Abstract: This invention concerns a printhead capping mechanism for preventing evaporation of ink from a printhead when it is not in use. The invention has utility, for instance, in a color printer which uses a drop-on-demand inkjet printhead. The mechanism includes a cap fitted with an elastomeric seal to seal against the face of the printhead, and a sponge to catch drops ejected from the printhead during the nozzle cleaning cycle. The mechanism also includes an actuating structure operable to selectively move the cap between an engaged position to press against the printhead and a disengaged position spaced away from the printhead. The actuating structure frictionally engages a drive member so that it can slip against the drive member when the cap reaches the engaged or disengaged positions.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus records information within a recording width on a recording surface of a recording medium, and is provided with a multi-nozzle ink-jet recording head which includes a nozzle surface and a plurality of nozzles arranged in an array on the nozzle surface to cover the recording width of the recording medium, a transport section which transports the recording medium to pass a position confronting the nozzle surface of the multi-nozzle ink-jet recording head, and a reliability maintaining mechanism which is provided to cover all of the nozzles of the multi-nozzle ink-jet recording head, so as to maintain reliability of the nozzles.

Abstract: A head unit is inverted so that an outflow port is in the lowest position. Because the top wall of the buffer tank slopes downwards towards the outflow port, all remaining cleaning fluid that was introduced during manufacture is removed. Also, a notch is provided in the bottom end of an ink introduction port. The notch faces towards the outflow port so that bubbles in the ink exit from the notch and are guided towards the outflow port. The head unit is shipped while the buffer tank is filled with preservation fluid that has high wettability and any openings to the outside air are closed off with covers. When the head unit is used, the preservation fluid is sucked by a purging device and then ink, which has a high affinity for the preservation fluid, is smoothly introduced. Also, the inner surface of the filters are treated to increase the wettability by ink after the filters are fixed to the bottom lid. Afterwards the bottom lid is fixed to the top lid to form the buffer tank.

Abstract: A printhead system 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 and carrying the printing fluid for the at least two printhead integrated circuits, and at least two electrical connectors for connecting electrical signals to the respective ones of the printhead integrated circuits. The system further comprises drive electronics incorporating at least one controller for controlling the printing operation of at least one of the printhead integrated circuits, and a casing in which the printhead module and drive electronics are removably mounted. Each of the electrical connectors is arranged to direct control signals from the controller to the corresponding printhead integrated circuit and to direct power from a power supply to the corresponding printhead integrated circuit and the drive electronics.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports a record medium; a print head having a plurality of nozzles that ejects ink, thereby forming an image on the record medium; a first recovery ejection unit that performs recovery ejection of nozzles used for forming an image on the record medium; and a second recovery ejection unit that performs recovery ejection of at least one of the plurality of nozzles in accordance with a time elapsed from a previous recovery ejection.

Abstract: A head cap which comes into close contact with a nozzle surface of a function liquid droplet ejection head to thereby seal the function liquid droplet ejection head has a cap base; an absorbing material housing part which is formed in the cap base; a function liquid absorbing material which is filled inside the absorbing material housing part; an absorbing material urging member which urges the function liquid absorbing material; a sealing member; and a seal fixing member which fixes the sealing member to the cap base. The sealing member is fixed to the cap base in a state of urging the peripheral portion of the absorbing material urging member. There is thus obtained a head cap as well as a liquid droplet ejection apparatus in which the function liquid absorbing material can be easily replaced without impairing the original function of the sealing operation.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a maintenance station mounting a printhead wiper having a waste ink collection surface. A printhead carrier carries a printhead and a printhead wiper cleaning mechanism for cleaning the printhead wiper. The printhead wiper cleaning mechanism includes a hook member for contacting the waste ink collection surface of the printhead wiper for removing residual waste ink from the waste ink accumulation surface as the printhead wiper cleaning mechanism moves relative to the printhead wiper.

Abstract: In an inkjet printing apparatus which includes a printhead that discharges ink and an ink tank detachably attached to the printhead, and executes printing by using the printhead that discharges the ink supplied from the ink tank, an ink tank detection section detects the presence/absence of the ink tank. On the basis of the detection result, a control circuit inhibits the cleaning operation of the printhead.

Abstract: A nozzle protecting device 30 of an ink jet type recording apparatus has a cap 46 which covers nozzles of a recording head and a cap support member 47 which is connected to the cap 45 via a spring member 80. The distance between the cap 46 and the cap support member 47 can be changed by elastic deformation of the spring member 80. A vent hole 54 is formed in the cap 46. A valve seat 56 which covers the terminal portion of the vent hole 54 is provided. A valve body 58 is rotatably attached to the lower portion of the cap 46. The valve body 58 selectively abuts on and parts from the valve seat 56 in accordance with the distance between the cap 46 and the cap support member 47. As a result, the inside of the cap 46 is opened and closed to air via the vent hole 54.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for cleaning the ink ejection nozzles of an inkjet printer head of a mail handling machine, comprising, on the one hand, a scraping means arranged in a path of travel of the mail items opposite the ink ejection nozzles and actuated by a mail item as it advances beneath the printer head, and, on the other hand, a means for cleaning this scraping means. Advantageously, the scraping means is articulated between a position of scraping in which the scraping means is arranged in the path of travel of the mail items, and a position of rest in which the scraping means is withdrawn from this path of travel.

Abstract: A printer fluid management module is disclosed that includes a first jet writing fluid vessel having a first end in which a fluid opening is defined, and a first utility fluid vessel having a first end in which a fluid opening is defined. The first jet writing fluid vessel and the first utility fluid vessel are part of a unitary assembly.

Abstract: A spacing mechanism is provided to vary the distance between a rotary platen and a pagewidth printhead as a function of the angle of rotation of the platen. The spacing mechanism includes cams fixed at opposing ends of the platen and corresponding cam followers mounted fast with the printhead and positioned to follow the cams. Springs are arranged to bias the cam followers against the cams in use. The platen includes a number of radially located elongate working surfaces each providing a servicing function to the printhead that requires a different platen-to-printhead spacing. The cams are shaped to suitably vary the printhead-to-platen distance between each working surface and the printhead as the working surface is rotated adjacent to the printhead.

Abstract: An article of manufacture including a first adherend and a two-part adhesive mixed and dispensed on the first adherend, wherein the first part of the two-part adhesive includes a first fluorescent dye. The article of manufacture further includes a second adherend in contact with the two-part adhesive.

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 and carrying the printing fluid for the at least two printhead integrated circuits, and an electrical connector for connecting electrical signals to the at least two printhead integrated circuits from both ends of the printhead assembly, and comprising a casing in which the at least one printhead module is removably mounted.

Abstract: A method for removing liquid in a gap of an ink jet printhead comprising a drop generator, with an outlet valve, orifice plate and charge plate, wherein a cross flush valve is additionally used to form a cross flush pressure in the drop generator, then actuators are used to vibrate the drop generator to a defined amplitude, then the outlet valve is closed to form a pressure spike in the drop generator then the pressure in the drop generator is lowered to a recommended operating pressure to establish a jet array and the system is operated until the gap is substantially free of liquid with dissolved residue.

Abstract: An inkjet printer driving a maintenance apparatus using a power to a feed roller. In the inkjet printer, the maintenance of the maintenance apparatus is started by a carriage. The maintenance apparatus includes a maintenance member which cleans and covers the nozzle of a print head, a maintenance cam which controls the maintenance member through a rotating motion, a maintenance gear which is disposed at one end of the maintenance cam and has a cut off portion in which a part of gear teeth is partially cut off in a face width direction, and a connection gear disposed on a shaft of the feed roller to be able to move in a shaft direction by the carriage and transmit the power of the feed roller. During the printing operation of the carriage, the connection gear is placed on the cut off portion, and then engaged with the teeth of the maintenance gear disposed adjacent to the cut off portion by the pushing of the carriage.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a line type recording head which is arranged so that a longitudinal direction thereof is substantially orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a recording medium; a suction pipe which is disposed in parallel with the recording head and connected to a suctioning device; a rotating body which is supported rotatably on an outer circumference of the suction pipe and has a first opening section and a second opening section; a platen which is arranged in the first opening section of the rotating body movably in parallel with the conveyance direction of the recording medium; and a cap member which is arranged in the second opening section of the rotating body and adapted to cap nozzles of the recording head, wherein the recording medium is suctioned onto the platen and parallelly moved along a conveyance path in a state where the first opening section of the rotating body is connected to the suction pipe.

Abstract: A monolithic bubble ink jet print head includes an anti-curing-deformation part formed at at least one of an inner surface of a nozzle plate or a chamber/nozzle plate forming ink chambers and an outer surface of the nozzle plate or the chamber/nozzle plate forming a front or outer surface of the printer head to prevent an abnormal deformation from being generated in the nozzle plate or the chamber/nozzle plate during a curing process. A fabrication method of a monolithic bubble-ink jet print head includes forming a sacrificial photo resist mold having a flow channel structure including ink chambers and restrictors on the substrate, forming a chamber/nozzle plate having an anti-curing-deformation part and nozzles on the sacrificial photo resist mold, removing the sacrificial photo resist mold from the substrate over which chamber/nozzle plate is formed, and curing the substrate from which the sacrificial photo resist mold is removed.

Abstract: In discharge recovery processing, a continuous sheet 23 is moved from a facing position facing a head portion 21 to a first position (in the down direction in the drawing) as an evacuating position in the discharge recovery processing, thereafter, a discharge recovery processing unit 22 in the standby mode at a second position (in the up direction in the drawing) different from the facing position is moved to the facing position, and the discharge recovery processing is performed. In the discharge recovery processing, the head unit 21 is not moved and therefore the preferable positional reproducibility is obtained after ending the discharge recovery processing.

Abstract: Mutilayer media is being developed which has inner ink-receiving micro-porous layer and an outer sealable porous surface coat, or topcoat. Ink printed on the media passes through the topcoat, and is absorbed by, or reacts with the inner ink-receiving layer. A thermal printhead is attached downstream of the print zone so that it passes over the area that was previously printed, and heats the topcoat. Where the topcoat is heated, the pores are closed and the closed pores provide a protective layer between the inner ink-receiving layer and the environment.