Abstract: A surface-micromachined fluid-ejection apparatus is disclosed which utilizes a piston to provide for the ejection of jets or drops of a fluid (e.g. for ink-jet printing). The piston, which is located at least partially inside a fluid reservoir, is moveable into a cylindrical fluid-ejection chamber connected to the reservoir by a microelectromechanical (MEM) actuator which is located outside the reservoir. In this way, the reservoir and fluid-ejection chamber can be maintained as electric-field-free regions thereby allowing the apparatus to be used with fluids that are electrically conductive or which may react or break down in the presence of a high electric field. The MEM actuator can comprise either an electrostatic actuator or a thermal actuator.

Abstract: An image forming method comprises steps of: ejecting charged matter applied an external force from a recording head placed opposed to a record medium; applying a voltage to an intermediate electrode installed between the recording head and the record medium and controlling flying of the ejected charged matter; applying a predetermined voltage to an auxiliary electrode placed between the intermediate electrode and the recording head, and controlling a potential gradient between the recording head and the intermediate electrode; and hitting the charged matter on the record medium.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention recites a fluid ejection device comprising a first drop ejector configured to cause fluid having a first drop weight to be ejected from the firing chamber, and includes a first heating element. A first bore, disposed within an orifice layer proximate to the first drop ejector, is associated with the first drop ejector. A second drop ejector is configured to cause fluid having a second drop weight to be ejected from the firing chamber, and includes a second heating element A second bore, disposed within the orifice layer proximate to the second drop ejector, is associated with the second drop ejector. A voltage source, coupled in series with the first drop ejector and the second drop ejector, is configured to generate a first voltage for activating the first drop ejector individually and a second voltage for activating the first drop ejector and the second drop ejector substantially concurrently.

Abstract: A droplet generator for a continuous stream inkjet print head has an elongate cavity for containing the ink and nozzle orifices in a wall of the cavity for passing the ink from the cavity to form jets. The nozzle orifices extend along the length of the cavity. An actuator is disposed so as to address the face of the cavity opposite the wall to vibrate the ink in the cavity such that each jet breaks up into ink droplets at substantially the same predetermined distance from the wall. The actuator has a plurality of constituent sub-actuators each capable of independent vibration. The combined coverage of the face of the cavity by the sub-actuators is such that the jet break up can be achieved without resonance of the cavity in its dimension from the wall to the face.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical device includes a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry. An elongate drive member is fast with the substrate at a fixed end and incorporates an electrical circuit that is in electrical contact with the drive circuitry to receive an electrical signal from the drive circuitry. The drive member is configured so that a free end is displaced relative to the substrate on receipt of the electrical signal. A motion-transmitting member is fast with the free end of the drive member so that the motion-transmitting member is displaced together with the free end. A working member is fast with the motion-transmitting member to be displaced together with the motion-transmitting member to perform work.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting device and method control the flying characteristic of liquid while enabling stable ejection of the liquid, without shortening the life of bubble producing units (heating resistors). The liquid ejecting device has heads each including liquid ejecting portions arranged in parallel which each include a liquid cell, bisected heating resistors in the liquid cell which produce bubbles in liquid in the liquid cell in response to the supply of energy, and a nozzle for ejecting the liquid in the liquid cell by using the bubbles produced by the heating resistors. The heating resistors are supplied with energy, and a difference is set between a manner of supplying energy to one heating resistor and a manner of supplying energy to the other heating resistor. Based on the difference, a flying characteristic of the liquid ejected from the nozzle is controlled.

Abstract: Frequency dependency of an electrostatic actuator is improved by setting a driving voltage waveform. It has an electrode (11) that counters a vibrating plate (21) that constitutes a part of the surface of a wall of an ink chamber, and the vibrating plate (21) and the electrode are provided with a predetermined gap (40). Pulse voltage is applied between the electrode (11) and the vibrating plate (21), displacement of which is carried out by electrostatic force that pressurizes ink in the ink chamber according to mechanical resilience of the vibrating plate (21) such that an ink drop is ejected. The vibrating plate (21) is vibrated such that it may contact the electrode (11), ejecting the ink by one or a plurality of electric pulses. A ratio of the period during which the vibrating plate contacts the electrode to the period required to form a pixel is regulated to be equal to or less than (200?2.

Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead includes a substrate. A working member is mounted on the substrate and is movable reciprocally along a path of travel in order to perform work. Two actuators are arranged with respect to the working member to act on the working member. The actuators are configured so that the working member is under the influence of at least one actuator while being reciprocally moved along the path of travel.

Abstract: An inkjet printing device includes an inkjet print head with nozzles for ejecting drops of ink or fluid and a print medium transport system for feeding a print medium passed the print head. At least two of the nozzles of the print head are positioned to print a spot at each target location on the print medium during operation of the printing device.

Abstract: An access device for accessing data stored on a removable digital storage medium, where the access device is connectable to a printing device and a computing device. The access device includes a media interface to the removable digital storage medium and a device interface to the printing device and the computing device. The access device also includes one or more buttons and a selector for selecting an operating mode from two or more operating modes. The two or more operating modes include a direct-print mode and a client mode, wherein the one or more buttons launch one or more software modules in the access device when in the direct-print mode and launch one or more software modules in the computing device when in the client mode.

Abstract: A coat liquid, in which a methoxysilane or ethoxysilane compound which is a precursor of silicon oxide and an ethoxysilane or methoxysilane compound which contains therein a carbon fluoride chain are dissolved, is applied onto the surface of a base material of SUS having a thickness of 20 ?m. This is followed by drying the base material for one hour at room temperature condition. Thereafter, the base material is baked at 200 degrees centigrade for 30 minutes thereby to form a water repellent thin film having a thickness of from 10 nm to 1000 nm and containing therein a molecule in which fluoroalkyl chains are bonded to the silicon oxide. A nozzle orifice is formed by electrical discharge machining from the lower side of the base material.

Abstract: A method of marking an optical recording medium is provided. The method includes providing a curable material on a non-data surface of the optical recording medium. An energy source interacts with the curable material to form permanent text and/or images on the optical recording medium. The energy source includes a laser that produces energy at a frequency absorbed by the curable material. The method does not require specialized equipment and allows for increased amounts of information to be marked on the optical recording medium.

Abstract: A printer includes an inkjet printhead having a plurality of nozzles. The nozzles include a thermal actuator and drive circuitry for operating the thermal actuator. The drive circuitry and actuator overlie a common area of the support substrate.

Abstract: Toner is for use in an image forming apparatus of the TonerJet method, which satisfies any one of the following conditions: a) toner in which the content of reverse-polarity large-diameter toner is 10% by count or smaller; b) toner in which the content of reverse-polarity fine-powder toner is 2% by count or smaller; c) toner comprising a silica additive and a titanium oxide additive such that the content x of the titanium oxide additive is in the range of 0<x?1.5 wt %. For instance, when an image is formed using toner satisfying the condition a) above, that is, toner in which the content of reverse-polarity large-diameter toner is 10% by count or smaller, filming does not occur and an image having an excellent quality is formed (denoted with “?”). On the other hand, when an image is formed using toner in which reverse-polarity large-diameter toner exceeds 10% by count, filming occurs and the quality of an image deteriorates (denoted with “X”).

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a printing mechanism that defines a printing path through which media can be fed so that the printing mechanism can carry out a printing operation on the media. The printing mechanism has a printhead assembly that includes a pagewidth printhead with printhead chips that are operatively positioned with respect to the printing path to span the printing path. Each printhead chip has a wafer substrate. Drive circuitry is positioned on the wafer substrate. A plurality of nozzle arrangements is positioned on the wafer substrate. Each nozzle arrangement has nozzle chamber walls that define a nozzle chamber. A micro-electromechanical actuator is mounted on the substrate to be connected to the drive circuitry and operatively positioned with respect to the nozzle chamber so that, on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry, the actuator can act to eject ink from the nozzle chamber.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead includes a substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlet channels. A plurality of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements is positioned on the substrate. Each nozzle arrangement includes a nozzle chamber positioned on the substrate and having a fixed portion that is fast with the substrate and a movable portion that is displaceable with respect to the substrate and that defines an ink ejection port. The nozzle chamber is in fluid communication with a respective ink inlet channel and the movable portion is displaceable towards and away from the substrate respectively to eject ink from the ink ejection port. An actuator is anchored to the substrate and is operatively engaged with the movable portion to displace the movable portion towards the substrate upon receipt of an electrical signal. A restrictive formation is arranged on the substrate and defines an opening that has a cross-sectional area that is less than that of the ink inlet channel.

Abstract: A system for finishing print media includes a plurality of finishing tools, a housing and a motor. The plurality of finishing tools can be selected based on a desired finishing process. The housing is configured to be shared by the plurality of finishing tools and is configured to mount a selected finishing tool from the plurality of finishing tools. The motor is configured to apply a force to a mounted finishing tool where the force is determined by the desired finishing process.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical drive mechanism includes a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry. At least one pair of elongate actuator arms are anchored at a fixed end to the substrate and connected to the drive circuitry. Each actuator arm is of an electrically conductive material and has an active portion that defines a heating circuit that is in electrical contact with the drive circuitry to heat and expand on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry and cool and contract on termination of that signal and a passive portion that is spaced from the active portion relative to the substrate so that the actuator arm bends and straightens as a result of differential thermal expansion and contraction and an opposed moving end undergoes reciprocal arcuate movement. The actuator arms of the, or each, pair are oriented with the moving ends aligned and facing each other. At least one pair of coupling structures is fast with respective moving ends of the actuator.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device includes a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry. A fluid inlet channel is defined through the substrate. A static nozzle chamber structure is positioned on the substrate to extend from the substrate and defines a static wall that bounds the fluid inlet channel to form part of a nozzle chamber. An active nozzle chamber structure has a roof wall that defines a fluid ejection port and an active wall that depends from the roof wall about the static wall to define a remaining part of the nozzle chamber. The active structure is displaceable with respect to the static structure towards and away from the substrate respectively to reduce and increase a volume of the nozzle chamber so that fluid in the nozzle chamber is ejected from the fluid ejection port. A fluid displacement member is positioned on the static wall to define a fluid displacement area that faces the roof wall to facilitate ejection of fluid from the fluid ejection port.

Abstract: Injection and proportioning head with at least one thermal injection and proportioning device to supply a determined quantity of liquid, comprising: a hollowed out plane substrate (21) forming a liquid reservoir and covered, in order, by an unconstrained dielectric insulating membrane (22, 23) with a high thermal resistance, and then an etched semi conducting layer forming the heating resistance (25); an orifice (24) enabling fluid communication with said liquid reservoir passing through said membrane and said semi conducting layer; a photolithographed resin layer in the form of a nozzle (27) on said membrane, the duct (28) of said nozzle being in line with said orifice and the volume of said duct being such that the determined quantity of the liquid to be supplied can be controlled. Process for manufacturing this head. Functionalisation or addressing system, particularly for chemical or biochemical micro reactors comprising this head.