Abstract: An inkjet head having an ink flow path communicated with an ink chamber to an inkjet nozzle and having an orifice plate to which the nozzle is formed. An ink-philic layer is formed on the surface of the ink flow path, and an ink repellent layer is formed on the surface of the orifice plate where the nozzle is formed. The ink-philic layer is made of amorphous silica or inorganic polymer of colloidal silica bonded with a polymer of (SiOR), and the ink repellent layer contains a compound having perfluoropolyether chain and alkoxysilane residue as a terminal.

Abstract: A method of producing and using photo media to print a glossy, photo-quality image. The image is printed onto the back of a coated transparent base. Thereafter, an opaque backing is applied to cover the printed image. The resulting print is viewed from the front, which provides the photo-quality, attractive appearance primarily because of the substantial gloss depth and uniformity attributable to the transparent base. The transparent base and backing protect the ink-receiving coating and make the resulting print very durable. The image is light fast because the ink is sandwiched between the transparent base and the backing, thereby sealing the ink from oxygen. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the backing is applied as a liquid using substantially the same mechanism as used for printing the image.

Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer is provided with a first set of electrodes spaced in a thickness direction of the piezoelectric ceramic layers, and a second set of electrodes spaced in a direction along a plane of the piezoelectric ceramic layers. The first set of electrodes defines therebetween a first area, and the second set of electrodes defines therebetween second areas one on each side of the first area. The first area is substantially level with the second areas. The first and second areas are polarized in the thickness direction of the piezoelectric ceramic layers.

Abstract: An emission device for ejecting a liquid drop, and methods of operating and manufacturing same are provided. The device includes a structure defining a chamber volume adapted to receive a liquid and has a nozzle orifice through which a drop of received liquid can be emitted. The chamber volume defining structure includes a membrane portion having a plurality of individually deformable portions. A controller is adapted to selectively actuate at least one of the plurality of individually deformable portions of the membrane.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead heater chip has an ink via asymmetrically arranged in a reciprocating direction of inkjet printhead movement. The ink via has two sides and a longitudinal extent substantially parallel to a print medium advance direction. A column of fluid firing elements exists exclusively along a single side of the two sides. The heater chip and ink via each have a centroid and neither resides coincidentally with one another. Preferably, the heater chip centroid resides externally to a boundary of the ink via. In other aspects, the column of fluid firing elements can be a sole column or plural and may be centered in the reciprocating direction. The ink via can be a sole via or plural. The heater chip can be rectangular and the ink vias can be closer to either the long or short ends thereof. Inkjet printers for housing the printheads are also disclosed.

Abstract: A printhead module is provided with a printhead chip and at least one passageway that supplies air to the printhead chip. A valve is included to open and close the passageway and hence the supply of air to the printhead chip. The valve may be operated by or be part of a capping device that caps the printhead chip, so the valve is closed when the capping device caps the printhead chip.

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: The present invention concerns the field time/date labelling of products or packaging for products, such as those having a limited life before perishing.

Abstract: In an liquid ejection head according to the present invention having a plurality of ejection openings arranged in a predetermined direction and a plurality of electro-thermal transducers for ejecting liquid from the ejection openings and being in relative motion with a printing medium, a kinetic energy of the liquid ejected from each ejection opening constituting an end group disposed in the respective opposite end section along the predetermined direction is larger than a kinetic energy of the liquid ejected from each ejection opening constituting a central group disposed in a central section along the predetermined direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an ink droplet ejected from the ejection opening in the end group from being deviated toward the central section along the predetermined direction, whereby the generation of white streaks is avoidable when a solid printing is carried out.

Abstract: An apparatus positions an ink jet printhead relative to a print medium onto which the printhead jets ink. A conduit is attached to the printhead and has an opening disposed in opposition to the print medium. An air-moving device moves air through the conduit. A pressure-sensing device senses pressure within the conduit. A gap-adjusting assembly moves the printhead and/or the print medium dependent upon the pressure sensed by the pressure-sensing device.

Abstract: A Liquid ejecting method for ejecting liquid using a bubble, includes using a liquid ejecting head having an ejection outlet for ejecting the liquid, a bubble generating region where a bubble is generated in the liquid, a movable member which is disposed faced to the bubble generating region, and which is displaceable between a first position and a second position farther from the bubble generating region than the first position and which has a free end at a downstream side thereof; displacing the movable member from the first position to the second position by pressure based on generation of the bubble in the bubble generating region, wherein the bubble expands more to the downstream side than to the upstream side with respect to a direction toward the ejection outlet by the displacement of the movable member, thus directing the bubble toward the ejection outlet to eject the liquid through the ejection outlet; and imparting an operation to the liquid ejecting head to normalize a state of the liquid in a liqu

Abstract: An aqueous inkjet ink and receiver combination wherein the aqueous inkjet ink comprises: a pigment; a polymer binder containing less than 25% of a hydrophilic monomer by weight of the total polymer; the binder being dispersible but insoluble in aqueous media; at least one surfactant; a humectant; and wherein the receiver comprises a non-absorbing substrate.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method which comprises: directly forming an image on a printing medium on the basis of signals of image data; and fixing the image to produce a printed matter, wherein said image formation is carried out by an ink jet system of ejecting an oily ink by an electrostatic field. The method preferably further comprises cleaning an ink jet head, said cleaning step comprising: immersing said ink jet head in a cleaning solution; and applying voltage to said ink jet head. Alternatively, the method preferably further comprises, when a malfunction happens, either or both of stopping the image formation and eliminating a cause of the malfunction. Also disclosed are printing apparatuses suitably used for these methods.

Abstract: An inkjet head has a plurality of pressure chambers. An end of each pressure chamber is connected to a discharging nozzle and the other end to an ink supplier. The pressure chamber has a rhombic shape having longer and shorter diagonals. The inkjet head further includes an actuator unit, which has at least one planar piezoelectric layer covering over the plurality of pressure chambers, a common electrode provided on one side surface of one of the at least one planar piezoelectric layer, and a plurality of driving electrodes provided for the pressure chambers, respectively. The plurality of driving electrodes are formed on the other side of the one of the at least one planar piezoelectric layer. Further, conditions: 0.1 mm?L and 0.29??/??1 are satisfied, where L represents the length of the shorter diagonal and ? represents a length of a driving electrode extending in parallel with the width L.

Abstract: Disclosed are a liquid-jet recording head and a liquid-jet recording apparatus, which are capable of retaining a fine liquid ejecting characteristic and obtaining a stable liquid ejecting characteristic.

Abstract: A mid-frame for use in an imaging apparatus includes an undulating surface extending in an undulation direction. At least one elongated slot can be formed in the mid-frame, wherein a direction of elongation of the elongated slot is substantially the same direction as the undulation direction.

Abstract: A recording head has a subtank. The amount of ink remaining within the subtank is detected or calculated by a device, and the amount of ink necessary for an image of at least one recording sheet is calculated by another device. The two amounts of ink are compared. If it is determined that the ink remaining within the subtank is smaller, the recording head is moved to an ink replenishing mechanism provided outside of a printing range of a recording apparatus. The subtank mounted in the recording head is connected to the ink replenishing mechanism, and ink is supplied from the main tank. Ink replenishment is executed by a system for supplying ink using a pressurizing device or a negative-pressure device. By executing an operation of wiping ink adhering to a nozzle portion of the recording head and preliminary discharge not relating to printing after a recovery operation for the recording head, it is possible to realize stable ink discharge and obtain a high-quality image.

Abstract: A heater chip has a plurality of heaters each having a length, width and thickness. The length multiplied by the width (heater area) is in a range from about 50 to about 500 micrometers squared while the thickness is in a range from about 500 to about 5000 or 6000 angstroms. The energy required to jet or emit a single drop of ink from the heater during use is in a range from about 0.007 to about 0.99 or 1.19 microjoules. The heater chip is formed as a plurality of thin film layers on a substrate. Energy ranges are taught for all heaters having an area from about 50 to about 4000 micrometers squared and thicknesses ranging from about 500 to about 16,000 angstroms. Printheads containing the heater chip and printers containing the printheads are also disclosed.

Abstract: A liquid discharging head for discharging liquid droplets utilizing generated bubbles by heating liquid to bubble comprises discharge port for discharging liquid droplets, bubbling chamber communicated with the discharge port for filling liquid; heat-generating member arranged in the bubbling chamber, being supported in a state of having gaps on both sides to the inner wall faces of the bubbling chamber; and supporting portion for supporting the heat-generating member. Then, after the generation of bubble in liquid by the heat-generating member, the sufrace temperature of the heat-generating member is made lower than the bubbling temperature at the time of bubble extinction by the heat radiation from the heat-generating member to the supporting portion side. In this way, it is made possible to prevent liquid from being heated again to generate bubble subsequent to the bubble extinction.

Abstract: An ink-jet head includes a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink, a first flat plate layer formed by aligning a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the nozzles respectively and including at least one sheet of flat plates, a second flat plate layer formed with a common ink chamber having a shape elongated in a direction of aligning the pressure chambers and comprising at least one sheet of the flat plates, an ink supply passage connecting the common ink chamber and an ink supply source, a flat plate member in a shape of a thin film disposed between the first flat plate layer and the second flat plate layer, a restriction flow passage formed at the flat plate member for communicating one end thereof to the pressure chamber, communicating the other end thereof to the common ink chamber and controlling a flow of ink between the pressure chamber and the common ink chamber, and a damper chamber formed at the flat plate layer facing the flat plate member on a side thereof opposed to the common ink cham