Abstract: An air-communicated opening (8a) of an ink cartridge (8) connected to an ink jet recording head (7) is sealed to apply negative pressure from the suction device (11) to the recording head (7) through a capping unit (10). Ink is forcibly discharged from the recording head (7) until the internal pressure of the ink cartridge (8) is brought into a condition of equilibrium with the sucking pressure of the suction device (11). Thus, air bubbles are discharged to the outside by force of the flow of ink. Then, the pressure of the ink in the ink cartridge (8) is reduced to the sucking pressure to raise the degree of deaeration of the ink.

Abstract: An inkjet service station includes a spittoon housing having a chopper containing compartment and a residual ink receiving compartment. The chopper containing compartment and the residual ink receiving compartment are separated by a wall having a passageway disposed therein. A lever having an opening formed in it is mounted within the chopper containing compartment for moving pivotally in a forward direction through the passageway and into the residual ink receiving compartment for accumulating spitted residual ink on a top surface thereof during printhead servicing. Upon completion of printhead servicing, the lever moves pivotally backward through the passageway to facilitate the removal of at least a portion of the accumulated spitted residual ink therefrom so that the portion falls into the residual ink receiving compartment.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer with a maintenance mechanism uses a single cam to clean and maintain a recording head. The cam is driven by a paper-feed motor in the forward direction during the maintenance operations. When the recording head is disposed in a maintenance area, the driving force of the paper-feed motor is transferred to the cam via a coupler. In one revolution of the cam, a suction cap, a suction pump, and a wiper are driven at a predetermined timing to clean the recording head. The paper-feed motor is also used to drive the platen roller during the recording operation. Because a common motor is used to drive the platen roller and the cam, and because a single cam completes the maintenance operations in one revolution, the structure and its control are simplified.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording function to record images on a sheet material by installing an ink jet recording head that discharges ink from the ink discharge ports, and also, with an image reading function to read images from a sheet material by installing an image reading head exchangeably. This apparatus includes the discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head having the ink discharge ports formed on it, the image reading surface of the image reading head to read images to this head from the image reading surface, and a member that abuts upon the ink discharge port surface arranged to be in contact with the ink discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head. This member is arranged so as not to be in contact with the image reading surface of the image reading head. Thus the image reading surface of the image reading head is prevented from being stained by ink.

Abstract: A device in a postage meter that uses dot or drop printing to enhance security. Security is achieved by counting the number of signal pulses that are used to produce ink drops or ink dots that are required to produce the entire document or specific regions of the document. The aforementioned may be accomplished by adding a smart module to digital print head modules. The smart module would capture driver pulses from the print head module and interpret the pulses associated with regions of the image. Thus, the smart module would take data from the printer controller that is used to cut off printing when the ink is consumed and relate “set” values to the drops produced during the production of the document or portions of the document, thereby linking the document to the actual volume of ink produced.

Abstract: An ink retained in an ink transfer block is heated by a heating device correspondingly to information to be printed, thereby developing a surface tension gradient and interfacial tension gradient on the ink surface, and a fluidity caused by the surface tension gradient and/or interfacial tension gradient of the ink surface is utilized to have the ink fly from the ink transfer block, thereby printing the information on a print receptor, the heating device having a heating velocity v (in K/s) which meets a requirement (Tb−Ti)/v>h2/D where Tb is a boiling point of the ink in K; Ti is an initial temperature of the ink in K; h is the shortest distance between the surface of the heating means and ink surface in m; and D is a coefficient of thermal diffusion in m2/s.

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a recording head having a discharge port for discharging ink, sucking device for effecting suction from the discharge port, a wiping for wiping a surface in which the discharge port is disposed, and a plurality of paper supply devices for conveying recording mediums on which recording is to be effected by the recording head, the wiping operation of the wiper, the sucking operation of the sucking device, and the selection and driving of the plurality of paper supply device are done by a common drive source.

Abstract: In the ink jet printer, a pressure generation chamber 11 is expanded in a stepped manner, which enables a high speed discharge of a very small ink droplet. Prior to the ink discharge, the pressure generation chamber is contracted so as to enable a high-accuracy gradation printing with a wide range of ink droplet size. A control unit 20 generates: a first contraction signal for contracting the pressure generation chamber 11 without discharging any ink droplet 17; a first expansion signal for expanding the pressure generation chamber 11 to discharge the ink droplet 17; and a second expansion signal to further expand the pressure generation chamber 11 so as to break off an ink column discharged from a nozzle 12 and pull an unnecessary portion of the ink back into the nozzle 12.

Abstract: An ink jet printer with wiper blade cleaning mechanism, and method of assembling the printer. The printer comprises a print head having a surface thereon surrounding a plurality of ink ejection orifices. The orifices are in communication with respective ones of a plurality of ink channels formed in the print head. A solvent delivering wiper has a first passageway therethrough alignable with the surface. The first passageway delivers a liquid solvent to the surface to flush contaminant from the surface. Contaminant residing on the surface is entrained in the solvent while the wiper flushes contaminant from the surface. The wiper also includes a plurality of wicking channels alignable with the surface and a second passageway in communication with the wicking channels. A vacuum pump is in communication with the second passageway for vacuuming the solvent and entrained contaminant from the surface, along the wicking channels and through the second passageway.

Abstract: An ink jet recorder includes a recording head having a plurality of ejection surfaces each containing a nozzle for ejecting a different ink, a purging device for purging the nozzle of one ejection surface at a time within the plurality of ejection nozzles, and a controller for controlling the purging device in such a manner that a nozzle for ejecting a darker color ink is purged before a nozzle for ejecting a lighter color ink. The nozzle for the darker color can have longer waiting time than the nozzle for the lighter color ink and thereby the air bubbles remained in the nozzle can be absorbed into the darker color ink. Noticeable lack of darker color ink on the color printed medium can be avoided.

Abstract: A universal capping system seals the printhead of either a single-chamber or a multi-chamber style inkjet cartridge, such as a black ink cartridge or a multi-color ink cartridge installed in an inkjet printing mechanism. In an imaging inkjet cartridge system, the normal single-chamber black cartridge for printing text is replaced with a multi-chamber imaging cartridge. Some imaging cartridges carry ink formulations having reduced colorant concentrations, which, when used in conjunction with a full color cartridge carrying full colorant concentrations of color inks, provides near photographic image quality, as well as crisp black text and line art. The printing mechanism is provided with a universal capping system, including several banks of flexible sealing sublips, capable of sealing either style cartridge when installed. One sublip has an asymmetrical cross section selected to control the direction of bending. The cap is spring-biased to push the sealing lips into engagement with the installed printhead.

Abstract: An inkjet printing device for applying hotmelt ink, image-wise, to a receiving material, wherein the inkjet printing device contains a radiation device for irradiating the receiving material provided with the hotmelt ink with radiation energy for a short time such that the hotmelt ink at least partly penetrates into the receiving material without visible feathering occurring. The radiation device can be a gas discharge lamp which irradiates for a time between 1 and 1000 &mgr;s with radiation primarily in the visible wavelength range. The present invention also contemplates hotmelt inks provided with infrared-absorbent substances.

Abstract: A service station servicing an ink-jet printhead of an ink-jet printing system. The service station includes a sled structure, and an elevator mechanism coupled to the sled structure for moving the sled structure between a rest position and a sled capping position. A printhead cap is supported on the sled structure, and is movable relative to the sled structure for movement between a retracted position and a printhead capping position. The cap is adapted to surround and seal the printhead nozzles when the sled has been moved to the sled capping position and the printhead cap has been moved to the printhead capping position. A piston is carried by the sled structure, and the printhead cap is mounted to the piston. An actuating mechanism moves the piston from a retracted position to an extended position, wherein the printhead cap is positioned at the printhead capping position when the piston is moved to the extended position.

Abstract: Ink is sucked in a first amount from recording heads by applying negative pressure of suction pumps to the recording heads in a state in which communication between the recording heads and the atmosphere is cut off by sealing the recording heads by means of caps. The ink in the caps is then discharged by causing negative pressure of the suction pumps to act in a state in which the caps are made to communicate with the atmosphere, and then wiping is effected by a wiping blade.

Abstract: A printer assembly providing quick and effective wiping of print heads. The printer assembly includes a carriage for holding a print head and having a slide contact, a slide having a wiper ramp, a carriage contact contactable by the slide contact of the carriage, and a wiper assembly including a base, a post extending from the base, a wiper arm, a wiper latch, a wiper holder, and a wiper blade, wherein the wiper arm is connected to the base such that the wiper arm is raised in a case that the wiper arm ramp moves laterally relative to and while in contact with the wiper arm, the wiper latch is connected to the wiper arm such that the wiper latch latches onto the post extending from the base in a case that the wiper arm is sufficiently raised, the wiper holder is connected to the wiper arm, and the wiper blade is connected to the wiper holder.

Abstract: A waste ink absorbing body for an ink jet printer of the present invention includes a stack of unique blotting papers. Apertures are formed in each blotting paper such that they partly overlap each other when the blotting papers are stacked. Waste ink is allowed to efficiently infiltrate into the blotting papers to all the corners due to capillary caused by the overlapping apertures.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting binary information between a first device carried by a first body and a second device carried by a second body, movable with respect to the first body along a path within a given range of movement, includes at least one first electrically conductive main plate on the first body along the path of the second body and a second electrically conductive main plate on the second body. The first and second main plates remain opposite each other, at a constant distance from each other, when there is a relative movement of the second body with respect to the first body within the range of movement along the path, such that the first and second main plates form a main capacitor with a constant capacitance.

Abstract: In the method and apparatus for printing bar codes on cartons disclosed in the specification, cartons on which bar codes are to be printed are conveyed in succession in either direction past a heater which heats a selected portion of the carton surface and a hot melt ink jet printer which prints a bar code on the heater portion of the bar code surface. The carton surface portion is heated to a temperature which is above ambient temperature by an amount which is equal to about 40% to 100% of the difference between ambient temperature and the solidification temperature of the hot melt ink.

Abstract: An ink jet printer including a movable printhead assembly having printheads including ink and nozzles for printing onto a recording medium, a maintenance assembly having liquid application members for cleaning and priming the printheads, and a customer replaceable, multiple function capping assembly for assuring effective cleaning and continued quality operation of the printheads. For a first function, the capping assembly has a housing defining a fluid chamber containing cleaning liquid, a liquid flow aperture formed through the housing from the fluid chamber, and a snap-in, snap-out valve connector mounted over the liquid flow aperture for supplying cleaning liquid to the maintenance assembly, and for enabling economical, easy customer removal and replacement of the capping assembly within the ink jet printer.

Abstract: A recording apparatus which reduces consumption of ink by preventing unnecessary recovery operation during a printing job by an ink-jet method. First, the recording apparatus detects whether a recording mode is a black and white printing mode or color printing mode. Second, if the printing mode is the black and white printing mode, then the image recording is performed by using only nozzles for K(black), as well as an idle discharge operation is performed only on the nozzles for K. Whereas if the color printing mode is detected, then the image recording is performed by using all the nozzles for C(cyan), M(magenta), Y(yellow), and K(black), as well as the idle discharge operation is performed on all the nozzles.