Abstract: A wiping apparatus has a cover box which covers at least a feeding reel, a take-up reel, a wiping member and a spray head, as well as a sheet-feeding passage for the wiping sheet. The passage extends from the feeding reel to the take-up reel. The cover box has formed therein a member opening through which the wiping member protrudes.

Abstract: An imaging device is disclosed that includes a drum platen having a recess. A loading mechanism for loading an absorber into the recess and a pen is configured to eject ink on the absorber while the absorber is in the recess.

Abstract: There is provided an inkjet printing device, which is provided with an inkjet head and an ejection restoring system configured to restore ejection performance of the inkjet head. The ejection restoring system includes a wiping member used to wipe residual ink off a nozzle surface of the inkjet head, a wiper driving system that moves the wiping member relative to the nozzle surface, and a wiper maintenance unit that removes ink adhered to the wiping member. The wiper maintenance unit includes a cassette having an absorbent member therein. The absorbent member absorbs ink adhered to the wiping member. The wiper maintenance unit further includes a cassette holder to which the cassette is detachably attached.

Abstract: A non-direct contact ink-jet style printer is disclosed herein, which uses a superfluid cryogenic fluid such as superfluid helium as the ink medium. Superfluid helium is non-viscous thus enabling the print head of the present invention to print nanoscale characters onto a substrate. In one exemplary embodiment, dopants are injected into the ink droplets to load the droplets with dopants, which then deliver the dopants onto the substrate. Multiple nozzles and different dopants may be used with the embodiments disclosed herein to provide different outputs on the substrate. Spent or un-used droplets and dopants may be educted away and discarded or scrubbed for reuse. Methods for printing using superfluid helium are also discussed herein.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising a printhead assembly is provided. The printhead assembly comprises a printhead module configured for ejecting ink in a first direction and a capping device. The capping device is reciprocally movable between an open position in which the printhead module may eject ink onto a print medium, and a closed position in which a blocking part of the capping device blocks the printhead module from ejecting ink onto a print medium. The capping device comprises a first surface for engagement with a second surface of the assembly, the first and second surfaces being configured to move the blocking part of the capping device away from the printhead module in the first direction during movement from the open to the closed position.

Abstract: A printhead assembly is provided having at least two printhead modules and a casing in which printhead modules are removably and adjacently mounted to extend across a pagewidth. Each printhead module has at least two printhead integrated circuits, each of which has nozzles formed therein for delivering printing fluid onto a surface of print media, a support member supporting and carrying the printing fluid for the at least two printhead integrated circuits, and an electrical connector for connecting electrical power signals to the at least two printhead integrated circuits from both ends of the printhead assembly.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head is caused to eject liquid droplets at a region where no target medium is placed, such that such that a first prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed from each of the nozzle orifices in the nozzle arrays of the first group, and a second prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed from each of the nozzle orifices in the nozzle arrays of the second group. At least a part of the first prescribed number of liquid droplets and at least a part of the second prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed by alternately performing a first unit operation for flushing a third prescribed number of liquid droplets which is smaller than the first prescribed number and a second unit operation for flushing a fourth prescribed number of liquid droplets which is smaller than the second prescribed number.

Abstract: A printhead assembly for a pagewidth inkjet print engine includes an elongate duct assembly dimensioned to span a print zone, the elongate duct assembly having at least one ink duct that extends a length of the duct assembly and at least one ink inlet in fluid communication with the, or each respective, ink duct. An elongate ink distribution assembly is mounted on the duct assembly and has at least one mounting formation for a respective printhead integrated circuit and defines a plurality of ink flow paths with inlets in fluid communication with the, or each, ink duct, and outlets at the, or each, mounting formation. At least one printhead integrated circuit is positioned in the, or each respective, mounting formation. The, or each, mounting formation is dimensioned and oriented so that the at least one printhead integrated circuit spans the print zone.

Abstract: A maintenance mechanism includes: a carriage 22 capable of performing reciprocating movement along a line parallel to an ink discharging surface 4a; and a purge sheet 21 attached to the carriage 22 and capable of being located, depending on the carriage 22 position, in a purge position opposing the ink discharging surface 4a and a printing position not opposing the ink discharging surface 4a. When being in the purge position, the purge sheet 21 has such a shape that allows ink discharged from the ink discharging surface 4a and adhered to the purge sheet. 21 to move, owing to gravity, toward the center of the purge sheet 21 with respect to the width direction of the purge sheet 21 which is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the carriage 22.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head is operable to eject liquid toward a target medium. A medium supporting member is opposing to the liquid ejecting head and supporting the target medium from below. A liquid absorber is adapted to receive and absorb liquid ejected to the outside of the target medium. A holder is holding the liquid absorber and being detachably provided with the medium supporting member.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording head that ejects ink droplets, an ink tank that supplies ink to the recording head, a waste ink recovering mechanism that recovers ink droplets ejected from the recording head as waste ink, a waste-ink tank, which is connected to the waste-ink recovering mechanism and stores the waste ink, a diluent tank which is communicated with the waste-ink tank and accommodates a diluent that dilutes the waste ink, and at least one of diluent supplier, that is, one of a first diluent supplier which supplies the diluent in the diluent tank to the waste-ink tank to make the conductivity of the waste ink in the waste-ink tank substantially the same as the conductivity of the ink stored in the ink tank and a second diluent supplier which supplies the diluent in the diluent tank to the waste-ink tank to make the specific gravity of the waste ink in the waste-ink tank substantially the same as the specific gravity of the ink stored in the ink tank.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus, including: (1) a recording head to eject ink which is hardened by irradiation of ultraviolet rays; (2) an ultraviolet ray irradiation section to harden the ink ejected from the recording head; and (3) a recording head maintenance device, including, (3-1) a maintenance section for carrying out maintenance of the recording head; (3-2) a coupling section to make the recording head maintenance device to come into close contact with the recording head; and (3-3) a cover section to cover the maintenance section, on which an opening section is formed to make the coupling section to project beyond the maintenance unit cover, including a light shield section to shield the coupling section from the ultraviolet rays emerging from the ultraviolet ray irradiation section.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink jet printhead which comprises a plurality of nozzles and one or more heater elements 10 corresponding to each nozzle. Each heater element 10 is configured to heat a bubble forming liquid 11 in the printhead to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble 12 therein. The generation of the bubble 12 causes the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid (such as ink) through an ejection aperture 5 in each nozzle, to effect printing. In each nozzle, the heater element 10 requires less than 8 volts and a current of less than 60 milliamps for less than 1.5 microseconds, in order to form the gas bubble 12 that causes the ejection of the drop of ejectable liquid 11.

Abstract: A capping mechanism is disclosed for a pagewidth printhead having a plurality of nozzles located along the printhead and arranged to deliver ink onto print media which, in use, is transported past the printhead. The capping mechanism incorporates a capping member which has a length corresponding substantially to that of the printhead and which is configured to contact the printhead in nozzle capping engagement, and a pivotal carrier supporting the capping member. An actuating mechanism is provided and arranged to effect pivotal movement of the carrier back and forth between a first position at which the capping member is located remotely with respect to the printhead and a second position at which the capping member is located in contact with the printhead.

Abstract: An ink distribution assembly (10) for a page width ink jet printhead (12) in the form of at least one printhead chip (14) having sets of ink inlet openings (18), each set for receiving an ink of a particular colour. A carrier (22) with a printhead side (30) that is engageable with the printhead (12) and an opposed ink supply side (28) and defining feed openings (48) through the carrier (22). The ink supply side (28) of the carrier (22) defines a number of discrete feed formations (60) being configured to receive ink of a particular colour. The printhead side (30) of the carrier (22) defines ink supply formations and passages in fluid communication between the ink supply formations and one of the feed formations. A cover (78) is engageable with the carrier (22) at the ink supply side (28) and is shaped to define a roof for the feed formations (60) and defines ink pathways (86) in fluid communication with respective feed formations (60).

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a printhead assembly having a carrier. An ink supply assembly is mounted on the carrier and defines a plurality of printhead integrated circuit receiving formations that are each dimensioned to engage a printhead integrated circuit and a plurality of ink supply conduits that terminate at the formations to supply ink to printhead integrated circuits engaged with the formations. A plurality of inkjet printhead integrated circuits is engaged with respective said formations to receive the ink via passages defined by the printhead integrated circuits in fluid communication with respective ink supply conduits. The ink supply assembly further defines a gas flow path that terminates at each formation, the ink supply assembly being connectable to a pressurized gas supply so that gas can be directed over each printhead integrated circuit to inhibit the build-up of dust and debris on the printhead integrated circuits.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed which has: (a) a pagewidth printhead assembly having a pagewidth printhead and a plurality of nozzles located along the printhead for delivering ink onto print media as it is transported past the printhead, and (b) a capping/purging mechanism associated with the printhead.

Abstract: On detecting an operation instruction for interrupting a power supply, a maintenance mechanism and an ink head are moved with respect to each other in such a manner that the maintenance mechanism is disposed facing the ink head, and thereafter a power supplied to main body of an image forming apparatus is interrupted in a state in which droplets of ink liquids are received by a container of droplet receiving.

Abstract: Embodiments of a cleaner are disclosed.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed which has— (a) a pagewidth printhead assembly having a pagewidth printhead and a plurality of nozzles located along the printhead for delivering ink onto print media as it is transported past the printhead, and (b) a capping mechanism associated with the printhead. The capping mechanism comprises— i) a capping member formed from a flexible sheet-like material which has a width corresponding substantially to the length of the printhead, and ii) an actuating mechanism arranged to position the capping member in nozzle capping engagement with the printhead. Also disclosed is a printer having a printhead assembly that incorporates two pagewidth printheads between which the capping member is in use located.