Abstract: Provided are an image forming method and image forming apparatus capable of always stably transferring an ink image on an intermediate transfer body to a printing medium and stably obtaining an image with high quality. Formation and drying operation of the image using an inkjet method are repeated a plurality of times to obtain the image on the intermediate transfer body and the thus obtained image is transferred from the intermediate transfer body to a printing medium to form the image. At this time, a capability of the drying operation finally performed among a plurality of times of the drying operations is more lowered than those of all the drying operations except the drying operation finally performed.

Abstract: A method of forming a pattern including: discharging a droplet of a pattern forming material onto a substrate; drying the droplet that has landed on the substrate; and forming a pattern on the substrate, the drying comprising: irradiating a region of the droplet with a laser beam launched by a laser source; and reflectively irradiating the region of the droplet again with the portions of the laser beam that have been either reflected or scattered from the region of the droplet.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated by an operator to print an image on a media. A controller correlates a location of a printhead to the image and causes printing or not. A position sensor provides input to the controller. Its signal typifies pixels in a matrix frame indicating a current position frame and, over time, a previous position frame. The controller compares the two frames to find a presence of the previous in the current. To improve computational efficiency, the controller reduces a relative size of both frames before comparing. Specific reduction techniques contemplate converting a matrix frame of pixels indicative of previous and current locations into smaller matrices, including one-dimensional forms. Possible search areas within the current frame to look for the previous frame utilize knowledge about the movement history of the printer. Position sensor signal validity and controller architectures are other noteworthy features.

Abstract: A printer cradle unit for a printer cartridge has a body defining an opening for receiving the cartridge. A cover assembly closes the opening and secures the cartridge in an operative position. An ink refill mechanism is arranged on the body to operate a refill unit to refill the cartridge with ink. A roller assembly is arranged on the body and is configured to feed print media from the cartridge.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead having a housing having a top face and a bottom face, an ink ejection device and a contact circuit. The contact circuit is affixed to the housing in a substantially horizontal orientation and is in communication with the ink ejection device. The contact circuit is configured to connect the ink ejection device to an external device.

Abstract: A photo printer including a printer body having a printing engine disposed therein, a conveying unit to reciprocate a printing medium supplied to the printing engine, a supplying unit disposed at an upper portion of the printer body to supply the printing medium to the printing engine, a supplying passage to guide the printing medium from the supplying unit to the printing engine, a retrograding passage disposed in the printer body to guide a preceding end of the printing medium inside and outside the printer body when the printing medium supplied to the printing engine is aligned and reciprocated, so that the printing medium is printed from a rear end thereof, and a discharging passage to discharge the printing medium outside the printer body when the printing of the printing medium is completed at the printing engine.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for a computer system having an integral printer includes a media housing portion having top and bottom moldings mated to form a housing for storing sheets of paper therebetween, the housing portion having a print media transport mechanism; an ink storage portion having an ink storage base molding defining a plurality of distinct ink chambers, the ink storage base molding attached to an underside of the bottom molding and sealed therewith; and an ink manifold having ink outlet nozzles adapted to facilitate fluid communication with the printer, the ink outlet nozzles provided on a surface attached to and extending beyond an edge of the bottom molding. Each of the distinct ink chambers include a portion extending beyond the edge of the bottom molding, which portions form part of the ink manifold.

Abstract: An inkjet recording head cartridge includes a container body configured to accommodate a plural colors of ink. The container body has a first side surface and also has a projecting part. The inkjet recording head cartridge includes a recording head unit configured to have ink supply port arrays. The recording head unit also has discharge port arrays which discharge the plural colors of ink. The container body has a first partitioning wall and second partitioning walls. The first partitioning wall is configured to partition the inside of the container body to intersect with the ink supply port arrays, to form a first ink accommodating unit which has the first side surface, and to form a space which does not have the first side surface. The second partitioning walls are in contact with the first partitioning wall and divide the space into a plurality of ink accommodating units.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead comprising a reinforced bi-layered nozzle plate structure spanning across a plurality of nozzles is provided. Typically, the nozzle plate structure comprises: a first nozzle plate spanning a plurality of nozzles, the first nozzle plate having a plurality of cavities defined therein; photoresist filling the cavities; and a second nozzle plate covering said the first nozzle plate and the photoresist.

Abstract: A coating system comprises a high gloss coating ink supply source, and a low gloss coating ink supply source. The system includes a coating module configured to receive the high gloss coating ink and the low gloss coating ink. The coating module includes a first group of nozzles configured to emit the high gloss coating ink, and a second group of nozzles configured to emit the low gloss coating ink. The coating module includes a mixing reservoir configured to receive the high gloss coating ink and the low gloss coating ink and to commingle the high gloss coating ink and the low gloss coating ink to form an intermediate gloss coating ink. The coating module includes a third group of inkjet nozzles configured to emit the intermediate gloss coating ink.

Abstract: The apparatus has a carriage that holds a head, a carriage-driving mechanism having a motor, and a holding mechanism configured to press a recording medium to a medium-holding base. The holding mechanism has a pair of arm members and a pushing member secured to the arm members. A spring urges the holding mechanism toward the medium-holding base. The carriage can move to a first region and farther to as second region. In the first region, the head can read data from the recording medium. The apparatus has a sliding member that moves together with the carriage while the carriage remains in the second region. When the carriage moves to the second region and moves together with the carriage, the pushing member moves away from the medium-holding base.

Abstract: An amount of discrepancy between a theoretical paper feeding length and an actual paper feeding length is determined in advance, and a calibration value is determined based on the amount of discrepancy and stored in a ROM, for each of when a sheet of paper is fed while contacted by a sheet supply roller and when the sheet of paper is fed without contacted by the sheet supply roller. When a printing is performed on a sheet of paper, a feeding amount of the sheet of paper is calibrated based on one of the calibration values stored in the ROM.

Abstract: A manipulating rod is provided on an air intake valve so as to project through an air intake port. A protective member is provided with a projection, which causes the manipulating rod to move so as to open the air intake valve, in response to a motion for detaching the protective member from an ink cartridge.

Abstract: When ink is filled into an ink pack 13 including a bag part 20 and an outlet part 21, firstly, air in the bag 20 and outlet part 21 is sucked by a suction pump P2 provided for an ink pouring apparatus 30. Further, by a first measuring pipe 43, ink supplied from a main tank 31 is poured through the outlet part 21 into the bag part 20. Further, by a second measuring pipe 52, the ink poured into the bag part 20 of the ink pack 13 is sucked and exhausted. Furthermore, the ink in the second measuring pipe 52 is mixed into a mixing tank 34 with ink previously supplied to the mixing tank 34 from the main tank 31. Next, the ink is supplied from the mixing tank 34 to a third measuring pipe 59, and filled from the third measuring pipe 59 through the outlet part 21 into the bag part 20.

Abstract: Second individual electrodes are formed and arranged in zigzag in two rows on one surface of a flexible sheet, and wirings connected to the second individual electrodes are arranged to pass between adjacent second individual electrodes of the other row. Formed on the other surface of the flexible sheet are electrode connection sections to be connected to the second individual electrodes through through-holes going through the flexible sheet. The electrode connection section has an area larger than the second individual electrode and is connected to an external electrode through solder.

Abstract: A drum maintenance system for use in an imaging device includes an applicator configured to apply a release agent to a surface of an intermediate transfer drum of an imaging device at a first flow rate, and a reservoir spaced from the applicator including a supply of the release agent for the applicator. A first fluid path fluidly couples the reservoir to the applicator for delivering release agent to the applicator; and a second fluid path fluidly couples the applicator to the reservoir for recirculating release agent back to the reservoir. A delivery pump is configured to pump release agent from the reservoir to the applicator via the first fluid path at a second flow rate; and a recirculation pump is configured to pump release agent from the applicator to the reservoir at a third flow rate. The second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate, and the third flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method and an ink jet printing apparatus are provided in an embodiment of the present invention using an intermediate transfer body. With each of the apparatus and the method, it is possible to form a high-quality image in an ink jet printing system. In the embodiment of the invention, color ink and an auxiliary liquid are supplied to ink-attracting portions each having a certain area, the ink-attracting portions being surrounded by an ink-repellent portion. Subsequently, ink dots are transferred to a printing medium, the ink dots being formed by the supplied ink and the supplied liquid. Here, the ink-attracting regions have an area in which a plurality of droplets of the ink and the liquid in total can be received.

Abstract: A thermal printer unit according to the invention includes a thermal head, a platen roller which is disposed while facing the thermal head, a support member which fixes the thermal head while thermal transfer ribbon and receptor paper are pressurized and nipped between the thermal head and the platen roller, a conveyance mechanism which conveys the thermal transfer ribbon and the receptor paper using the thermal head and the platen roller, an engaging groove which prevents the thermal head from moving in a paper conveyance direction by the support member, and a retaining portion which prevents the thermal head from moving in a rotating direction, the movement of the thermal head in the rotating direction being generated according to rotation of the platen roller.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive drum with a simple structure for realizing a seamless digital photosensitive drum having an exposure source and a photosensitive member which are integrated with each other. The electrophotographic photosensitive drum includes a self-luminous device portion, a functional separation portion, and a photosensitive portion. The self-luminous device portion includes a first electrode wire layer including multiple first electrode wires provided in a circumferential direction of a cylindrical substrate and arrayed in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical substrate so as to be separated from each other by an insulating member, and each of the multiple first electrode wires is annularly formed.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus includes: a head unit having at least one sub-tank that stores liquid, and an ejection head that ejects the liquid supplied from the sub-tank in a form of droplets; a head unit mover that moves the head unit; an absorber stored in the sub-tank, and made of a porous resilient member that absorbs the liquid; and a presser that compresses the absorber.