Abstract: Images are printed up to the edges of printing paper while preventing ink droplets from depositing on the platen. According to the present invention, an area R for ejecting image-forming ink droplets is specified for a region lying beyond the edges of a printing paper P. The pixels of an external upper edge portion Rfp extending beyond the upper edge Pf are recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot of the platen. An internal upper edge portion Rfq, which is disposed downstream of the external upper edge portion Rfp, is recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot. When dots are recorded, blank spaces are prevented from forming in the edge portions of the printing paper, and ink droplets are prevented from depositing on the platen when the printing paper P deviates from its intended position, provided the upper edge of the printing paper P remains on the inside of the external upper edge portion Rfp or internal upper edge portion Rfq.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing device is presented including (1) an ink-jet printing head for printing an image by discharging ink droplets from a number of nozzles onto a recording medium and (2) a purging unit for sucking ink from the nozzles. The purging unit includes a cap, a suction pump, and a supporting member. The cap has a flat, plate shaped base, and a cylindrical lip that extends upright from the base. When the lip of the cap is in abutment with the ink-jet printing head, the suction pump lowers the pressure in a space defined between the ink-jet printing head and the cap. The supporting member is disposed in the cap and is capable of supporting the lip from the inside of the cap. When a distal end portion of the lip abuts the ink-jet printing head, the lip hermetically encloses the nozzles. At least a portion of the base corresponding to the inner side of the lip is flexible enough to be deformed so as to project inwardly of the lip when the pressure in the space is lowered.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead that has a plurality of nozzles and respective heater elements, together with drive circuitry that can send a pulse of electrical energy to each heater element to form a vapor bubble in the printing fluid that ejects a drop of printing fluid through the nozzle. The pulse of electrical energy is less than 200 nanoJoules so that the power consumption of the printhead is low. This configuration provided for very efficient operation.

Abstract: A printhead is provided for an inkjet printer. The printhead includes a substrate assembly defining ink inlet channels. Endless walls extend from the substrate assembly to surround respective ink inlet channels. Nozzles which, together with respective endless walls, define nozzle chambers in fluid communication with respective ink inlet channels and further define respective nozzle openings through which ink can be ejected. Lever arms extend from respective nozzles. Thermal bend actuators are coupled to respective lever arms and further coupled to respective anchors extending from the substrate assembly at locations external to the walls. The thermal bend actuators are configured to move the nozzles so that the volume of the nozzle chambers varies and ink contained therein is ejected out through the nozzle openings.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus includes a mechanism for cleaning the face of an ink jet head by wiping the face with a wiper to which a liquid for the head is transferred. The face of the ink jet head is provided with ejection openings from which inks containing coloring materials are ejected. The apparatus also includes an absorber for holding the liquid, the absorber being disposed below an area where the liquid for the head is going to be transferred to the wiper in the direction of gravity, and a transferring member which includes a section connected to the absorber to receive the liquid and a section which abuts on the wiper to perform the transfer. The transferring member is configured to move the liquid for the head by a capillary force from the section which receives the liquid to the section which performs the transfer.

Abstract: Three nozzle caps for sealing the surface of a recording head are provided in correspondence to an ink tank group of Y, C, and M, an ink tank group of R, G, and B, and an ink tank group of photo-K and K. Then, ink is sucked for each of the three nozzle caps by a suction pump.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a hybrid inkjet head and an inkjet head wiping device includes an array type inkjet head, the first guide part, a carrier, a shuttle type inkjet head, a paper delivery unit, a controller, and a wiping device. The array type inkjet head prints an image onto a printing medium at a stationary state and has the first nozzle unit. The first guide part is spaced apart from the array type inkjet head to dace the array type inkjet head, and the carrier is movably coupled with the first guide part and reciprocates in a width direction of the printing medium. The shuttle type inkjet head has the second nozzle unit and the paper-delivery unit delivers the printing medium to the inkjet heads. The controller controls operations of the inkjet heads and the paper-delivery unit, and the wiping device contacts a surface of the first nozzle unit to wipe out residual ink from the first nozzle unit.

Abstract: A printhead system is provided having at least one printhead module and at least one controller. The printhead module(s) has at least two print nozzle integrated circuits, a support member supporting and carrying the printing fluid for the print nozzle integrated circuits, and a plurality of electrical connectors individually connected to a respective one of the print nozzle integrated circuits. The controller(s) is arranged to control the printing operation of at least one of the print nozzle integrated circuits. Each electrical connector simultaneously connects a power supply to the controller and the controller to the respective print nozzle integrated circuit.

Abstract: There are provided a print head wiper to wipe a nozzle surface of a print head where nozzles are formed to fire ink, an inkjet image forming apparatus including the print head wiper, and a method of maintaining the inkjet image forming apparatus. In the print head wiper, a first gear is capable of rotating in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, a second gear is engaged with the first gear, a cleaning roller is fixed to the second gear to wipe the nozzle surface of the print head, and a link arm to connect the first gear and the second gear. When the first gear is rotated, the second gear and the cleaning roller may be revolved in an upward direction around the first gear by a frictional force between the first gear and the link arm until the cleaning roller makes contact with the nozzle surface, and then the second gear and the cleaning roller may be rotated about an axis of the second gear by a rotational force of the first gear to wipe the nozzle surface.

Abstract: A wiper device of a liquid ejection apparatus includes a first wiper that wipes a nozzle surface defined in a liquid ejection head, a second wiper that wipes a side surface of the liquid ejection head extending in a direction intersecting the nozzle surface, and a drive mechanism that drives the first and second wipers to move between respective standby positions and wiping positions. The second wiper is formed separately from a cap that seals the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head. The drive mechanism operates to move the second wiper to the corresponding wiping position independently from the first wiper. In this manner, independent wiping of the side surface of the liquid ejection head is performed when desired.

Abstract: It is rendered possible to attach and detach an inkjet line head chassis to and from a controller housing in an inkjet recording apparatus. To this end, the inkjet recording apparatus in which the inkjet line head chassis (2) is detachably attached to a portion of the controller housing (1) comprises: a bracket (4) mounted to the controller housing and movable upward and downward, the bracket supporting the inkjet line head chassis so that the chassis can be attached and detached unidirectionally; a drive plate (18) mounted in the controller housing so as to be rotatable in a plane parallel to a direction in which the bracket is moved vertically; a link mechanism for coupling the drive plate and the bracket to move the bracket vertically when the dive plate is rotated; and a fluid cylinder (19) coupled to the drive plate.

Abstract: A residue removal device includes an object, a sink, and a conveying device. The object includes a contact surface. Residue exists on the contact surface. A solution is contained in the sink. The sink is disposed below the contact surface. The solution corresponds to the contact surface. The conveying device drives the relative motion between the object and the sink. When the residues on the contact surface are contacted by the solution and relative motion is generated between the residues of the contact surface and the solution, the residues are removed by the solution.

Abstract: An orifice plate sealing tape for an orifice plate of a micro-fluid ejection device and methods for sealing an orifice plate with the sealing tape. The sealing tape includes a flexible polymeric backing film and a radiation cured adhesive applied to a surface of the orifice plate. The adhesive is cured in a pattern sufficient to seal adjacent to nozzle holes in the orifice plate and to enhance removal of the backing film and adhesive from the orifice plate prior to use of the micro-fluid ejection device. Upon removal of the sealing tape, a minimum of residue is left on the nozzle plate surface adjacent to and/or in the nozzle holes.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer as a liquid-droplet jetting apparatus includes an ink-jet head which includes a channel unit having a plurality of recovery nozzles formed in the vicinity of a plurality of jetting nozzles, respectively; and a recovery channel communicating with the recovery nozzles, a suction pump and a cap. Recovery ports, which are openings of the recovery nozzles, are formed to be adjacent to opening ports which are openings of the jetting nozzles. The suction pump of the ink-jet head is activated in a state that a cap covers both of the jetting and recovery ports, so as to recovery the ink jetted from the jetting ports through the recovery ports. Accordingly, there is provided a liquid-droplet jetting apparatus capable of preventing, as much as possible, the ink jetted through the jetting nozzles during purge operation from adhering to a portion in the vicinity of the jetting ports.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for ejecting liquid, the processing accuracy of an ejection unit for ejecting ink can be easily increased and the variations in the volume of ink drops, the ejection angle thereof, etc., can be reduced even when dust is mixed in ink. In addition, a reduction in an ink-supply speed at which ink is supplied to an ink ejection unit can be prevented. An ink ejection apparatus includes a plurality of heating units (13) provided on a base member (11), ink cells for pressurizing ink with energy generated by the heating units (13), and nozzles (17) having ejection holes for ejecting the ink which is pressurized in the ink cells. Each of the nozzles (17) is disposed above each of the heating units (13).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a recording head having a nozzle configured to eject a liquid drop of recording liquid so as to form an image on the recording-medium with a liquid drop ejected from the nozzle of the recording head; a conveyer configured to electrostatically hold and convey a recording-medium by a charge provided to the conveyer; and a cleaning device configured to clean a nozzle face of the recording head based on a tolerance threshold value of contamination of the nozzle face generated by the ejection of a liquid drop and the number of liquid drops ejected from the recording head for image formation.

Abstract: A printhead assembly includes a substrate defining a plurality of ink inlets. A plurality of nozzle assemblies is positioned on the substrate. Each nozzle assembly defines a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with a respective ink inlet and a nozzle opening from which ink can be ejected. A plurality of endless containment walls extend from the substrate and each surround a respective nozzle assembly so that leakage ink from the nozzle assemblies can be contained within the containment walls surrounding them.

Abstract: A method of removing particulates from an ink ejection face of a printhead is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) flooding the face with ink from the printhead, thereby dispersing the particulates into the flooded ink; and (b) transferring the flooded ink, including the particulates, onto a transfer surface moving past the face. Damage to the face is avoided since the transfer surface does not contact the face.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus includes a cap member, a wiper, a nozzle unit, and a platen. The cap member and the wiper face the nozzle unit and are located at a position lower than an upper surface of the platen that constitutes a paper delivery path. The platen is moveable to a printing position constituting a paper delivery path and a maintenance position that leaves the printing position such that the wiper and the cap member can access the nozzle unit.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus carrying out printing using a plurality of ejecting portions for respectively ejecting different kinds of inks, a condition for wiping of an ejection face provided with ink ejection openings of the plurality of ejecting portions is appropriately determined and defective ejection due to a wet and dirty ejection face is effectively prevented. A timing of wiping is controlled considering kinds of inks. Specifically, the timing of wiping is determined not simply based on a number of ejections carried out by the plurality of ejecting portions to perform printing, but also a condition of an amount of mist generated in accordance with the kinds of ink.