Abstract: An ink-jet recording head includes: a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; ink cavity chambers formed on the second main surface of the substrate; and a piezoelectric element device formed on the first main surface of the substrate, the piezoelectric element including a first electrode, a piezoelectric thin film and a second electrode stacked in this order. A material of the first electrode is the same as that of the second electrode in electrochemical potential.

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: A recording method includes the steps of ejecting ink onto a recording material on the basis of image data; and ejecting record quality improving liquid to improve a record quality of the ink ejected onto the recording material; wherein one of the ink ejecting step and the liquid ejecting step is carried out after the other; the liquid ejecting step ejects the liquid to a part of an ink-ejection-area on the recording material to provide liquid-ejection-area and non-liquid-ejection-area.

Abstract: Driving signal generating member for generating a first signal for drawing as meniscus at a nozzle aperture by smaller force as ambient temperature rises, a second signal for contracting a pressure generating chamber and ejecting an ink droplet and a third signal for restoring the contracted pressure generating chamber after an ink droplet is ejected by larger drawing force as ambient temperature rises is provided, speed at which the meniscus is moved toward the nozzle aperture is prevented from decreasing by setting force for drawing the meniscus before an ink droplet is ejected when temperature falls to a large value and the delay of filling the pressure generating chamber with ink is prevented by setting force for drawing the meniscus after an ink droplet is ejected to a small value and damping the residual vibration of the meniscus utilizing attenuation by increasing the viscosity of ink.

Abstract: An ink supply system of a printing device, particularly designed for printing wide-sized media or documents, includes a container, a delivery device and a closed-loop belt. The container has a longitudinal opening and is provided with ink chambers, and the belt is disposed onto the opening of the container. The delivery device includes an intermediate and tubes. The intermediate is connected to the belt and used to move the tubes along the opening. Each if the tubes has a sucking portion immersed in the corresponding ink and a discharge portion used to connect to the corresponding printhead. The belt is connected to and pulled by the delivery device, and the holes are used to position the sucking portions, respectively. When the delivery device is actuated, the tubes are synchronously moved with the delivery device and the belt. The tubes with capillary action can continuously absorb the inks stored in the container and output it through the printheads without pressure loss.

Abstract: A method for cleaning an ink jet print head nozzle plate having an anti-wetting layer formed thereon, wherein an aqueous solution of a metal salt of a taurine surfactant is applied to the nozzle plate and then removed.

Abstract: An ink jet recorder includes an ink jet head having a nozzle, which can be capped with a cap and a suction pump for purging the nozzle through the cap. The recorder further includes a pressure control unit interposed between an ink supply and the head to control the pressure on the ink in the nozzle. At least just before purging finishes, the control unit applies positive pressure to the ink in the nozzle to prevent the air bubbles, the foreign substances and/or the like sucked into the cap by the pump from flowing back into the head. The control unit may include an ink tank and a height adjuster for adjusting the height of the tank relative to the front end of the nozzle.

Abstract: To suppress an increase in the pressure of an ink reservoir caused by the ink reversely flowed from an ink cavity without causing a lead wire to be damaged or to get fatigued. A thin portion 13 which becomes resiliently deformed by the ink reversely flowed from an ink cavity 2 is provided in the area of a compliance plate facing an ink reservoir 4.

Abstract: An ink jet print head having ink passage ways formed in a radiation cured resin layer which is attached to a substrate and to a phenoxy butryal surface of a nozzle plate. The passageways are connected in fluid flow communication to an ink discharging outlet provided by an orifice plate. In order to form the passage ways in the resin layer, a resin composition is exposed to a radiation source in a predetermined pattern to cure certain regions of resin layer while other regions which provide the passage ways remain uncured. The uncured regions are removed from the resin layer leaving the desired passage ways. The resin composition to be used for forming the radiation curable layers is a resin composition including: a first difunctional epoxy compound; a second multifunctional crosslinking epoxy compound; a photoinitiator; a reactive silane, and a non-photoreactive.

Abstract: Ink jet printing apparatus for forming an ink image on a receiver in response to a digital image includes at least one moveable ink jet print bar which is adapted to deliver ink to the receiver at an image transfer position to print at least a portion of a line at a time across the width of the receiver. The receiver is moved along a path past the ink jet print bar at the image transfer position. A detector unit disposed adjacent to the path detects receiver skew relative to the ink jet print bar and producing a signal representative of the receiver skew. Alignment structure coupled to the print bar is responsive to the signal for adjusting the position of the print bar to compensate for receiver skew, and a control unit is responsive to the digital image after the ink jet print bar has been positioned for actuating the ink jet print bar to form an ink image on the receiver. The alignment structure may also position the print bar to change the image resolution.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a cap member capable of sealing a discharge port for discharging ink and being provided at its bottom with an ink suction opening and an atmosphere communicating opening, an ink absorbing member disposed within the cap member, a suction pump communicated with the ink suction opening, and an atmosphere communicating valve communicated with the atmosphere communicating opening, and wherein areas of the ink absorbing member opposed to the ink suction opening and the atmosphere communicating opening are thinner than the other area and the ink absorbing member abuts against the ink suction opening.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead having a plurality of ink discharge nozzles that are served by respective ink supply conduits formed within a composite substrate includes ink discharge heaters respective to each of the nozzles, one or more substrate heaters for preheating an ink flow within the supply conduits and a plurality of resistors for monitoring the printhead quality during manufacture. The ink discharge heaters are in circuit with a first energy source connection and a common ground connection. The quality monitoring resistors are in series circuit with a second energy source connection and the common ground connection respective to the ink discharge heaters. At least one substrate heater is in circuit with a third energy source connection and the second energy source connection which, when the printhead is operatively connected for printing, is connected to ground.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer which includes a body portion having a substantially continuous side wall perimeter extending from a substantially planar first side panel portion. A cavity for containing ink is defined by a second side panel portion, the side wall perimeter and the first side panel portion. A lung type pressure regulator is disposed within the cavity and has at least one lung frame wall disposed at an angle within the cavity with respect to a cavity side wall for promoting gas formation in the cavity.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for correcting deviations from straightness of an array of laser emitters includes an array of laser emitters in generally aligned positions along an array direction. The positions of the emitters deviating from a straight, array direction line in a cross-array direction perpendicular to the array direction by a generally simple bend. Each laser emitter produces a beam of light in a direction normal to the array and the cross-array directions such that the light beams travel along individual light beam paths. A corrector device in the light beam paths aligns the light beam paths in a cross-array direction, thereby correcting for any deviation of the laser emitters from the straight, array direction line of the laser emitters.

Abstract: A phase-difference-measuring-circuit counts time-lags of beam-detect-signals with regard to a reference beam-detect-signal based on a reference clock. The counted values are stored in respective registers. When register-load-signals are set to "active", the stored values are loaded to pulse-generating-circuits, and counters in the pulse-generating-circuits count down the stored values based on the reference clock. During this count down operation, pulse-generating-circuits output one-shot-pulse-signals. When the on-shot-pulse-signals stays active, frequency dividers are set to "disable" and stop their operations. Duties of motor clocks driving rotary polygons in laser-beam-scanning-units are temporarily varied during this period, and the motor clocks are outputted with phase delay corresponding to this period, thereby correcting phase deviation in the main scan direction of the polygons.

Abstract: Printhead longevity is extended by more uniformly utilizing individual printhead printing elements. A preferred algorithm moves an active zone of printing elements uniformly down the printhead on successive print passes. If insufficient printing elements are available to print the next pass, the active zone is moved to a point near the top of the printhead determined by a modulo function.

Abstract: A replaceable inkjet printhead cleaner service station system has separate replaceable cleaning units for each printhead in an inkjet printing mechanism, which has a pallet that moves the cleaning units translationally to service the printheads. Each cleaning unit has a printhead wiper, a printhead snout wiper, a capping system, a spittoon, and an ink solvent application system, all supported by a base. The snout wiper cleans ink residue from a non-ink-ejecting snout portion of an inkjet printhead cartridge installed in the printing mechanism. The snout wiper is supported by the base for movement between a rest position and a wiping position to wipe ink residue from the cartridge snout portion through motion of the cartridge while the base remains stationary at the wiping position. A method is provided for cleaning an inkjet printhead, along with an inkjet printing mechanism employing such a snout wiping system.

Abstract: The ink cartridge comprises a casing closed on all sides, with a face wall having an aperture for receiving a tubular socket of the printing head. The casing contains a foam element impregnated with ink. It has locking elements for engaging arrester means of the printing head, as well as a second smaller aperture for feeding air. An elastomeric foil is provided between the face wall and the foam element, the foil having a hole smaller than the aperture and extending coaxially with the aperture. An edge zone of the smaller hole projects beyond an edge of the aperture and rests sealing against the sockets when the cartridge is inserted.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a rotary drum having a peripheral surface for holding a paper sheet, a print head for printing an image on the paper sheet held on the peripheral surface by jetting ink to the paper sheet, and an elevator mechanism for setting the print head to a printing position close to the peripheral surfice at a time of printing and to a non-printing position farther from the peripheral surface than the printing position along a normal line of the peripheral surface at a time of maintenance. Particularly, the elevator mechanism includes a pair of guide rails set parallel to the normal line of the peripheral surface, a slider unit rotatably holding the print head and slidably attached to the guide rails, and a driving section for moving the slider unit up and down.

Abstract: A method for generating a stroke frequency signal on a plurality of ink jet printheads arranged along a moving web includes the steps of: (a) coupling the raster printer controller to the plurality of printheads with a plurality of data links in a daisy-chain configuration, where the printer controller is at the beginning of the daisy-chain; (b) embedding a web velocity signal indicative of web velocity in data, by the printer controller; (c) communicating the data with the embedded velocity signal to each of the printheads by transmitting the data with the embedded velocity signal onto the daisy-chain; (d) each of the printheads deriving the web velocity signal from the data received from the daisy-chain by each of the printheads; and (e) generating a stroke frequency signal from the web velocity signal by each of the printheads.