Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a casing; an inkjet head; an ink cartridge which has an ink accommodating unit which accommodates ink to be supplied to the inkjet head and is removably installed into the casing via a front face side of the casing and disposed in a position whereby a central position of the ink accommodating unit is situated below the inkjet head in the vertical direction, at a distance of not less than 10 mm and not more 50 mm from the inkjet head in the vertical direction; an ink supply channel; a coupling unit which separates the inkjet head with and from the ink supply channel; and a negative pressure maintaining unit which includes an ink supply port which has a first opening and closing member, couples with the coupling unit, and is connected to an ink flow channel inside the inkjet head.

Abstract: A cartridge unit for an inkjet printer includes a printhead having an array of ink ejection nozzles; a plurality of ink storage compartment, each ink storage compartment having a variable storage volume and a displaceable wall section biased to expand the variable storage volume to generate a sustained negative pressure; an ink feed system for connecting the ink storage compartment to the printhead, the ink feed system including a plurality of channels extending parallel to a length of the printhead, each channel corresponding respectively to an ink storage compartment; and a printhead maintenance assembly, the printhead maintenance assembly having a capper spring biased against the array of ink ejection nozzles for covering the array of ink ejection nozzles. The printhead maintenance assembly includes a catch element engaged with an actuator, the catch element being movable by the actuator in a direction to counteract the biasing of the capper against the array of ink ejection nozzles.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for printing an image-wise ink pattern on a receiver. A primary imaging member includes a series of substantially equal-sized cells located over the substrate surface thereof. The primary imaging member has an electrically conductive layer. An ink jet printhead selectively ejects drops of ink into the primary imaging member cells in a desired image-wise ink pattern. The image-wise ink on the primary imaging member is fractionated to separate the liquid in the ink. A receiver is transported into operative association with the primary imaging member, and a transfer mechanism applies a pressure between the receiver and the primary imaging member, and establishes an electrostatic field to transfer the image-wise ink pattern to the receiver.

Abstract: Apparatus for curing a substance. The apparatus includes a diode for emitting electromagnetic energy at a frequency selected to cure the substance and a culminator positioned to receive at least a portion of the electromagnet energy emitted by the diode. The culminator is selected to concentrate and intensify the received energy and to direct the energy toward an area of the substance. The area has a length and a width less than the length.

Abstract: A printing-fluid container includes a reservoir having a leading surface with an outer perimeter. Redundant interface elements are recessed from the leading surface interior the outer perimeter.

Abstract: The image forming device includes an image forming unit that forms images on a surface of a web-type recording medium, a printing defect detecting unit that detects a defective image with a printing defect from among the images formed by the image forming unit and a printing defect marking unit that places a mark on the defective image with the printing defect having been detected. The label printer includes the image forming device described above, wherein the images formed on the surface of the web-type recording medium by the image forming unit of the image forming device are label images and the specific image is a specific label image and a post-treatment unit that post-treats the surface of the web-type recording medium having the label images formed thereon by the image forming unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for ejecting droplets includes an actuator which applies ejection pressure to a pressure chamber which stores ink; a nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber and capable of ejecting a main droplet having a trajectory and a satellite droplet having a volume smaller than the main droplet together with the ejection of the main droplet; and a nozzle which communicates with the pressure chamber and ejects a main droplet having a trajectory intersecting the trajectory at a intersection point. The apparatus further includes a control device which controls the actuator and platen rollers transferring a paper. The control device performs control so that the main droplets collide with each other at the intersection point to form an united droplet and that the satellite droplet lands on the paper.

Abstract: A solvent based ink formulation for inkjet printing, particularly on plastics and non-porous surfaces, including 1-40% by weight of a ketone solvent, 10-90% by weight of a mixture of cosolvents, 0.1-10% by weight of a (co)polymer binder, 0.1-10% by weight of dispersants/wetting agents, and 0.1-10% of plasticizers to give a formulation having flash point higher than 60.degree. C.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a recording ink having excellent color developing properties and high delivery stability, by which not only the color saturation of the obtained image can be remarkably improved, but also the image having a high quality can be formed. For this object, the present invention provides a recording ink used for an inkjet recording using a dye ink and a pigment ink properly alternately through one inkjet head, wherein the dye ink and the pigment ink have respectively a viscosity at 25° C. of 5 mPa·s or more and the difference between the viscosity of the dye ink and the viscosity of the pigment ink is 3 mPa·s or less.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus having: a liquid droplet ejecting head; and a drive pulse generating unit, wherein the head includes: a nozzle; a pressure chamber which communicates with the nozzle; and a pressure applying section which changes a pressure in the pressure chamber, wherein the generated drive pulse is applied to the pressure applying section so as to change the pressure in the pressure chamber to cause the liquid in the pressure chamber to be ejected from the nozzle, and wherein the drive pulse includes a rectangular expansion pulse which causes expansion and then contraction of the volume of the pressure chamber and in which the pulse width PW of the expanding pulse is set so as to satisfy the following conditional equation, PW = ? - ( tan - 1 ? 1 2 ? ? ? ? f ? ? ? ) 2 ? ? ? ? f ( 1 ) where f represents an acoustic resonance frequency of a pressure wave in the pressure chamber and ? represents a damping time constant of the pressure wave.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided with an ink jet head, an elastically deformable sub-ink tank, an actuator, an ink quantity detection device, controller, and a main ink tank which communicates with the sub-ink tank. The actuator performs a predetermined action, such that the actuator applies a pushing force to the sub-ink tank and then releases the pushing force. The ink quantity detection device detects whether an ink quantity within the sub-ink tank is less than a first value. The controller controls the actuator to perform the predetermined action in a first case where the ink quantity within the sub-ink tank is less than the first value. The controller controls the actuator such that the actuator performs the predetermined action in a second case where the ink quantity within the sub-ink tank is more than the first value and a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A method uses temperature measurements for a print head and an imaging member to identify a distance between a print head and an imaging member and a heat transfer function.

Abstract: A printing system has a substrate, and first and second colored inks. The first colored ink has particles of a first pigment, and the particles have a first net zeta potential. The second colored ink has particles of a second pigment and a polarity-reversing amount of a surfactant. The particles of the second pigment have a second net zeta potential opposite in polarity to the first net zeta potential. The first and second colored inks are configured to be printed together over a common surface of said substrate to form a composite color.

Abstract: There is provided an ink pack, which is provided with a film bag that has a sealed chamber therein and is formed of a flexible film member having a form of a bag, and a tap that has an ink flow channel therein and is welded to one edge of the flexible film member. In this structure, a film welding part, in which opposed inner surfaces of the flexible film member are welded to each other, is formed at least along the one edge of the flexible film member. A tap welding part, in which a side of the tap is welded to opposed inner surfaces of the flexible film member, is formed in the one edge of the flexible film member. Further, a welding width of a side of the film welding part adjacent to the tap welding part is larger than a welding width of a side of the tap welding part adjacent to the film welding part.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a recording medium conveying mechanism; a recording head for recording an image on a recording medium based on the input data; a faulty record detection unit for detecting a faulty record when a recording process is performed; and a control unit for controlling these components. With the configuration, the recording head and the faulty record detection unit are arranged opposite at least one conveying unit, the recording head and the faulty record detection unit are fixed to the same coupling member, and the coupling member is fixed to a fixing member of the recording medium conveying mechanism.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus is provided, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus contains a recording head with a filter, an ink that comprises a colorant, a humectant, a surfactant, and a wetting agent is discharged from the recording head, the viscosity of the ink at 25° C. is 6 mPas to 13 mPas, and the fluid resistance of the filter against the ink is 4.4×109 Pas/m3 and 2.2×1010 Pas/m3.

Abstract: One method of ink formulation may include providing a shipping material in a reservoir of a printing mechanism, placing a concentrated ink in communication with the reservoir, and mixing the shipping material and the concentrated ink together to create a print-ready ink.

Abstract: Disclosed are an inkjet ink and a method for printing on hydrophobic media such as offset coated media using the inkjet ink. Specifically disclosed is an inkjet containing a pigment, water and a surfactant which is characterized by also containing 40 to 75 weight % of a polar non-protic solvent with a molecular weight of 40 to 130 which has permeability to a hydrophobic surface such as the coating of an offset coated medium. Such an inkjet ink enables better printing on hydrophobic media such as offset coated media than the conventional inks.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes a case which includes a first case member. The first case member includes a first wall, and the first wall includes an air intake portion extending from the first wall in a predetermined direction. The case also includes a second case member which is connected to the first case member, and the first case member and the second case member define an ink chamber therein. The second case member includes a second wall which is opposite to the first wall, and a support member connected to an interior surface of the second wall. The ink cartridge also includes a movable member which is connected to the support member.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical ink jet printhead includes a number of groups of ink ejection nozzles. Each group has a temperature sensor that is monitored by a processor incorporating the printhead. In order to maintain printing ink at a constant viscosity the processor compares temperature signals from the sensors to a predetermined threshold. In the event that the temperature signals indicate that the printhead is below a predetermined temperature then the processor applies heating pulses to the printhead. The heating pulses are of sufficient energy to cause warming of the printhead ink but insufficient to cause actual ink ejection. In this way ink ejection droplet size, and hence print quality, is maintained in spite of operating temperature fluctuations.