Abstract: A recording apparatus is equipped with a recording head for performing recording on a conveyed recording medium by discharging liquid from a discharge opening array, and comprises a conveyor for conveying the recording medium, and a recording medium floating prevention member for preventing floating of the recording medium, wherein the floating prevention member includes a floating prevention area between the recording medium and the recording head, only on an upstream side, in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, of the discharge opening array of the recording head used in non-margin recording of performing the recording throughout the width of the recording medium. Thus, collision of the recording medium and the recording head can be prevented in both margin recording and the non-margin recording, without lowering recording speed and deteriorating recording quality.

Abstract: In a high-speed phase change ink image producing machine having a printhead system and a controller, apparatus and method for melting solid phase change ink into melted molten liquid ink, and for controlling the melted molten liquid ink to achieve a high throughput rate of image production are provided.

Abstract: The invention provides high-speed and high-quality printing when the vertical and horizontal resolutions of print data to be printed differ from the vertical and horizontal resolutions which a printer can process. A table is provided, in which the relationship of position in each printing pass of each of a plurality of pins aligned in the vertical direction of a printing head to a plurality of raster lines in a predetermined range to be printed is examined, whereby the pins aligned in the vertical line to be actuated in each printing pass are determined based on the relationship of a position between each of the pins and each of the raster lines. The table serves as a raster-line/pin-relationship table. A printer driver receives print data from a print-data forming unit, consults the raster-line/pin-relationship table, and actuates the pins for each printing pass according to the raster-line/pin-relationship table.

Abstract: Each ink stick of a set of ink sticks for a phase change ink jet printer has formed on the top of the ink stick a three dimensional visually recognizable symbol. At least a portion of the visually recognizable symbol on each of the ink sticks is different, so that the printer user can distinguish which ink stick is intended for each of the ink feed channels of the ink jet printer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for curing or drying of individual ink objects, dynamically during the radial printing process, at the ink object's point of incidence are described. Mechanisms for curing or drying ink objects, dynamically during the radial printing process, at the ink object's point of incidence, reducing ink object migration while the ink is wet, caused from inherent centrifugal forces and secondary air turbulence during the radial printing process, reducing image distortion, resulting in a more clearly printed image, such as on a spinning CD, are disclosed.

Abstract: When a cover body at a closing position is pulled up with respect to a main body, then a lock lever attached to the cover body abuts against a hook body of the main body, regulating a rattle of the cover body with respect to the main body. When a user lifts up a multi-function peripheral device by grabbing the lock lever, the lock lever comes into engagement with the hook body, thereby preventing the lock lever from opening.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a printhead and a maintenance station. The maintenance station includes a fixed support housing, a sled and a chimney. The sled is supported on the support housing and is movable relative to the support housing in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. The chimney receives ink spit from the printhead. The chimney has a fixed vertical position relative to the printhead and is horizontally movable in response to movement of the sled.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a pressure chamber stored with ink, a nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber and capable of discharging the ink from the pressure chamber, and an actuator for increasing and reducing the capacity of the pressure chamber in response to driving signals from a driving signal generator. The driving signal generator successively generate, an expansion pulse for increasing the capacity of the pressure chamber and a contraction pulse for reducing the capacity of the pressure chamber with a timing such that a time lag between the respective centers of the expansion pulse and the contraction pulse matches the resonance period of a meniscus generated in the nozzle by the ink in the pressure chamber. Thus, the ink jet recording apparatus continuously discharges a plurality of ink drops through the nozzle to form a pixel.

Abstract: An ink stick for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer includes an ink stick body that has a bottom surface and a lateral dimension. The ink stick body has a lateral center of gravity, and a guide element formed in the bottom surface of the ink stick body, which guide element is substantially vertically aligned with the lateral center of gravity of the body. The ink stick is used in a solid ink feed system for a phase change ink jet printer. The feed system includes a longitudinal feed channel, and a feed channel guide rail substantially centered in a lower portion of the feed channel. The guide element formed in the bottom surface of the ink stick body slidingly engages the central feed channel guide rail in the feed channel.

Abstract: An air folder adjuster (10) includes an air supply (12) and air supply tubing (14) connected to air supply (12) at end (16). The opposite end (18) of air supply tubing (14) is connected to one or more air nozzles (20). In a printing press utilized for folding documents such as books, air folder adjuster (10) is positioned so that air nozzles (20) direct compressed air from air supply (12) downward onto the head (26) of document (24) on either side of chopper arm (34) during the folding process thus ensuring that the document (24) lies flat, square, and untouched during the folding process and thereby allowing the elimination of chopper brushes altogether.

Abstract: Ink ejection/non-ejection from a plurality of ink ejection print elements is controlled by looking up a first table that indicates the correspondence between a plurality of inks and gray scale values of print pixels, and a second table indicating combinations of density distribution patterns of print pixels and ink ejection print elements in correspondence with gray scale values, in accordance with a pixel density pattern and its gray scale value.

Abstract: In a color ink jet recording apparatus using ultraviolet cure ink, the time required for printing is shortened and color of the ink can be clearly represented without upsizing the ink jet recording apparatus. The color ink jet printer includes a carriage that can move in a main scanning direction while guided by X-axis guide bars, Y, M, C and K heads aligned in a sub scanning direction on the carriage, and two ultraviolet lamps that are disposed on both sides sandwiching the heads therebetween on the carriage and each have a sufficient length. With this structure, a printed portion of a recording medium formed by each of the Y, M, C and K heads is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the UV lamps at least once after every printing in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A device for holding a sheetlike article on a movable underlying surface for transporting the sheetlike article in at least one direction selected from the group consisting of a direction into and a direction out of an operating station having a printing unit, includes a member having a surface underlying the sheetlike article, the sheetlike article being retainable by pneumatic pressure on the surface, a screening device disposed locally fixedly with respect to an operating station, the screening device serving for reducing an airflow in a region of the printing unit at least with respect to adjacent regions, the reduction in the airflow resulting from the sheetlike article being held on the underlying surface.

Abstract: An ink tank comprises a housing and a cover member, providing a hollow containing portion when bonded together, and in this containing portion, ink absorbent formed by laminating fiber material is contained. On the cover member, a rib is provided to extrude into the containing portion. This rib comprises a first directional rib arranged diagonally to the fibrous lamination face of the ink absorbent, and a second directional rib that intersects with the first directional rib orthogonally. On the position surrounded by the first directional rib and the second directional rib, an atmosphere communication port is formed, and around the atmosphere communication, the communication port guide that extrudes into the containing portion is arranged. The height of the rib is larger than that of the communication port guide. The rib presses the ink absorbent without being buried in it.

Abstract: A contrast base 40 is pushed by the printing head 18K, when the printing head 18K is mounted onto the carriage 16. Thereby, the connection face 32 of the flexible carriage wiring 30 together with the contact base 40 follows the connection face 62 of the of the flexible head wiring by swinging movement around the touching point in the directions of arrows X, X′, Y, Y′, Z, and Z′. Therefore, the connection face 32 slants to follow any slanting of the connection face 62. Consequently, the two connection faces 32, 62 come close together over the entire faces to give precise electric connection of the electric connection points between the two connection faces.

Abstract: In an inkjet printing apparatus an inkjet printhead has a plurality of inkjet nozzles which eject ink onto media located within a print-zone. A drive shaft is located upstream of the printhead and is incrementally rotated to advance the media. The drive shaft has a longitudinal axis, a first radius over a central length and a second radius less than the first radius at a first recess and a second recess, each said recess being peripheral to the central length. A plurality of pinch devices stabilize the media against the drive shaft. A first guide is aligned with the first recess and is spaced from an axis of the drive shaft by a first distance which is less than the first radius. A second guide is aligned with the second recess and is spaced from the axis by a second distance less than the first radius.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording material by ejecting ink with relative scanning movement between a recording head and the recording material, the ink jet recording apparatus, including obtaining means for obtaining information indicative of an amount of ink to be ejected to each of unit areas provided by dividing an area in the neighborhood of a boundary between adjacent bands of scanning recording of the recording head on the recording material; and control means for controlling an amount of being to be ejected to the unit area on the basis of the output of the obtaining means, wherein the unit areas exist astride the boundary between adjacent one of the bands.

Abstract: A microinjector uses bubbles as virtual valves to eject droplets of different sizes. The microinjector is in fluid communications with a reservoir and has a substrate, an orifice layer, and a plurality of nozzles. The substrate has a manifold for receiving ink from the reservoir. The orifice layer is positioned on the top of the substrate so that a plurality of chambers are formed between the orifice layer and the top of the substrate. Each of the nozzles has an orifice and at least three bubble generating components. The bubble generating components are selectively driven by a driving circuit so that each nozzle can eject droplets of different sizes.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for interleaved printing of individual ink objects at target print sectors disbursed around an annular surface on a circular spinning media such as on a CD, dynamically during the radial printing process, are described. Mechanisms for interleaving printing during the radial printing process, enabling the use of commercially available ink jet pens for radial printing directly on CD devices at greater than 2× rotation speeds, and thus reducing pen limitations in firing frequency and recovery time, are disclosed.

Abstract: This invention provides a printing apparatus which has an ink ejection head capable of forming an image at high resolution and still can reliably identify a location where an ink ejection error has occurred without using an expensive image reading device. This printing apparatus has a distance adjusting device to change a distance between the ink ejection head and the print medium, and a controller to set a plurality of different distances by controlling the distance adjusting device. The controller controls the distance adjusting device to selectively set either a first distance that produces a normal printed image having within a predetermined range a landing error on the print medium of ink droplets ejected from the print head or a second distance that produces a landing error greater than the predetermined range.