Abstract: A washing liquid supply mechanism includes a washing liquid supply device including a supply opening that supplies a washing liquid, the washing liquid supply device being mounted on a carriage; an openable/closable shutter mounted on the carriage and connected to the supply opening of the washing liquid supply device; and a shutter open/close device that opens the shutter when the carriage moves from a first position at which printing is performed to a second position at which printing is not performed and that closes the shutter when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

Abstract: A color ink printing system includes a plurality of print head cartridges each including a modular printhead made up of a plurality of print head tiles; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges; and a maintenance chassis for supporting a plurality of maintenance cradles, the maintenance chassis is actuable between a storage position and an operational position. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated. Each print head cartridge is a monochrome print head cartridge ejecting a fluid different to the remaining print head cartridges. One or more of the plurality of print head cartridges includes a plurality of ventilation slits defined in the vicinity of the print head tiles, having applied thereto a suction force for sucking ink aerosol particles away from the print head tiles.

Abstract: An electronic instrument is adapted to communicate with another electronic instrument. The electronic instrument includes an acquisition section, a storage section, an inquiry section and a processing section. The acquisition section is configured to acquire identification information from a managed article used by the electronic instrument, the identification information being read-only information uniquely assigned to the managed article. The storage section is configured to store the identification information acquired by the acquisition section. The inquiry section is configured to inquire another electronic instrument as to whether the identification information acquired by the acquisition section is already stored in another electronic instrument. The processing section is configured to perform processing in response to a result of inquiry by the inquiry section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a carriage that includes a head including a black nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged and a color nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arrange, the black nozzle array being disposed at a position shifted in the sub-scanning direction downstream in a medium conveying direction with respect to the color nozzle array; a conveying unit configured to convey a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction; and a control unit. The control unit forms an image by the color nozzle array in a main scanning in one direction, relatively moves the recording medium to a subsequent main-scanning position thereafter, and forms an image by the black nozzle array on the image formed by the color nozzle array in a following main scanning in the other direction so as to complete an image for one scanning area.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a carriage which is movable in a forward direction from one end to the other end; a recording head provided in the carriage and having a plurality of nozzle groups from which the ink is discharged; an ink receiver provided at a side of the one end including a flushing position and configured to receive the ink discharged by a flushing operation; and a controller configured to control operations of the carriage and the recording head. In a case that the carriage is moved in the forward direction, the controller executes: an acceleration process for accelerating the carriage; a selecting process for selecting at least one nozzle group for which the flushing operation is performed; a flushing process for performing the flushing operation for the nozzle group selected in the selecting process during the acceleration process; and a recording process for recording the image.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a pressure generation unit that causes a liquid to be ejected from a nozzle opening that communicates with a flow channel and a liquid holding unit that supplies a liquid to the flow channel, and the pressure generation unit performs microvibration driving when the liquid holding unit is replaced.

Abstract: A printhead assembly for a printing device is provided that includes a printhead comprising non-volatile memory elements. The memory elements include memristive elements. Each memristive element includes an active region disposed between two electrodes. The active region includes a switching layer formed of a switching material capable of carrying a species of dopants and a conductive layer in electrical contact with the switching layer, the conductive layer being formed of a dopant source material that includes the species of dopants that are capable of drifting into the switching layer under an applied potential.

Abstract: A system for printing an image, preferably a multicolor halftone image, onto at least one non-planar area of a surface of an object, for example a section of a body of a vehicle, includes an inkjet print head having nozzles, a robot, preferably an articulated robot, creating a primary movement, the primary movement including at least two printing paths of the inkjet print head being lateral to each other, and a device creating a secondary movement, the secondary movement being substantially perpendicular to the primary movement and causing the printing paths to laterally adjoin each other. As a result, undesired streaks between the printing paths may advantageously be reduced or prevented.

Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transportation unit that transports a recording medium, a driven rotation member that rotates as a result of being driven depending on the recording medium which is transported by the transportation unit while in contact with the recording medium, a rotational position detection unit that detects a rotational position of the driven rotation member, and a control unit that controls an amount of transportation of the recording medium based on a result of the detection by the rotational position detection unit.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording unit that records an image in a first region, a first control unit that has a drive roller to transport a recording medium and controls a tension of the recording medium in the first region by adjusting a torque of the drive roller based on the tension of the recording medium in the first region, a second control unit that controls the tension of the recording medium in a second region according to the detection result of the tension of the recording medium in the second region. Compared to the frequency response characteristics of the first control unit with respect to the tension fluctuations generated in the first region, the frequency response characteristics of the second control unit with respect to the tension fluctuations generated in the second region responds to the tension fluctuations having a higher frequency band.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed. The printer prints a swath of ink across the paper in a first direction. The printer moves the media with respect to the print head in a backwards direction and prints a second swath of ink across the media in a second opposite direction. The printer then moves the media with respect to the print head in a forwards direction by a different amount. The printer then repeats printing the two swaths as describe above.

Abstract: A system and a method for cleaning a printhead by providing from a first slit a laminar flow of cleaning fluid that flows through a pretensioned brush for brushing the nozzle plate and collecting debris. The cleaning fluid with the debris is drained by a first slit having a first under pressure and next by a second slit that has a second under pressure that is greater than the first under pressure.

Abstract: A plurality of test patterns that are disposed in a predetermined direction are printed using dot arrays formed along an intersecting direction interesting with the predetermined direction using nozzles included in an overlapping portion of a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array, a plurality of rules lined in the predetermined direction are printed so as to be adjacent to the test patterns using nozzles included in the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array, density correction values are computed according to density of each of raster lines of the test patterns, and the positions of nozzles specified from the positions of rules are associated with the positions of the raster lines for which density correction values are computed.

Abstract: A temperature sensor provided to a recording head detects a temperature when the recording head relatively moves outside an opposite region opposite to a platen heater. A driving signal generating circuit compensates an ejection pulse in accordance with the detected temperature.

Abstract: An ejection complement process is performed during which both a usual ejection failure and a sudden ejection failure can be appropriately coped with, without being accompanied by a frequent maintenance process. In a case wherein sequential printing is not currently being performed, the first detection process is performed with a high accuracy while being accompanied by the maintenance process, and in a case wherein sequential printing is currently being performed, the second detection process that requires only a small process load is performed at a predetermined timing without being accompanied by the maintenance processing. At this time, when the number of ejection failed nozzles detected in the second ejection process has reached a predetermined value or greater, the maintenance process is performed, and only the information for the ejection failed nozzle, detected in the second detection process, is reset.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a nozzle plate on which nozzle openings for ejecting liquid are provided, a flow path formation substrate on which pressure generation chambers communicating with the nozzle openings are provided, communicating portions in which the liquid to be supplied to the pressure generation chambers is stored, and piezoelectric elements which generate pressure change in the liquid in the pressure generation chambers. In the liquid ejection head, a thermistor is arranged on a surface of the flow path formation substrate at an opposite side to the nozzle openings and one lead wiring of the thermistor is connected to wiring layers which are formed on the surface of the flow path formation substrate in a state where one side ends of the wiring layers face to the communicating portions.

Abstract: A cap device includes a first table provided so as not to be movable in a main scanning direction with respect to a base member; a first cap provided on the first table; a first guide member which has a first contact surface directed leftward and is provided on the first table; a second table provided so as to be movable in the main scanning direction with respect to the base member; a second cap provided on the second table; a second guide member which has a second contact surface directed leftward and is provided on the second table; a third guide member which has a third contact surface facing the first contact surface and is provided on a first ink head unit; and a fourth guide member which has a fourth contact surface facing the second contact surface and is provided on a second ink head unit.

Abstract: A system for testing one or more nozzles in a nozzle plate includes a fixture for holding the nozzle plate, a gas input device for jetting gas through the nozzle, and a first stationary schlieren optical system for producing a light-intensity representation of a gas stream jetted from the nozzle. An image capture device can capture one or more images of the light-intensity representation or the light-intensity representation can be projected onto a screen.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a support member that supports a recording medium; a head plate that extends in a direction that intersects a transporting direction of the recording medium; a head body mounted on the head plate and having a nozzle that ejects a liquid onto the recording medium supported on a surface of the support member; and adjusting members that respectively project from opposite ends of the head plate in a direction of the head plate that intersects the transporting direction toward the support member, and that position the head plate with respect to the surface of the support member when each distal end of the adjusting members contacts the surface of the support member.

Abstract: A method for testing a nozzle in a nozzle plate includes jetting gas through the nozzle and forming one or more light-intensity representations of a gas stream jetted from the nozzle using at least one stationary schlieren optical system. One or more images can be captured of the one or more light-intensity representations of the gas stream jetted from the nozzle. Alternatively, respective light-intensity representations of the gas stream jetted from the nozzle can be projected onto a screen.