Abstract: A printhead maintenance station for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance station comprises (a) an elastically deformable cylinder having a contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead; and (b) an engagement mechanism for reciprocally moving the cylinder between a first position in which the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face, and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face. The engagement mechanism moves the cylinder substantially perpendicularly with respect to the face.

Abstract: A double-sided printable image recording apparatus including a conveyer for conveying a recording medium, a fixed recording head for ejecting an aqueous ink and a treating liquid having nature of aggregating a colorant contained in the aqueous ink to a recording medium conveyed by the conveyer, which is arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to a conveying direction of the recording medium, and has a printing region of a recording medium width, and an ejection controller for controlling ejection of the aqueous ink and the treating liquid from the fixed recording head based on image information, wherein the ejection controller, in a double-sided printing mode of printing on both sides of the recording medium, controls an ejection amount of a treating liquid ejected per recording medium to a smaller amount than that of a single-sided printing mode of printing only on one side, at least on a surface of a recording medium.

Abstract: During a restoring operation, a transport belt is bent by moving at least one of rollers around which the transport belt is looped, thereby forming a space which enables a maintenance unit to be inserted to an ink ejection surface of an inkjet head.

Abstract: A printhead assembly is provided. The assembly comprises a printhead mounted on a support, the printhead having an ink ejection face. A film cooperates with the support, to define a wicking channel. The wicking channel is positioned for receiving ink from an edge portion of the face and/or an edge portion of a pad being disengaged from said face.

Abstract: Even in the case where preliminary ejection is performed by a recording head having an array of pigment ink ejection outlets and an array of dye ink ejection outlets in which a length of the pigment ink ejection outlet array is longer than a length of the dye ink ejection outlet array, deposition of preliminarily ejected pigment ink at a preliminary ejection receiving portion is effectively prevented by providing an inclined surface at the preliminary ejection receiving portion so that ink from the dye ink ejection outlets is received at an upstream position of the inclined surface and ink from the pigment ink ejection outlets is received at a downstream position of the inclined surface in a direction of gravity.

Abstract: The ink-jet recording device of the present invention is provided with an ink-jet recording head that operates pressure waves on ink in a pressure chamber and ejects ink droplets from multiple nozzles; a wiper that wipes a nozzle face of the ink-jet recording head; a drive waveform applying component that applies a drive waveform to a drive element so that ink droplets are not ejected and ink floods the nozzle face; and a control component that, when performing wiping, drives the drive waveform applying component prior to initiating wiping and actuates the wiper in a state where the ink is flooded on the nozzle face.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a head part having a jet opening part configured to jet ink, a moisture retention cap configured to maintain moisture by covering the jet opening part, and a suction part configured to suction ink situated at the jet opening part. A suction cap having the suction part is provided separately from the moisture retention cap. The image forming apparatus includes a shutter member configured to open or close an opening part of the suction cap. The shutter member comes in contact with a perimeter of an edge part forming the opening part of the suction cap in a case where the shutter member is closed.

Abstract: A method of sealing a nozzle. First, a device comprising a chamber, a nozzle, and a nozzle plate is provided, wherein the nozzle plate is installed on the chamber and the nozzle passes through the nozzle plate and connects the chamber. The chamber is then filled with ink. Residual ink on the nozzle plate is then removed by water. After that the nozzle plate is dried, a solution is then coated on the nozzle plate, wherein the solution has higher surface tension than the ink and has smaller contact angle with the nozzle plate than the water. Next, the nozzle plate is dried. Finally, a flexible material is bonded on the nozzle plate to seal the nozzle.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to methods and architecture for depositing one or more self-assembled monolayer(s) onto a print nozzle orifice plate surface. In particular, the servicing fluid includes a self-assembled monolayer-forming agent and is applied using a wiper. The wiper is configured to service and maintain an orifice plate surface having a pre-existing self-assembled monolayer, or for initial application of a self-assembled monolayer to an orifice plate.

Abstract: A printhead maintenance assembly is provided, comprising a printhead and a maintenance station. The maintenance station comprises a capper sealingly engageable around the printhead. The capper includes a constriction member for defining a blast channel adjacent an ink ejection face of the printhead. The maintenance station also comprises a vacuum system in fluid communication with the capper and an engagement mechanism. The engagement mechanism is provided for moving the capper between a first position in which the capper is sealingly engaged around the printhead and a second position in which the capper is disengaged from around the printhead.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus has a pick-up roller for supplying to a conveyor mechanism an uppermost one of record media on a supporter, an elevator for moving up and down the supporter, a pump for forcibly ejecting ink within an ink-jet head, a drive shaft that is rotated both in positive and negative directions by a drive source, and a driving force transmitter. The driving force transmitter is capable of switching its mode between a mode for transmitting rotating force of the drive shaft in the positive direction to the pump so as to drive the pump and a mode for transmitting rotating force of the drive shaft in the negative direction to the pick-up roller so as to drive the pick-up roller. After the elevator is controlled to bring the uppermost one of the record media on the supporter away from the pick-up roller, the drive source is controlled to rotate the drive shaft in the positive direction.

Abstract: A printhead maintenance station for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance station comprises a capper sealingly engageable around the printhead. The capper comprises a constriction member for defining a blast channel adjacent an ink ejection face of the printhead. The maintenance station further comprises a vacuum system in fluid communication with the capper and an engagement mechanism. The engagement mechanism moves the capper between a first position in which the capper is sealingly engaged around the printhead and a second position in which the capper is disengaged from around the printhead.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes an ink jet head which ejects ink toward a recording medium to record an image thereon, a paper feed unit which feeds the recording medium, a recording medium conveyance unit which conveys the recording medium, an intake fan provided at the recording medium conveyance unit to adsorb the recording medium by negative pressure, and an exhaust fan to remove dust from between the paper feed unit and the recording medium conveyance unit. The image recording apparatus prevents the ink jet head from not discharging ink drops and discharging ink drops curvedly because of paper dust and dust in the air, and prevents ink drops from failing to land in a proper position because of an airflow to form a new flow path in the apparatus, thereby recording a high-quality image with high reliability.

Abstract: A cleaner of a liquid discharge head having a nozzle surface provided with a liquid discharge nozzle for discharging a predetermined liquid cleans the nozzle surface by moving relative to the liquid discharge head. It includes a cleaning roller for wiping the nozzle surface, the surface of the cleaning roller which comes into contact with the nozzle surface being formed of a fibrous absorbing member.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for use inkjet pens. One method includes, during an initial stage of pen life, drawing ink from an ink reservoir through a standpipe, and, during an extended stage of pen life, allowing external air to enter into the standpipe through a standpipe bubbler and drawing ink from within the standpipe but not the ink reservoir.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a printhead includes printing a test pattern, scanning the test pattern to obtain calibration data, performing an ink drop velocity optimization for the printhead using the calibration data, and determining a bi-directional offset based on the calibration data.

Abstract: A printhead assembly for an ink jet printer includes an elongate channel member having a floor and a pair of opposed side walls. An elongate elastomeric ink delivery member has longitudinally extending delivery conduits and is positioned on the floor. One end of the ink delivery member is engageable with an ink supply to the delivery conduits and an opposite end with a closure to close the ink delivery conduits. The ink delivery member defines a series of patterned holes in fluid communication with the ink delivery conduits. A series of printhead modules are releasably engaged with the elongate channel member to extend end-to-end along the channel member. Each printhead module includes an ink distribution structure in fluid communication with the series of patterned holes. A printhead integrated circuit is mounted on the ink distribution structure to receive ink from the ink distribution structure.

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus comprises: a printing device including a print head which discharges ink droplets onto a recording medium to perform printing, the print head having discharge ports through which the ink droplets are discharged; a liquid removal device which absorbs droplets deposited on an ink discharge surface of the print head in which the ink discharge ports are formed; and a deposit removal device which wipes away matter deposited on the ink discharge surface.

Abstract: An article of manufacture including a first adherend and a mixed two-part adhesive disposed on the first adherend, wherein the first part of the two-part adhesive includes a first fluorescent dye.

Abstract: A carriage, which moves an inkjet head group composed of a plurality of inkjet head arrays laid approximately perpendicular to a printing paper transport direction, carries a line charge-coupled device (CCD). The line CCD has a reader element array composed of a plurality of reader elements laid in the same direction as the printing paper transport direction. The line CCD has a width along the printing paper transport direction, which is greater than a width of the inkjet head group. When the carriage moves, the line CCD scans the printing paper in the secondary scanning direction. Ink ejection inspection is made based on an image read by the line CCD.