Abstract: There is provided an initial filling method for a functional liquid droplet ejection head in which a filling liquid consisting essentially of a functional liquid or a solvent thereof is initially filled in a passage of a functional liquid drop-let-ejection-head for ejecting a functional liquid droplet on a workpiece. The method includes: a sealing step of sealing a functional liquid introducing port of the functional liquid droplet ejection head communicating with the passage of the head; an immersing step of immersing a head main body of the functional liquid droplet ejection head in the filling liquid stored in a sealed vessel; a pressure-reducing step of reducing pressure inside the sealed vessel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by exhausting the atmosphere inside the sealed vessel; and a pressure-restoring step of restoring the pressure inside the sealed vessel after the pressure-reducing step.

Abstract: This invention provides for a print roll cartridge for a camera system. The cartridge includes a cylindrical internal core portion having a former dividing said core into a plurality of longitudinal ink supply reservoirs. The former also locates a paper supply roll thereon. The cartridge includes a covering unit which defines a slot and which houses the core portion, as well as a roller assembly attached to the covering unit to feed paper from the supply roll through the slot to the camera system.

Abstract: A printhead module capable of printing a maximum of n of channels of print data, the printhead being configurable into: a first mode, in which the printhead is configured to receive print data for a first number of the channels; and a second mode, in which the printhead is configured to receive print data for a second number of the channels, wherein the first number is greater than the second number.

Abstract: An ink ejection device, an image forming apparatus having the same, and a method thereof. The ink ejection device includes a print head including at least one head chip in which a plurality of nozzles is arranged to eject ink on a printing medium at a predetermined angle inclined with respect to a printing line extending along a widthwise direction of the printing medium, and a gap controlling unit to control a gap size between the printing medium and the plurality of nozzles.

Abstract: A print roll unit includes an elongate ink reservoir core defining a plurality of ink chambers, each extend along the core. The chambers are isolated so as to be each capable of storing a respective type of ink. A roll of print media includes a tubular former in which the core can be received and a length of print media which is wound upon the former. A housing includes a pair of molded covers which can be releasably fastened together to house the roll of print media.

Abstract: A printer cradle is provided having a recess with an inclined face for receiving and removably locating a print cartridge, a retainer for removably retaining the print cartridge within the recess, and resilient members arranged to act against the print cartridge as it is located by the inclined face and to bias the print cartridge against the retainer once located within the recess. The print cartridge has a pagewidth printhead, a printing fluid supply and a fluid connection between the printhead and the printing fluid supply.

Abstract: A temperature control system for a sheet support plate of a printer which has at least two power supplies for powering different sub-systems of the printer, the temperature control system containing at least one heater and a power management system adapted to use spare power capacities of the two power supplies by controlling the power supplied to said at least one heater in accordance with the load conditions of said power supplies.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a first level-data setting unit for setting a selected first level data from a plurality of first level data, based on an ejecting data for a first kind of liquid; a second level-data setting unit for setting a selected second level data from a plurality of second level data, based on an ejecting data for a second kind of liquid; a driving-signal generator for generating a driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected first or second level data and the driving signal. The plurality of first level data and the plurality of second level data are different from each other.

Abstract: To provide a recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium having a flat image recording surface, the recording apparatus including: a rotary driving device which rotationally drives the recording medium; and an ink-jet head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink onto the image recording surface of the recording medium, wherein each of the nozzles has an output port, and the ejection ports of the plurality of nozzles are arranged such that the distance between the ejection ports of the plurality of nozzles and the image recording surface becomes shorter toward an outer side from the rotational center of the recording medium. Accordingly, when ejecting two or more types of inks having different volumes onto a rotating recording medium, the distance between landing positions of droplets of these inks is substantially constant regardless of the positions in the recording medium.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: an ejection head which ejects liquid onto a recording medium to form a desired image on the recording medium; a conveyance device which moves at least one of the recording medium and the ejection head so as to move the recording medium in a conveyance direction relatively to the ejection head; and a contact device which makes contact with the liquid on the recording medium and is arranged on a downstream side of the ejection head in the conveyance direction, the contact device having surface properties satisfying at least one of the following conditions: that a surface roughness of the contact device is greater than a surface roughness of the recording medium; that a surface free energy of the contact device is smaller than a surface free energy of the recording medium; and that a contact angle of the liquid on the contact device is smaller than a contact angle of the liquid on the recording medium.

Abstract: A combined camera and printer assembly includes a support structure suitable for housing electronic components. A central processor is positioned in the housing. An area image sensor is mounted on the housing and is co-operative with a view finder and image capture mechanism to permit an operator to capture an image, the central processor being connected to the area image sensor to receive captured image data from the image sensor. A printer assembly is housed in the support structure and is connected to the central processor to print, under control of the central processor, print data based on the image data. A card reader is housed in the support structure and is connected to the central processor. The card reader is configured to read coded data off a card and to communicate the coded data to the central processor. The central processor is configured to apply image processing instructions to the image data based on the coded data.

Abstract: A fluid container, including a body having a base surface, a capillary fluid volume disposed over the base surface, and an outlet compartment having at least one outlet wall disposed within the body and extending from the base surface into the capillary fluid volume. The body also includes at least two fluidically segregated free fluid compartments, where each compartment includes at least one sidewall disposed within the body. The at least one sidewall includes a compression edge wherein at least a portion of the compression edge is flush with the at least one outlet wall edge.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator is described as including a vibration plate in which grooves associated with respective pressure chambers are formed on a surface of the vibration plate, and a piezoelectric layer on the surface of the vibration plate on an opposite side of a channel unit. Since grooves corresponding to the grooves in the vibration plate are formed also in the piezoelectric layer, it is possible to reduce a cross talk between operating sections of the piezoelectric layer. Further, chips and cracks are hardly developed in the piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: According to a first invention, since a flow of a spacer dispersed liquid is formed in a transporting chamber separated from a discharging chamber by an internal filter, the spacer dispersed liquid is stably discharged through an ejection hole, while the discharging chamber on a side of a nozzle plate is not affected by the flow of the spacer dispersed liquid. According to a second invention, since a spacer dispersed liquid does not flow inside a discharging chamber in a printing state in which the spacer dispersed liquid is discharged, the spacer dispersed liquid is stably discharged through an ejection hole. To the contrary, since the spacer dispersed liquid is directed inside both the discharging chamber and the transporting chamber in a waiting state in which the spacer dispersed liquid is not discharged, spacer particles in the spacer dispersed liquid do not settle.

Abstract: The liquid ejection head comprises: a plurality of ejection ports which eject liquid; a plurality of pressure chambers which are communicated with the ejection ports; a plurality of piezoelectric elements which are arranged to sides of the pressure chambers opposite sides of the pressure chambers where the ejection ports are formed, the piezoelectric elements each having driving electrodes, the piezoelectric elements each deforming the pressure chambers when drive signals are applied through the driving electrodes; a protective member which covers the piezoelectric elements and has a first wiring layer electrically connected to a first external wiring; a common liquid chamber which is arranged on the protective member on the sides of the plurality of pressure chambers opposite the sides of the pressure chambers where the ejection ports are formed, a wall of the common liquid chamber opposite the protective member having a second wiring layer electrically connected to a second external wiring, the common liqui

Abstract: A method of printing a line of dots from an inkjet printhead is provided. The printhead comprises a plurality of first nozzles and a plurality of second nozzles supplied with a same colored ink. The first nozzles and second nozzles are configured in a plurality of sets, wherein each set of nozzles comprises one first nozzle and one corresponding second nozzle. Each nozzle in a set is configurable to print a dot of the ink onto a substantially same position on a print medium. The method comprises printing a line of dots across the print medium such that the first nozzles and the second nozzles each contribute dots to the line.

Abstract: A liquid distribution unit for use between a container of a liquid and an apparatus supplied with said liquid, said liquid distribution unit includes a hollow body, a single inlet port provided in the hollow body for connection to the container, the hollow body being supplied with the liquid from the container via the single inlet port, and two or more outlet ports provided in the hollow body for feeding the liquid out from the hollow body.

Abstract: A liquid applying apparatus can prevent an applying roller from being degraded while contacting with an application liquid for a long time. Specifically, once an applying operation has been completely executed on an applying medium, the apparatus stands by for 60 seconds while holding the application liquid in a liquid holding member. When an applying instruction is not given during this period, the apparatus performs an application liquid collecting operation of discharging the application liquid from the liquid holding member. Thus, upon determining that no applying operation has been performed for a certain period after one applying operation has finished, the apparatus collects the application liquid from the liquid holding member. This avoids immersing the applying roller in the application liquid for a long time. Therefore, the applying roller is prevented from being degraded by the application liquid.

Abstract: A process controls application of a release agent to an intermediate imaging member in a printer rotating the intermediate imaging member in a single direction to generate and transfer an image. The process includes moving a release agent applicator into engagement with a rotating imaging member to apply release agent to the rotating imaging member, and subsequently engaging the rotating imaging member with a wiper blade so the wiper blade encounters a the applied release agent bar before the applied release agent reaches a transferring roller. The process further involves the disengagement of release agent applicator with variable time dwell and delayed disengagement of release agent wiper blade to reduce release agent bar. The engagement and disengagement of the release agent applicator and the release agent wiper blade are coordinated by two cams to reduce the likelihood that release agent is transferred to a transferring roller in a quantity sufficient to degrade image quality during duplex printing.

Abstract: A printer controller for supplying dot data to an inkjet printhead is provided. The printhead comprises a plurality of first nozzles and a plurality of second nozzles supplied with a same colored ink. The first nozzles and second nozzles are configured in a plurality of sets, wherein each set of nozzles comprises one first nozzle and one corresponding second nozzle. Each nozzle in a set is configurable by the printer controller to print a dot of the ink onto a substantially same position on a print medium. The printer controller is programmed to supply dot data such that the first nozzles and the second nozzles each contribute dots to a line of printing.