recording medium to deposit the ink droplet on the recording medium, and heating the recording medium with the ink droplet deposited thereon at the softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin or higher temperature so as to effectively inhibit feathering or bleeding of the ink.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printing apparatus, upon turning on the power source of the printing apparatus, a stirring operation of ink in the main tank is performed for a given period of time, and during sequent printing operation, the stirring operation in the main tank is performed for the give period at every predetermined elapsed time. By this, the printing operation for a long period can be performed employing ink having a water insoluble dye without causing a problem of admixing of bubble or so forth caused by stirring of the ink in the main tank.

Abstract: A fluorescent ink that makes tagger marks and is able to be used in valve jet printers at a rate of four #10 envelopes per second. The ink also penetrates paper at a rapid rate and dries at the same time it is penetrating the paper, without degrading the print quality. The penetrating agent solvent system may be isopropyl alcohol in combination with a surfactant. The surfactant may be polyethylene glycol ethers. Polyethylene glycol ethers have a high boiling point and low vapor pressure. The penetrating agent solvent system has a low boiling point and high vapor pressure and a low static and dynamic surface tension. This improves the inks rate of penetration into the paper and diminishes the amount of offset.

Abstract: Media are disclosed having a substrate, water-absorbing layer, and adhesive ink-receiving layer. After being printed with an aqueous pigmented ink, the ink-receiving layer may be laminated to a permanent substrate. Exposure to an energy source may render the printed image more durable.

Abstract: A substrate; a silicon dioxide film formed on the substrate; a platinum lower electrode formed on the silicon dioxide film; a piezoelectric film formed on the platinum lower electrode; and an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric film, wherein the relationship between a film thickness (X) of the platinum lower electrode and a film thickness (Y) of the silicon dioxide film satisfies conditions of0.5.ltoreq.X/Y.ltoreq.4, and3,000 .ANG..ltoreq.X.ltoreq.2 .mu.m.

Abstract: A solid ink stick supply system and related method for delivering solid ink sticks to an ink jet print head reservoir is disclosed. The supply system includes a housing with a keyed plate that guides the ink sticks into the proper loading position in a supply channel. A pusher rod in the supply channel transfers an ink stick onto an endless belt for delivery to the print head reservoir. A push device on the endless belt engages and delivers the ink stick to the print head reservoir. A second ink stick is transferred from the supply channel to the endless belt and is retained on the belt by a stop device. A method for efficiently loading ink sticks into the supply system is also provided.

Abstract: An ink container, such as that used in an ink jet recording apparatus, is improved to effectively suppress permeation of ambient air into ink compartments through the container walls and to permit easy refilling with ink. The ink container includes a container body which has a plurality of liquid compartments defined therein by a plurality of partition plates to accommodate the ink, and inter-compartment communicating portions through which adjacent ink compartments communicate with each other, so that successive liquid compartments are emptied one after another as the liquid is progressively consumed. The container body also has a buffer compartment which covers at least the top walls of said liquid compartments. The ink container may have a discrete segments of a porous member which are disposed only in the inter-compartment communicating portions.

Abstract: A device for capping at least one ejection nozzle of a removable ink jet print head of a postage meter, the device including protection means for protecting the ink contained in the nozzle against drying out, the device protection means being mounted on support means capable of moving between a first position in which the protection means are retracted inside the print head and a second position in which the protection means cover the ejection nozzle(s) completely, said displacement being performed automatically while said head is being extracted from a base of a postage meter in which it is incorporated.The support means are U-shaped, having two parallel arms interconnected at one end by a link element receiving said protection means, and wherein they are capable of pivoting about a common axis secured to a frame of the device.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet fluid composition which comprises a liquid carrier medium and a diketene. Upon ink jet printing on a printing medium and subsequent exposure to an energy source, a durable and water-insoluble layer is formed. Such an ink jet fluid composition and printing process can be advantageously used to produce durable and water-insoluble images on printing media.

Abstract: Provided is an ink-jet recording process comprising, using an ink containing a coloring matter, a liquid medium and at least one thermoreversible thickening polymer, ejecting the ink from orifices of a recording head onto a recording medium in accordance with recording signals to perform recording, wherein said ink is heated to various temperatures corresponding to recording image color signals to vary an optical density or a color reproduction range of a printed matter formed on a recording medium, thereby performing recording.

Abstract: A recording apparatus capable of determining malfunction of an ink detection device such that a light emitting device of an ink detection sensor provided for the recording apparatus to detect ink depending upon whether ink traversing a detection optical axis exists is periodically operated to emit light. Malfunction of the ink detection sensor is determined in accordance with the quantity of light received by a light receiving device in a state where ink traversing the detection optical axis is not discharged.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a color filter colors a large number of filter elements on a substrate respectively in a predetermined color. A filter element is colored while an ink-jet head nozzle and the filter element are aligned. The method comprises a detection step of detecting the position of the filter element, a correction step of correcting a relative position of the filter element and a discharge nozzle for discharging coloring material, based on position information of the filter element detected at the detection step, so that the filter element and the discharge nozzle are aligned, and a coloring step of coloring the filter element by discharging the coloring material by the discharge nozzle.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ink-jet printer using an ink containing fine solid particles of a pigment suspended in a carrier liquid. The print head of the printer has an ink ejection orifice at one end of an ink chamber, and the ink chamber is provided with a first electrode to which a DC voltage is applied for concentrating the pigment particles in the ink in the vicinity of the orifice by electrophoresis and a second electrode to which a DC voltage in pulse form is applied for ejecting an agglomeration or several agglomerations of the concentrated pigment particles together with a small amount of carrier liquid from the orifice. The rate of migration of the pigment particles depends on the temperature of the ink. For stable ejection of agglomerations of pigment particles, a temperature sensor is disposed in the ink chamber, and the voltage applied to the first electrode is varied according to the detected temperature of the ink.