Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus comprises: a recording head including nozzles which discharge ink droplets onto a recording medium for printing; a computing device which computes a non-operational time period for one of the nozzles; a calculating device which calculates a predicted non-operational time period until a next operation of the one of the nozzles; and a preliminary discharge control device which performs control whereby preliminary discharge of the one of the nozzles is carried out if a total of the non-operational time period and the predicted non-operational time period exceeds a reference time period.

Abstract: A self contained printer produces rolls of wallpaper on demand. The unit is contained in a cabinet through which runs a media path. The path extends from a replaceable media cartridge a to a winding area which holds a customer tote. A full width digital color printhead is located internally and across the media path. The printer's processor accepts operator inputs which are used to configure the printer for producing a particular roll.

Abstract: A capping device and method for a print head for an inkjet printer are disclosed. The capping device has a head cap to seal the print head during the printing standby mode. The head cap has a through hole to allow a sealed portion formed between the head cap and the print head to fluidly communicate outside of the head cap. The through hole is respectively disposed at an inner wall and outer wall of the head cap. Due to the through hole, an air path is formed in the head cap to allow a sealed portion between the print head and the head cap to fluidly communicate with the outside. Even if the air in the sealed portion is heated and expanded, the pressure therein does not increase.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a conveyance unit, a recording head, a sealing unit, and a carrier unit. The conveyance unit conveys a recording medium in a conveyance direction. The recording head includes plural recording portions. Each recording portion has plural ejection ports for ejecting ink. The recording portions partially overlap each other if viewed in the conveyance direction, when the recording head is located at a recording position where the recording head performs record with respect to the recording medium. The sealing unit is disposed in a region outside the conveyance unit. The sealing unit includes plural sealing portions each of which seals the ejection ports of each recording portion. The sealing portions are arranged in the conveyance direction. The carrier unit carries the recording head in a carrying direction between a sealing position where each sealing portion faces the ejection ports of each recording portion and the recording position.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead is provided comprising ink ejection nozzles arranged to eject ink from respective ink chambers onto media through respective apertures of the ink chambers and respective passages spaced from the apertures, and a fluid director arranged to direct a fluid into the space between the apertures and passages so as to pass through the passages. The fluid director is configured to direct the fluid into the space so that a fluid pressure within the space is less than a fluid pressure within the space without the fluid.

Abstract: This invention is related to an ink cleaning device, wherein this device comprises a cartridge stand, a driving mechanism, a printing control device and a cleaning cartridge. The feature of this invention is when the cleaning cartridge is put in the cartridge stand to replace the ink cartridge; the cleaning cartridge will be driven to guide cleanser into the guide tube and the printing head for cleaning purpose. Besides, the cartridge stand can accommodate the ink cartridge and the cleaning cartridge at one time. When ink cleaning function is required, the cleaning cartridge will be driven directly to clean the ink out by printing control device which is driven by an external device. The function of cleaning will also be approached.

Abstract: A liquid-ejection integrated circuit includes a substrate that defines a plurality of liquid inlet channels. A plurality of nozzle chamber structures is positioned on the substrate and defines nozzle chambers in fluid communication with respective liquid inlet channels. Each nozzle chamber structure incorporates a liquid ejection member. A nozzle guard is positioned on the substrate. A plurality of containment walls is interposed between the substrate and the nozzle guard to define a plurality of containment chambers. The nozzle guard, the containment walls and the substrate are of materials that have the same coefficient of thermal expansion.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method comprising a step of jetting an ink to a recording material via an ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the ink is cationically polymerizable ink, and apparatus includes a UV ink jet recording head fitted with a nozzle to eject UV ink; a capping member to cap an ejection plane of the nozzle; a cleaning member which comes into contact with the ejection plane of the nozzle to clean the ejection plane of the nozzle; a piping member to supply a UV ink to the UV ink jet recording head or to discharge the UV ink; and an ink tank member to supply the UV ink to the UV ink jet recording head or store discharged ink, in which apparatus, a weight variation ratio of at least one of the capping member, the cleaning member, the piping member and the tank member, which is determined by an immersion test in the UV ink, is less than 50 percent.

Abstract: The cleaning process best suited to the condition of an inkjet printer is selected and run, thereby removing nozzle clogging without wastefully consuming ink. The first time a cleaning switch 7 is operated a CL1 cleaning process is run. If the cleaning switch 7 is pressed a second time and the print pass count is less than e.g., 400, a CL2 cleaning process that uses more ink than the CL1 process is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used. If the print pass count is less than 400 the third time the switch is operated, the CL2 cleaning process is used, but the CL1 cleaning process is used if the print pass count is 400 or more. If the cleaning switch 7 is operated four or more times and the print pass count is less than 400, a YCL cleaning process that consumes substantially no ink is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used.

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 rotatable turret having a longitudinal length corresponding substantially to that of the printhead, (ii) a longitudinally extending capping member carried by the turret and (iii) an actuating mechanism arranged to effect rotation of the turret to move the capping member from a non-capping first position to a second position at which the capping member is located in nozzle capping engagement with the printhead.

Abstract: A modular image capture and printing system includes a pen-shaped printer with serial data bus connectors at either end. The system further includes a number of functional modules for connection to the printer. The functional modules include: a digital camera module; a memory module; a communication module; a photographic flash module; a timer module; an image effects module; an adaptor module; a pen module; a laser pointer module. The modules include connectors that facilitate mechanical connection and, in most cases, electrical connection to the serial data bus. In use modules may be selected and interconnected end-to-end to provide a desired functional assembly. The system further includes a print media dispenser adapted to connect to a media entry slot of the printer.

Abstract: An ink-jet head to jet ink from a front side thereof includes an actuator in which a plurality of parallel channels for generating pressure change to be applied to ink are formed and having a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzle holes are formed to jet ink from a corresponding ink channel, and a front plate located at the front side of the nozzle surface so as to protect the nozzle surface and having a recessed section on a front surface of the front plate, wherein the recessed section has an opening in which the nozzle surface of the actuator is inserted in such a way that the nozzle surface is located between the front surface of the front plate and the bottom surface of the recessed section.

Abstract: A printhead assembly is provided comprising at least one printhead module comprising at least two printhead integrated circuits, each of which has nozzles formed therein for delivering printing fluid onto the surface of print media, a support member supporting the printhead integrated circuits and carrying the printing fluid, and an electrical connector for connecting electrical signals to the printhead integrated circuits. The assembly further comprises drive electronics arranged to control the printing operation of at least one printhead integrated circuit via the electrical connector, a casing comprising a support frame removably supporting the printhead module and a plurality of mounting elements mounting the drive electronics, and connector arrangements at each end of the support frame for connecting the drive electronics to power and data supplies at one end, and for spring loading the mounting elements at the other end in the direction of the first end.

Abstract: A capping unit for use with a liquid discharge head. The capping unit includes a cap for covering a discharge surface of the liquid discharge head. The cap includes air-communication openings provided at corners of the cap, and a suction opening. The air-communication openings connect a space in the cap with the atmosphere. A high negative pressure pump provides pressure to the space via the suction opening. The cap minimizes liquid spatter on the discharge surface after a suction process.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a wiper apparatus and method for cleaning a printhead are provided. In one embodiment, the wiper apparatus includes a wiper having a leading contact surface, a trailing contact surface, and a capillary passageway that extends at least partially along an axis that intersects the leading contact surface and the trailing contact surface.

Abstract: An ink ejection nozzle constituting section for performing printing with a high image quality and an ink ejection nozzle constituting section for performing full-color printing at a high speed are separately disposed in one ink jet head. A recovery system is capable of performing suction recovery only in each of the nozzle constituting sections, and the suction recovery optimized for each constituting section is carried out. Accordingly, an increase in size of a recording apparatus can be restrained, and total ink consumption can be suppressed at the time of maintenance.

Abstract: A printhead for an inkjet printer includes an ink reservoir and a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink from the ink reservoir onto print media, the nozzles being formed in the ink jet printer printhead in a predetermined fashion with bores purposefully shaped and directed to determine the formation and placement of main drops and/or satellite droplets when ink is ejected from the ink reservoir when the printhead is part of an inkjet printer.

Abstract: The inkjet head comprises: a nozzle which discharges droplets of ink through an ink discharge port to perform recording onto a recording medium, the ink being supplied through a supply duct, at least partial cross section of the nozzle on a side of the ink discharge port broadening toward the ink discharge port; and a device which moves a position of a boundary surface of the ink between a first boundary surface keeping position inside the nozzle at which the boundary surface of the ink is kept for recording and a second boundary surface keeping position inside the nozzle at which the boundary surface of the ink is kept for cleaning the nozzle under pressure less than or equal to ink discharging pressure, wherein fouling around the nozzle is collected by moving the position of the boundary surface of the ink between the first boundary surface keeping position and the second boundary surface keeping position.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head is operable to move in a first direction. A platen is opposed to the liquid ejecting head to support an object to which a liquid droplet is ejected from the liquid ejecting head and to define a gap between the liquid ejecting head and the object. The platen is formed with a groove hole to which a liquid droplet deviated from an edge of the object is disposed, and through holes formed in a bottom portion of the groove hole and arranged in the first direction. A tray member is arranged below the platen to receive liquid dropped through the through holes. A first liquid absorber is provided in the groove hole. A second liquid absorber is provided in the tray member. At least one liquid leading member extends through at least one of the through holes to lead liquid absorbed by the first liquid absorber to the second liquid absorber.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus periodically performs the purge process and the wiping process. When the instruction is made to start the recording operation, a control unit judges whether or not the purge process and the wiping process have been performed after the previous recording operation. If it is judged that the purge process and the wiping process have been performed, the recording operation is started after executing the flashing process. Bubbles generated by the purge process are decreased by being dissolved in the ink during the period until the recording operation is started. Therefore, it is possible to avoid any occurrence of the discharge failure which would be otherwise caused by the bubbles contained in the ink. The purge process and the wiping process are separated from the flashing. Therefore, the period of time required for the processes is scarcely inhibits the demand of the user to start the printing.