Abstract: There is disclosed a solid semiconductor element which very efficiently detects information about a liquid and bidirectionally exchanges the information with the outside. The solid semiconductor element is disposed in a liquid container, and includes at least energy converting unit, information acquiring unit, and information communicating unit. The energy converting unit converts an electromotive force from the outside to a power, and operates the information acquiring unit and information communicating unit. The information acquiring unit acquires the information about the liquid in which the solid semiconductor element is disposed from the liquid, and the information communicating unit transmits the information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the outside.

Abstract: An ink-jet head includes a pressure generating block, a nozzle plate having an ink jetting surface, and a manifold block. The manifold block has an inclined surface which inclines toward the ink jetting surface and is continuous to the ink jetting surface at one end thereof.

Abstract: A method of cleaning an inkjet printhead, by generating a liquid foam on the ink ejection face such that particulate contaminants on the ejection surface disperse into the foam, then transferring the foam, together with the particulate contaminants dispersed within, onto a rotatable transfer surface moving relative said ejection face and, rotating the rotatable transfer surface into contact with a removal surface to remove the foam and the particulate contaminants dispersed within. Ink consumption is minimized by use of a foam and damage to the face is avoided since the rotatable transfer surface does not contact the face.

Abstract: An ink-jet head has a passage component made of resin and a filter plate through which ink is filtered. The filter plate is fixed to the passage component and has a melting point higher than that of the passage component. The filter plate has an annular region and an inner region, and holes are formed through the filter plate in the annular and inner regions. The passage component has a filter support face that is in contact with the annular region but out of contact with the inner region. A holder is formed on the filter support face. The holder penetrates through at least one of the holes formed in the annular region and covers the other face of the filter plate.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a frame and a maintenance sled movably coupled to the frame. The maintenance sled includes a carrier engagement member. A printhead carrier is coupled to the frame. A carrier motor is drivably coupled to the printhead carrier. A controller is coupled to the carrier motor. The controller controls the carrier motor to drive the printhead carrier at a first velocity and at a second velocity. The second velocity is lower than the first velocity. The printhead carrier is controlled to move at the first velocity toward the maintenance sled, wherein prior to the printhead carrier contacting the carrier engagement member of the maintenance sled, the printhead carrier is decelerated from the first velocity to the second velocity.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical ink jet printhead includes a number of groups of ink ejection nozzles. Each group has a temperature sensor that is monitored by a processor incorporating the printhead. In order to maintain printing ink at a constant viscosity the processor compares temperature signals from the sensors to a predetermined threshold. In the event that the temperature signals indicate that the printhead is below a predetermined temperature then the processor applies heating pulses to the printhead. The heating pulses are of sufficient energy to cause warming of the printhead ink but insufficient to cause actual ink ejection. In this way ink ejection droplet size, and hence print quality, is maintained in spite of operating temperature fluctuations.

Abstract: A recording head includes outlets disposed in a staggered pattern so that the distances from an ink inlet to the outlets differ alternately for adjacent outlets. The recording head includes an outlet group including a plurality of the outlets on at least one side of the ink inlet. The outlet group includes first outlets and second outlets, wherein the distance from the ink inlet to the first outlets differs from the distance from the ink inlet to the second outlets. First recording elements and second recording elements including heat resistors are provided. The first recording elements and second recording elements correspond to the first outlets and the second outlets, respectively, and are disposed in first ink channels and second ink channels, respectively. The first recording elements are rectangular, whereas the second recording elements are substantially square.

Abstract: The present invention provides a droplet ejection head having a liquid ejection energy driving device to eject a liquid from a nozzle, the droplet ejection head including: a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle to eject liquid droplets; a tetrahedral amorphous carbon film provided on the nozzle plate; and a water-repellent film provided on the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film.

Abstract: A cleaning system for an inkjet printhead comprises an inkjet printhead having an inkjet nozzle array associated therewith. The inkjet printhead is in fluid communication with a first source of a first pressurized fluid. A fluid nozzle associated with the inkjet printhead is in fluid communication with a second source of a second pressurized fluid. The cleaning system further comprises a collection plate. Ink is forcibly ejected from the inkjet printhead by the first source of the first pressurized fluid. A stream of the second pressurized fluid is guided by the fluid nozzle across a surface of the inkjet printhead to direct ink ejected from the inkjet printhead onto the collection plate.

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 is provided which has a support frame having a first slot, a plate having a tab configured to slidably engage with the first slot in order to mount the plate to the support frame and a bearing positioned in a hole of the plate, and at least one elongate roller supported at a longitudinal first end by the bearing and at a longitudinal second end by the support frame. The bearing is configured to allow pivotal movement of the roller about the second end during the sliding engagement of the plate and support frame and to allow, in use, rotation of the roller for transport of print media within the printer.

Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a substrate having a fluid channel including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a flexible membrane supported by the substrate and extended a length of the fluid channel, an actuator provided on the flexible membrane, and a constriction provided within the fluid channel between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, such that the actuator is adapted to deflect the flexible membrane relative to the fluid channel, and the constriction supports the flexible membrane between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.

Abstract: A media handling system for delivering media sheets to be printed from a staging location to a drum along a media path, including: at least one drive roller positioned along the media path between the staging location and the drum; a sensor positioned along the media path between the at least one drive roller and the drum; and, an encoder that provides an output responsive to the sensor; wherein, when the at least one drive roller advances a media sheet from the staging location to engage the drum, the sensor detects a position of the advancing media sheet prior to engaging the drum, and the rate of further advancing of the media sheet to engage the drum by the at least one drive roller is dependent upon the encoder output.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink chamber configured to store an ink, and a wall which includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The ink cartridge also includes an ink supply portion configured to supply the ink from an interior of the ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber, and the ink supply portion is positioned at the wall adjacent to the second end of the wall. Moreover, the ink cartridge includes a protrusion extending from the wall, and the protrusion is positioned between the ink supply portion and the second end of the wall. In embodiment, the protrusion has a plurality of grooves formed therein. In another embodiment, the protrusion has a plurality of openings formed therethrough or therein.

Abstract: A liquid cartridge mountable on a cartridge mounting portion of a liquid consuming apparatus, the liquid cartridge includes: a circuit board that is attached to an outer surface of the liquid cartridge in an insertion direction of the liquid cartridge into the cartridge mounting portion; and a connection terminal that is formed in the circuit board to be contactable with a connector provided in the cartridge mounting portion, wherein the circuit board has a positioning hole that is formed at a front end side in the insertion direction into the cartridge mounting portion, and an error absorption hole that is formed at a base end side in the insertion direction and has a larger opening area than that of the positioning hole, and the positioning hole is engaged with a positioning boss that is provided in the liquid cartridge, the error absorption hole is engaged with an error absorption boss that is provided in the liquid cartridge, and the circuit board is fixed to a container main body by thermally caulking th

Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a treatment liquid deposition device which deposits treatment liquid onto a recording medium, the treatment liquid containing a polymerization initiator and particles introducing electrorheological properties; an electric field application device which applies an electric field to the treatment liquid having been deposited on the recording medium; an ink ejection device which ejects ink toward the recording medium on which the treatment liquid has been deposited, the ink containing a coloring material and a radiation-curable polymerizable compound; and a radiation irradiation device which irradiates radiation to cure the ink having been deposited on the recording medium.

Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a fluidic layer assembly mounted to a substrate, the fluidic layer assembly having a raised portion formed on a side that faces away from the substrate. A first nozzle is formed through a portion of the fluidic layer assembly other than the raised portion, and a second, larger nozzle is formed through the raised portion. A method of fabricating a fluid ejection device includes applying a first layer of a photoresist material to a substrate and a second layer of a photoresist material to the first layer. A sequence of exposures defines a first region of soluble material in the first layer that becomes the first nozzle and second and third regions of soluble material in the first and second layers, respectively, that jointly become the second nozzle. A region of insoluble material in the second layer becomes the raised portion.

Abstract: In a line type inkjet printer, a method for cleaning a nozzle effectively reducing the occurrence of clogging of nozzle. In a nozzle of a printing apparatus having a fixed print head of line type, the method includes a first process for counting the number of times of non-ink jet work operations of the nozzle in each print head from image data for printing, a second process for operating a period to flush based on the number of times of non-ink jet work operations, and the third process for producing a control signal of printing including the period to flush.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which performs printing by injecting liquid from a liquid injection head onto a printing medium adhered by electrostatic force on the surfaces of a plurality of conveyor belts disposed at predetermined intervals in a direction crossing a printing medium conveyance direction during carry of the printing medium, characterized in that: the printing medium is electrostatically adhered by potential difference produced between the conveyor belts and a contact portion provided in the vicinity of the sides of the conveyor belts in the width direction such that the contact portion contacts the back surface of the printing medium and does not contact the surfaces of the conveyor belts.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member, a supply unit that supplies onto the intermediate transfer member a curable solution containing a cationic curable material that is cured by a cationic curing reaction upon application of an external stimulus, a discharge unit that discharges an ink containing a recording substance to a layer to be cured that has been formed by the curable solution supplied onto the intermediate transfer member, a transfer unit that transfers, from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium, the layer to be cured to which the ink is discharged, and a stimulus supply unit that supplies a stimulus that cures the layer to be cured.