Abstract: A liquid container that can present various information using illumination of a light-emitting unit includes an IC package having a storage element and the light-emitting unit. The storage element stores information used for controlling the amount of light emitted from an LED included in the light-emitting unit, so that variation in brightness of the light-emitting unit can be reduced and the information can be adequately presented.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid supply assembly for a device, particularly a printing machine. The assembly includes a lower base and is of the type in which the fluid is conditioned in an upper container which is intended to be connected to a fill opening in the base by a coupling. In order to mount the coupling on the base, the coupling is moved linearly along a vertical assembly axis and then pivoted around the assembly axis. The coupling has at least one keying pin which is received in a complementary groove in one face of the base when the coupling is being moved linearly. The invention also relates to a printing machine containing one such assembly.

Abstract: A printhead system comprising an inkjet printhead and a printer controller for supplying dot data to the printhead is provided. The printhead comprises a plurality of transversely aligned color channels, each color channel comprising at least one nozzle row extending longitudinally along said printhead. Each nozzle in a color channel ejects the same colored ink. The printhead is comprised of a plurality of printhead modules with each printhead module comprising a respective segment of each nozzle row. The printer controller is programmed to supply dot data such that each of the printhead modules fires a respective segment within a predetermined segment-time. At least one of the fired segments is contained in a different color channel from at least one other of the fired segments.

Abstract: Liquid packs 34 provided with liquid leading members 42 are stored in a container case 31 that is constituted by fitting a case main body portion 32 and a lid case 33 in fitting portions 27 and 28, support portions 13, which positions the liquid leading members 42 so as to be opposed to liquid introducing members 71 attached to a cartridge inserting portion 13, are provided on a front surface 32a of the container case 31, the fitting portions 27 and 28 are arranged in a state in which the fitting portions 27 and 28 traverses the support portions 43, and space portions 29 and 30 having a gap larger than a gap formed in the fitting portions 27 and 28 are formed near the support portions 43 in the fitting portions 27 and 28. In this way, liquid flowing through the fitting portions 27 and 28 due to the capillarity is retained by the space portions 29 and 30 and never flows to the fitting portions 27 and 28 further extending from the space portions 29 and 30.

Abstract: There is provided an ink jet head driving method for applying a drive pulse to an actuator to change capacities of a plurality of pressure chambers in which ink has been filled, ejecting an ink droplet from a nozzle formed in communication with the pressure chamber to print onto a printing medium, and moreover, continuously ejecting a plurality of liquid droplets to carry out gradation printing according to the number of liquid droplets, the method including making control so as to, in the case where the number of the liquid droplets is smaller than a predetermined number, apply a boost pulse to amplify a pressure vibration of the pressure chamber prior to a drive pulse for ejecting a first liquid droplet, and in the case where the number of liquid droplets is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, disable applying of the boost pulse.

Abstract: A method of expelling ink from a printhead module is provided. The printhead module includes at least one row that has a plurality of sets of n adjacent nozzles. Each of the nozzles is configured to expel ink in response to a fire signal. The method includes providing a fire signal to nozzles at a first and nth position in each set of nozzles, and providing a fire signal to the next inward pair of nozzles in each set. In the event n is an even number, a fire signal is provided to each next inward pair until all of the nozzles in each set has been fired. In the event n is an odd number, a fire signal is provided to each next inward pair until all of the nozzles but a central nozzle in each set have been fired, and then firing the central nozzle.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting head has a nozzle, a driving element which ejects a liquid droplet from the nozzle by being driven, a storing unit, a driving waveform generating unit, and a supplying unit. The storing unit respectively stores plural driving waveforms, which are for timewise driving a driving element in accordance with an amount of a liquid droplet, as plural digital signals each converted into binary numbers expressing a voltage level of the driving waveform and a duration period of the voltage level. The driving waveform generating unit generates plural driving waveforms on the basis of the plural digital signals. On the basis of image data, the supplying unit selects a driving waveform to be supplied to the driving element from among the plural driving waveforms, and supplies a selected driving waveform to the driving element.

Abstract: A liquid detecting device (1200) including: a unit base (1210), provided with a recessed portion (1211) on an upper face thereof and containing a first material; a sensor base (1220), accommodated in the recessed portion and containing a second material different from the first material; a sensor chip (1230), mounted on an upper face of the sensor base (1220) and having a sensor cavity (1232) for receiving a liquid as a detection target, in which a lower face of the sensor cavity (1232) is formed to be opened for allowing the liquid to flow therein and an upper face thereof is closed by a vibration plate (1233) and provided with a piezoelectric element (1234) mounted on an upper face of the vibration plate (1233); an adhesive layer (1242), formed on the upper face of the sensor base and fixing and sealing the sensor chip (1230) and the sensor base (1220) to each other; and an adhesive film (1240), which fixes and seals the sensor base (1220) and the unit base (1210) to each other and of which an inner periphe

Abstract: An ink cartridge comprising: (a) an ink cartridge body including a floor and an exterior wall partially defining an interior volume, the ink cartridge body including a capillary producing medium; and (b) an ink cartridge cap mounted to the ink cartridge body to substantially enclose the interior volume, the ink cartridge cap including two vents in direct communication with the interior volume, wherein a first vent incorporates an ink supply port. The invention also includes the utilization of a universal ink tank lid for use both in replacement and starter ink tank configurations, as well as methods of utilizing a universal ink tank lid to reduce production costs and complexities.

Abstract: The structure of a recording head and a control sequence of a recording apparatus that compensate for a change in a recording element characteristic due to a temperature change of the recording head without increasing the number of terminals of the recording head are provided. Devices for individually heating and controlling a plurality of sub-heaters on an element substrate of the recording head are arranged on an element substrate of the recording head, and digital control information for controlling these devices is inputted to the element substrate.

Abstract: A method of modulating a peak power requirement of 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 the steps of: (a) selecting a firing nozzle from at least one set of nozzles, the selection being on the basis of modulating the peak power requirement; and (b) printing a dot onto said print medium using said firing nozzle.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an alignment pattern and an alignment pattern detector that detects the alignment pattern. The alignment pattern is formed in such a manner that a line image of a reference color and a line image of a color other than the reference color are superposed on each other with a predetermined shift amount. An acceptance width of the alignment pattern detector is determined so that the acceptance width satisfies a relation with a writing density of the image forming apparatus and a line width of the alignment pattern, as follows: [acceptance width]>[line width]/(5.0627×[writing density(dpi)]?0.5331).

Abstract: A method for refilling a removable inkjet cartridge including the steps of: mating the removable inkjet cartridge to a complementary inkjet cradle, mating a refill cartridge to the removable inkjet cartridge, verifying the authenticity of the removable inkjet cartridge, verifying the authenticity of the refill cartridge; and subsequently operating the cradle on the basis of the verification steps.

Abstract: A printer is configured to manage a signal-to-noise ratio of a signal produced by a sensor scanning a print test pattern. The print test pattern is printed while controlling ink density printed by each of one or more pens. Each ink density is selected so that the signal-to-noise ratio exceeds a threshold as the print test pattern is scanned. Pens within the printer are aligned or otherwise maintained by adjusting nozzle firings as indicated by data obtained from the signal during the scanning.

Abstract: An ink tank detachably mounted on a printer includes a non-volatile memory and a LED for executing a process in response to a condition of the tank such as ink residual quantity by transmitting information stored in the memory to a printer, and informing the condition of the ink by use of the LED. Further, the content stored in the memory is prevented from being destroyed, and the LED can perform light emission until immediately before detachment and thus contribute to improvement in workability of a user. A volatile memory element is provided in addition to the non-volatile memory. When a user can detach the tank, condition information on the ink tank retained by the non-volatile memory is transferred to the volatile memory in advance. When it is possible to detach the tank, control for turning the LED on and off is achieved by accessing only to the volatile memory.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus which utilizes a recording head including a plurality of nozzles arrayed on the head. The present invention complements a point where an image is to be formed by a defective nozzle utilizing other nozzles while preventing the uneven use of nozzles provided in a recording head. Recording is performed utilizing recording heads which have a plurality of nozzles arrayed in a predetermined direction for discharging ink droplets of the same color. If a defective nozzle exists in the recording heads, complement recording is performed utilizing nozzles of the same recording head or other recording heads. As for the nozzles to be employed for the complement, a plurality of complement nozzles among the nozzles located adjacent to the defective nozzle is utilized. By discharging ink droplets from the complement nozzles, a point where an image is to be formed by the defective nozzle is complemented.

Abstract: A method for detecting an interval of recorded positions, including the steps of recording a first pattern group in such a way that the recording heads scan a recording medium so that recording elements record a pattern having repeatedly dark density area and light density area perpendicular to a scanning direction of the recording head, recording a second pattern group in such a way that the recording heads scan the recording medium so that recording elements record a pattern having repeatedly dark density area and light density area perpendicular to a scanning direction of the recording head and further the second pattern group is overlapped on and angled to the first pattern group, detecting interference fringes generated by overlap of the first pattern group and the second pattern group, and detecting a change of the interval of the recorded positions via a positional deviation of the interference fringes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light-emitting device which generates determination light which intersects with flight paths of ink droplets ejected from ejection head nozzles; a light receiving device which receives the determination light and outputs a determination signal corresponding to quantity of the determination light received; a drive control device which controls stagger of ejection timing of a nozzle subject to an ejection determination in accordance with ejection timings of other nozzles by controlling the ejection drive device based on image data during a recording ejection operation for forming an image on the recording medium; and an ejection state judging device which judges ejection state of the ink droplets from the nozzle subject to the ejection determination, based on the determination signal obtained from the light receiving device at a determination timing corresponding to the ejection timing of the nozzle subject to the ejection determination.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus having: a pressurizing device; a pressure generation chamber whose volume expands or contracts by a movement of the pressurizing device; a liquid droplet ejecting head having a nozzle communicating with the pressure generation chamber; and a drive signal generator which generates the drive signal for operating the pressurizing device, and causing to eject liquid droplets through the nozzle, wherein the drive signal comprises: an expansion pulse to expand the volume of the pressure generation chamber; a first contraction pulse following the expansion pulse to contract the volume; and a second contraction pulse after the first contraction pulse to contract the volume, wherein a pulse width of the expansion pulse is 0.7AL through 1.3AL, and a pulse width of the first contraction pulse is 0.3 AL through 1.5 AL, where AL is ½ of an acoustic resonance period of the pressure generation chamber.

Abstract: A printing method and a printing apparatus are achieved that can improve the quality of printed images.