Abstract: A narrow ink jet printhead having efficient FET drive circuits that are configured to compensate for parasitic resistances of power traces. The ink jet printhead further includes ground buses that overlap active regions of the FET drive circuits.

Abstract: A shutter for a print head of a print cartridge is provided. The shutter includes a cover movably attachable to the print cartridge. The cover is movable between a closed position to cover the print head and an open position to expose the print head. An arm is pivotally attachable to the print cartridge and is movably attached to the cover. A biasing device for biasing the cover in the closed position is attached to the arm and is attachable to the print cartridge.

Abstract: A target object to be irradiated is transported into an irradiating chamber through a transport inlet for irradiation with an active energy beam under an inert gas atmosphere in an active energy beam irradiating section included in the irradiating chamber and, then is transported out of the irradiating chamber. When the object is subject to above steps, the gas flow resistance at the transport outlet is controlled such that the active energy beam irradiation is carried out under the condition of X/Y≧1, where X represents the gas amount passing through the transport inlet, and Y represents the gas amount passing through the transport outlet.

Abstract: There is provided a method for monitoring paper or other jams of a carriage in a printer by monitoring the current waveshape in a first winding of a stepper motor at or near the time when a second winding of the stepper motor commutates. The current waveshape is received from a low-value sensing resistor, typically within an integrated circuit stepper motor driver device. Changes in the current waveshape during this time window may be interpreted and accurate deductions may be made concerning the loading of the stepper motor. In the case where the stepper motor is the drive motor for a printer carriage, the loading information may be used to detect a paper jam or similar problem in the printer carriage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electron beam-irradiating reaction apparatus for irradiating a desired object to be treated, such as an exhaust gas, with an electron beam. Conventionally, a scanning tube of an electron beam irradiation device and a reaction device-for receiving the electron beam are rigidly connected. Therefore, excessive stress is applied to a connecting portion between the scanning tube and the reaction device and not only leakage of gas from the connecting portion, but also breakage of a metal window foil provided at an end portion of the scanning tube are likely to occur. In the present invention, to solve such problems, a flexible hermetic sealing member 23 is provided between a portion around the end portion of the scanning tube 12 and a peripheral edge 18a of an electron beam receiving window in a side wall of an electron beam reaction device 18.

Abstract: In a liquid ejecting head having a first liquid flow path communicating with an ejecting port for ejecting a liquid to be ejected and an element substrate having a heating element for forming a bubble from a bubble forming liquid as well as including a second liquid flow path corresponding to the first liquid flow path and a movable separation membrane for substantially separating the first liquid flow path and the second liquid flow path corresponding to the first liquid flow path from each other at all times, the liquid ejecting head includes an atmosphere communication port facing the atmosphere for communicating the second liquid flow path with the atmosphere, and an atmosphere communication path having an atmosphere communication path introduction port facing the second liquid flow path, wherein the atmosphere communication port is formed through the same surface as that of the ejecting port, whereby the liquid ejecting head can remove remaining bubbles in the bubble forming liquid by a simple arrangemen

Abstract: A solid ink loader for feeding colored solid ink sticks in a phase change ink jet printer, wherein the feed system includes at least one feed channel for receiving ink sticks having a first ink stick color, at least one key plate for the at least one feed channel, wherein the at least one key plate has a first insertion opening for admitting the ink sticks having the first color into the at least one feed channel, and wherein the at least one key plate has first ink stick color identification markings corresponding to the first ink stick color.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming method and apparatus capable of forming an image with a desired shape at a correct position on a recording medium having expansion and contraction properties. Boundary lines formed on the recording medium being conveyed are detected by a sensor. Distortion of the recording medium is evaluated on the basis of the detected boundary lines. Image data is corrected in accordance with the result of the evaluation and an image is formed in accordance with the corrected image data. In the above process, image data within the respective areas surrounded by the boundary lines is deformed such that the image is printed at a correct location even when the recording medium has distortion due to expansion/contraction.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head has a plurality of ejectors and an ink supply system. Each of the plurality of ejectors has a pressure generating chamber, a nozzle communicating with the pressure generating chamber, and a pressure generating portion. The ejectors are arrayed two-dimensionally. The ink supply system has a common flow path with which a plurality of the ejectors are interconnected. The pressure generating chambers are filled with ink through the common flow path. A change of pressure is generated in the ink in the pressure generating chambers by the pressure generating portions. Thus, ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles. The common flow path is disposed to overlap the pressure generating chambers two-dimensionally. The common flow path has a constricted shape having wide portions and narrow portions.

Abstract: The scanning printing apparatus prints an image composed of a plurality of row images in accordance with image signals and each row images is printed while moving in a direction on a recording medium. The apparatus includes a moving unit for moving the apparatus itself on the medium in the one direction, a first ejection head for printing each row image of the image on the medium, a second ejection head for printing predetermined invisible marks which cannot be identified by humans on the medium, a first sensor for detecting the invisible marks printed on the medium and a control unit for controlling the moving unit based on detection results of the first sensor. The printing method prints the image by using the apparatus while correcting a printing position based on a position of the detected invisible marks.

Abstract: A feed system for feeding solid ink sticks, the system including a feed channel having a longitudinal dimension between an insertion end and a melt end, a push block element for moving one or more ink sticks along the feed channel from the insertion end to the melt end, and a tension element. The tension element is attached to the push block element so that the tension element urges the push block element toward the melt end of the feed channel and when the tension element is urging the push block element, the tension element is positioned substantially to one side of the feed channel.

Abstract: An ink jet print cartridge having a compact electrical interconnect structure that includes a plurality of pairs of columnar arrays of electrical contact areas disposed on a rear wall of the print cartridge and electrically connected to ink drop generators arranged in primitive groups.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for reducing ink corrosion of exposed metal layers on a chip surface of a semiconductor chip for an ink jet printhead. The method includes depositing a protective layer in a plasma process to the chip surface, the protective layer being deposited adjacent ink ejectors so that the protective layer substantially circumscribes an ink via in the chip. A thick film layer is applied to the protective layer and chip, whereby the protective layer and thick film layer are sufficient to promote increased adhesion between the thick film layer and a nozzle plate attached to the thick film layer thereby substantially reducing a tendency for the nozzle plate and thick film layer to delaminate from one another during printhead manufacture or use and interrupting contact between ink and the exposed metal layers on the chip surface.

Abstract: A printing system includes a printing device fluidly communicating with a main ink reservoir and a vacuum pump. The main ink reservoir refills one or more reservoirs mounted within the printing device when the ink contained therein falls below a defined tolerance level. The vacuum pump varies a level of a vacuum or partial vacuum within the reservoir to maintain a pressure level at one or more nozzles of one or more print heads mounted in the printing device. Variations in the level of the vacuum or partial vacuum can be based upon the desired pressure at the nozzles, the particular volume or level of ink stored within the reservoir, and the type of ink stored within the reservoir. Through creating the vacuum or partial vacuum, the inks stored within the reservoir are degassed before being delivered to the print head.

Abstract: A liquid container which can precisely detects existence/absence of residual liquid at a low cost, a cartridge including the liquid container, and a printing apparatus using the cartridge. The lengthwise direction of a triangular prism provided on the bottom of the ink tank is along a direction of print medium conveyance in the printing apparatus, such that when an ink-jet head cartridge holding the ink tank is attached to the printing apparatus for performing printing, light emitted from an optical unit of the printing apparatus is precisely captured by the prism. Further, if two ink-jet head cartridges are mounted on the printing apparatus, the first and second ink-jet head cartridges are set in positions shifted from each other by a length shorter than the length in the lengthwise direction of the prism, such that the light emitted from the optical unit reaches the prisms provided in the ink tanks of the first and second ink-jet head cartridges.

Abstract: An ink stick push block for use in a system for feeding solid ink sticks in a phase change printer, wherein each solid ink stick has an ink stick face surface having an ink stick face surface contour and an ink stick rear surface having a nonplanar ink stick rear surface contour, the ink stick push block. The push block includes an ink stick push block face having a nonplanar ink stick push block face contour, wherein at least a portion of the nonplanar ink stick push block face contour is the complement of at least a portion of the nonplanar ink stick rear surface contour.

Abstract: A negative image recording material on which an image is formable by exposure, comprising (A) a specific polymer compound that has at least one carbon—carbon double bond in a side chain thereof and a glass transition temperature of 80° C. or more, and is soluble in an aqueous alkaline solution, (B) a light-heat converting agent, and (C) a compound that generates radicals by exposure using light of a wavelength absorbable by the light-heat converting agent. The negative image recording material may also preferably includes (D) a radical-polymerizable compound. Preferably, the (A) specific polymer compound contains at least 1.5 meq/g of the carbon—carbon double bond in the side chain thereof.

Abstract: An ink chamber structure for an inkjet printhead, comprising a plurality of ink channels and a plurality of ink chambers arrayed in columns, with each of such plurality of ink chambers corresponding to an ink channel; the plurality of ink channels respectively channels ink from two sides of such column into ink chambers. The openings for part of the ink chambers are located on one side of the column installation, whereas the openings for the rest of the ink chambers are located on the other side of the column installation. By utilizing the cavity between two adjacent ink chambers on the same side to install an ink chamber from the other side, higher density of ink chamber installment can be achieved in the same scope of space. Also, with the ink chambers on the left and right sides being indentedly arranged, the ink chambers are provided with larger ink-inlet angles, thus effectively avoiding disturbance that adversely affects the reception of ink by the chambers.

Abstract: A bubble-jet type ink-jet printhead has a structure in which a base plate, a barrier wall, and a nozzle plate are stacked. The base plate includes a substrate on which a recess is formed to a predetermined depth, an adiabatic layer formed on the substrate, a heater which is formed on the adiabatic layer and generates a thermal energy, and a passivation layer which is formed on the heater and passivates the heater. The barrier wall is stacked on the base plate, defines an ink chamber, which is disposed on the recess and has a recessed bottom surface, and defines an ink passage which communicates with the ink chamber. The nozzle plate is stacked on the barrier wall, has nozzles through which ink is ejected, and is formed at a location corresponding to a center of the ink chamber.

Abstract: An automatic spacing adjustment mechanism of cartridge, which utilizes an existing paper feed drive motor of a printer to adjust the distance from a cartridge of a print cartridge receiving seat of the printer to papers. The automatic spacing adjustment mechanism of cartridge includes a gear set and a lift unit. The gear set can be triggered to be in a mutual engaged state through motion of the print cartridge receiving seat to the utmost side. The gear set can be driven to rotate by the paper feed drive motor. The lift unit can be driven by the mutual engaged gear set to lift or lower the print cartridge receiving seat.