Abstract: A cartridge is detachably mountable to a holder of an ink jet recording apparatus, so as to be freely reciprocatable to scan across a recording medium and record thereon by discharging ink. The cartridge is defined by a cartridge main body, and is provided with a recording head for discharging ink from plural nozzles formed in parallel on a lower face of the cartridge main body facing the recording medium. A front face of the cartridge main body is provided with an electrical connection portion having cartridge electrodes, which are electrically connectable with corresponding electrodes of the holder. A rear face opposite to the front face is provided with an ink connection portion connectable to corresponding supply ports which supply ink to the recording head from a main tank installed elsewhere on the ink jet recording apparatus. With the cartridge thus structured, the force exerted for connection to the supply port does not affect the precision with which the cartridge is mounted on the holder.

Abstract: Methods of operating a thermal actuator, especially for use in a liquid drop emitter for ink jet printing, are disclosed. Methods are disclosed for operating a thermal actuator comprising a base element, a thermo-mechanical element extending from the base element, having a moveable portion residing in a first position and reliably operating at temperatures below a maximum temperature Tmax and including apparatus adapted to apply energy pulses to the thermo-mechanical element to cause a temperature increase therein and movement of the moveable portion to a second position. The methods for operating comprise determining a first energy pulse having a first energy, E1, and a first energy pulse time, t1, for suddenly increasing the temperature of the thermo-mechanical actuator, but not above Tmax.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead and a method of manufacturing the ink-jet printhead include forming an insulating layer on a surface of a substrate, forming a metallic thin layer on the insulating layer, pattering the metallic thin layer through dry etching to form a plurality of pairs of conductors corresponding to a plurality of heaters to be formed in a subsequent operation, forming a resistant material layer on the substrate, patterning the resistant material layer through dry etching to form the heaters corresponding to the conductors, forming a nonconductive heat transfer layer on the substrate so as to cover the heaters and the conductors, forming a passage plate providing an ink chamber, in which each of the heaters are placed, on the substrate, and forming a nozzle plate having a nozzle corresponding to each ink chamber on the passage plate.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead and a method of manufacturing the same include utilizing a substrate on which at least one heater and a passivation layer protecting the at least one heater are formed, a passage plate which forms an ink chamber corresponding to the at least one heater, and a nozzle plate in which an orifice corresponding to the ink chamber is formed. The passage plate and the nozzle plate are formed of photoresist, and an adhesion layer formed of silicon-family low-temperature deposition material at a temperature limited by the characteristics of the passage plate is disposed between the passage plate and the nozzle plate.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device includes a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry. Nozzle chamber walls and a roof are positioned on the substrate to define a nozzle chamber with the roof defining a fluid ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. A fluid-ejecting member is operatively positioned with respect to the nozzle chamber. The fluid-ejecting member is displaceable with respect to the substrate to eject fluid from the fluid ejection port. An actuator is connected to the fluid-ejecting member and to the drive circuitry. The actuator is displaceable upon receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry to displace the fluid-ejecting member and thus eject fluid from the fluid ejection port. A covering formation is positioned on the substrate so that the substrate and the covering formation define an air chamber, the actuator being positioned within the air chamber.

Abstract: A fluid ejector head, includes a fluid definition layer defining a chamber, the fluid definition layer having a substantially planar passivation surface. In addition, the fluid ejector head includes a sacrificial material filling the chamber that is planarized to the plane formed by the passivation surface. Further, the fluid ejector head includes a passivation layer, having substantially planar opposed major surfaces, formed on the planar passivation surface; and a resistive layer having substantially planar opposed major surfaces in contact with the passivation layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus in which many components in a carriage-driving system are unitized into a carriage frame. The apparatus comprises a carriage loaded with a recording head for discharging ink from a plurality of nozzles, a carriage-driving device for driving the carriage, a bendable electric wire, and a carriage frame. The electric wire is bent from an apparatus body and mounted to the recording head and passes a printing signal to the recording head. The carriage frame arranges the carriage, the carriage-driving device, the recording head, and the electric wire at predetermined positions to form a unit. The carriage can reciprocate in parallel with the main scan direction along the longitudinal direction of the carriage frame. As a result, the recording head can be easily replaced, and the apparatus can be maintained without complicated work.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tachograph including a cuboid housing and a print device. The print device is formed in such a manner that the thermal print head in the housing of the tachograph, the transport cylinder and the mechanism actuating the cylinder are disposed in a support which can be removed from the front side of the tachograph. In addition, a support bridge is provided to support the thermal print head which can pivot counter to the action of supporting springs. The bridge is secured onto the top panel of the tachograph by insertion of a retainer.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical device includes a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry. An elongate actuator has a fixed end that is connected to the substrate so that the actuator can receive an electrical signal from the drive circuitry and a movable end. The actuator is configured so that the movable end is displaced relative to the substrate on receipt of the electrical signal. A motion-transmitting structure is fast with the movable end of the actuator. The motion transmitting structure is connected to a working member so that movement of the actuator is translated to the working member. A covering formation is positioned on the substrate so that the substrate, the covering formation and the motion transmitting structure define an air chamber, the actuator being positioned within the air chamber.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the invention includes carrying means for carrying an image-forming medium; a first position restricting member, unmovable in a widthwise direction of the image-forming medium, for restricting a position of one widthwise end of the image-forming medium carried by the carrying means; a second position restricting member, movable in a widthwise direction of the image-forming medium, for restricting a position of the other widthwise end of the image-forming medium; and an image-forming member for forming an image on the image-forming medium carried by the carrying means, the positions of both widthwise ends of the image-forming medium being restricted by the first position restricting member and the second position restricting member. Accordingly, the positions of both widthwise end of the image-forming medium carried by the carrying means are restricted by the first position restricting member and the second position restricting member.

Abstract: A core (5) is provided for a printer component such as a pagewidth printhead assembly. The core comprises an extruded and elongated body (3) having a plurality of interior reservoirs (6, 7, 8, 9), the reservoirs each having an ink exit opening, the openings converging into an area adapted to receive a printhead (2) which is bonded to the area.

Abstract: A liquid ejection device including a fluid chamber having a fluid outlet port in a wall of the chamber; a fluid inlet port in a wall of the chamber; a paddle located in the chamber and a thermal actuator, the thermal actuator including first and second arms coupled to the paddle, whereby heating of one of the arms causes the paddle to move from the from a rest state to an ejection state so as to eject fluid from the chamber through the outlet port, the paddle including first means to reduce fluid flow through the inlet port as the paddle moves from the rest state to the ejection state.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a plasma display panel can improve contrast of a panel by using an inkjet printing method in forming a fluorescent layer in the fabrication process of the plasma display panel. Also, after charging a liquid flake of fluorescent ink with a charge of a predetermined polarity, contrast of the panel can be improved by inducing the injection direction of the liquid flake by charging an address electrode with a charge having an opposite polarity to the liquid flake so that the charged liquid flake can be printed in the center portion of the cell region.

Abstract: In the ink jet apparatus according to the present invention, an ink repellent layer similar to that having an ink repellent property satisfying a slide-down speed—as determined by a slide-down speed evaluation method for measuring a slide-down speed of ink droplets by immersing a test piece having the ink repellent layer formed on the surface thereof in an ink similar to another ink curable by radiation and used in the ink jet apparatus, pulling the test piece out of the ink, fixing the test piece at 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane, and dropping 10 to 20 &mgr;l of the ink to the fixed test piece—of 2 mm/sec or greater at 25° C. either just after immersion or 100 hours after immersion is formed on at least a peripheral surface of the nozzle which surface constitutes an ink-ejection-side surface of the orifice plate. This contributes to the stabilization of the straight ejection property of ink droplets.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a recording element base plate having an ink heating portion for heating ink, and ink discharge ports for discharging ink heated by the ink heating portion; a main body portion having an ink supply path for inducing ink from an ink retaining portion; and a connecting member having a first bonding surface bonded to the main body portion, and a second bonding surface bonded to the recording element base plate. For this head, the connecting member is formed by material having a weaker stretching strength than that of the recording element base plate.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical assembly includes a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry. A micro-electromechanical device is positioned on the substrate and is electrically connected to the drive circuitry to be driven by electrical signals generated by the drive circuitry. A covering formation is positioned on the substrate and is configured to enclose the micro-electromechanical device.

Abstract: An apparatus for a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element including a thermo-mechanical bending portion extending from the base element and a free end portion residing in a first position. The thermo-mechanical bending portion has a base end width, wb, adjacent the base element and a free end width, wf, adjacent the free end portion wherein the base end width is substantially greater than the free end width. The thermal actuator further comprises apparatus adapted to apply a heat pulse directly to the thermo-mechanical bending portion causing the deflection of the free end portion of the cantilevered element to a second position. The width of the thermo-mechanical bending portion may reduce substantially monotonically as a function of the distance away from the base element or in at least one step reduction.

Abstract: An apparatus for a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element including a thermo-mechanical bending portion extending from the base element and a free end portion residing in a first position. The thermo-mechanical bending portion has a base end width, wb, adjacent the base element and a free end width, wf, adjacent the free end portion wherein the base end width is substantially greater than the free end width. The thermal actuator further comprises apparatus adapted to apply a heat pulse directly to the thermo-mechanical bending portion causing the deflection of the free end portion of the cantilevered element to a second position. The width of the thermo-mechanical bending portion may reduce substantially quadratically or in an inverse power fashion as a function of the distance away from the base element or in at least one step reduction.

Abstract: A printing press comprises transport means for transporting a printed sheet to a delivery unit, face-side and reverse-side UV devices for drying an ultraviolet curing ink printed on the sheet transported by the transport means, and a printing quality checking apparatus for checking the printed surfaces of the sheet transported by the transport means. Face-side and reverse-side checking cameras of the printing quality checking apparatus are provided at positions where the face-side and reverse-side checking cameras are not affected by heat and/or light from the face-side and reverse-side UV devices. The printing quality checking apparatus can reliably prevent improper operation and wrong detection of the face-side and reverse-side checking cameras without being adversely affected by heat or light from the face-side and reverse-side UV devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printhead, a printing apparatus comprising the printhead, and a print control method thereof. The printhead includes a plurality of heating elements and a driving circuit for electrifying and driving the heating elements. The printhead comprises: a shift register for serially inputting digital data, supplied from an external unit, and retaining the data; a counter for counting a clock; a comparator for comparing time-length data, included in the digital data, with a counted value of the counter, and outputting a match signal when a match is found; and a flip-flop circuit for enabling a driving signal in response to a driving start signal supplied from an external unit, and disenabling the driving signal in response to the match signal outputted based on the counted value of the counter from the driving start signal.