Abstract: An ink jet printer comprising a plurality of ink jets arranged for dot-on-dot continuous ink jet printing, at least two of said plurality of ink jets being supplied with ink of the same dye and different densities. A printed article and a method of printing are also disclosed.

Abstract: An image forming system for making enlarged prints, such as billboards, which utilizes a recording medium mounted on a rotating cylinder and which is supported so as to prevent deflection, utilizing a plurality of computer controlled spray heads having flow adjusting means which traverse the width of the recording medium and spray a deposition medium onto the recording medium in accordance with scanning signals from an original image to reproduce the image on the recording medium. The invention also includes apparatus and processes for mirror image forming on opposite sides of the recording medium and/or forming images on the recording medium using a translucent recording medium.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink-jet recording process which comprises applying a first liquid at least containing a water-soluble resin having at least one carboxyl group or anhydride thereof, or sulfonic group per molecule to a recording medium and then applying an ink at least comprising water, an organic solvent, a dye, an alkali-soluble resin and an alkali to the portions where the first liquid has adhered, thereby forming an image. An ink set and an instrument for use in such a process are also disclosed.

Abstract: In a jet recording method, a normally solid recording material is placed in a heat-melted state in a path defined by a nozzle leading to an ejection outlet and, in a recording step, is imparted with a thermal energy corresponding to a recording signal to generate a bubble, thus ejecting a droplet of the recording material out of the ejection outlet. As an improvement, in the recording step, the bubble is caused to communicate with ambience, and the droplet is ejected in a diameter d (.mu.m) and at an average speed v (m/sec) satisfying: 10.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.60 and 7.ltoreq.v.ltoreq.20. As a result, the droplet is deposited on a recording medium without pileup or scattering.

Abstract: A recording method comprising the consecutive steps of:(1) image-wise projecting droplets of liquid, called ink, containing halide ions, onto a receiving material containing at least one substantially light-insensitive silver salt, said ink and/or receiving material containing at least one reducing agent for said silver salt,(2) uniformly photo-exposing said receiving material to form silver nuclei from silver halide obtained in step (1), and(3) heating said receiving material during and/or after said photo-exposure thereby forming a silver image in correspondence with the area wherein said ink has been deposited on said receiving material.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method comprising the steps of:(1) image-wise projecting liquid, called ink, in the form of droplets onto a receiving material containing a substance that by chemically reacting with another substance contained in said droplets is capable of forming a visually detectable product, characterized in that according to a first mode said receiving material contains at least one substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt and said ink contains a reducing agent for said silver salt, and according to a second mode said receiving material contains said reducing agent and the ink contains said silver salt, and optionally(2) heating said receiving material during and/or after the deposition of said ink on said receiving material to start or enhance reduction of said silver salt(s) forming thereby image-wise a deposit of silver metal in said receiving material.

Abstract: A method for printing heat sealing labels comprises the steps of using an ink jet printer to print ink onto a printing surface of a heat sealing label strip having the printing surface on a first side and having on a second side a surface coated with an adhesive, and heating the heat sealing label strip to fuse the adhesive on the second side to an adhesive, tacky state and simultaneously dry the ink printed on the printing surface on the first side. A printer for carrying out the method comprises an ink jet printer for printing ink onto a printing surface of a heat sealing label strip having the printing surface on a first side and having on a second side a surface coated with an adhesive, and a heater for simultaneously fusing the adhesive on the second side to an adhesive, tacky state and drying ink printed on the printing surface on the first side by the printer.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head comprising energy generating elements for applying the heat energy to the ink, heat acting portions for forming bubbles in the ink with said energy generating elements, a heat storing layer having insulating property for storing the heat energy disposed adjacent to said energy generating elements, and a support substrate for supporting said heat storing layer, characterized in that said support substrate is composed mainly of metal, and said heat storing layer is a chemical conversion coating which is formed through chemical treatment of the surface of said substrate.

Abstract: To prevent rubbing of the printing mechanism against still wet ink on a buckled or curled sheet of an absorbent print medium after an inkjet printer has printed one swath of a high density image, printing of the next swath is delayed as a function of the maximum density of the ink drops deposited on the print medium for the printed swath(s). The required delay in printing the next swath is dependent on print mode and preferably uses a formula with empirically derived constants to allow sufficient time for the solvent in the ink to evaporate or otherwise disperse and to permit any buckling or curling of the print medium to stabilize.

Abstract: This invention relates to a laser marking method which comprises coating a laser marking composition containing as essential components a color former, a color developer and an inorganic compound having the absorption peak on the infrared absorption spectrum in the region of 900-1,000 cm.sup.-1 on a substrate to form a color developing layer, and irradiating laser light to the color developing layer; the laser marking composition; and articles having a color developing layer made of the laser marking composition. The method of this invention is capable of forming a mark with vivid color development even when the color developing layer is a thin film of less than 5 .mu.m in thickness or when marking is carried out at high speed.

Abstract: A system for ink jet printing of messages on articles being fed forward one after another in a predetermined path. A terminal includes a keyboard for entering message data representative of the messages. A controller interconnected with the terminal processes the message data received from the terminal and stores the message data for the messages. The controller has an output port for providing serial output data in a bit map format representative of the messages. A plurality of ink jet printheads are serially connected and positioned adjacent the path of the articles to print the messages on the articles in response to the serial output data. A single cable connects the output port of the controller to the first printhead for providing the output data to the first printhead. A separate cable interconnects each printhead to its next succeeding printhead for serially providing the data to the remaining printheads so that the printheads are connected in a daisy chain configuration.

Abstract: An ink for ink-jet recording is provided which contains a coloring material and an aqueous liquid medium for solving or dispersing the coloring material, the liquid medium having a lower critical consolute temperature (Tc) to cause phase separation at a temperature in the range of from 40.degree. to 100.degree. C. Ink-jet recording method and an ink-jet recording apparatus employing the above ink are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an orifice plate for use with an ink jet printhead assembly and a method for fabricating that orifice plate and a printhead assembly incorporating the orifice plate and a method for fabricating that printhead. The orifice plate has either a projection extending outwardly from a rear side surface of the orifice plate that is configured to be closely received by a corresponding alignment cavity in the front end body portion of the printhead or an alignment cavity formed in the rear side surface of the orifice plate that is configured to closely receive a projection extending outwardly from the front end portion of the printhead body. An ultraviolet light curable adhesive may be used to adhesively intersecure and seal the orifice plate on the printhead body.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus (10) eject on demand a discrete droplet (12) of liquid at a high temperature along a predetermined trajectory (18) by transferring a physical impulse from a low temperature environment to a high temperature environment. The ejector apparatus includes a vessel (26) having an interior (24) that contains a high-temperature liquid (14), such as liquid metal, Al, Zn or Sn. The interior includes an inlet end (30) that receives a thermally insulative impulse transmitting device (22) and a feed supply (34) of the droplet material, and a discharge region (56) having an orifice (16) through which the discrete droplets are ejected. An inert gas is feed through the inlet end and into the vessel to create an overpressure over the liquid so that as the overpressure is increased the droplet size is increased. A heater (70) heats the material contained within the interior.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead includes a mounting frame, an ink supply reservoir secured to the mounting frame and a valve housing secured to the mounting frame, the valve housing including an ink chamber. An ink supply fitting is supported in the mounting frame and includes a bore having a first end communicating with the ink supply reservoir and a second end communicating with the valve housing for feeding ink from the ink supply reservoir to the ink chamber. The fitting includes a valve seat in the bore. A valve member located in the valve housing is mounted for reciprocation in the ink supply fitting bore for selectively sealing against the valve seat in the fitting. A support member supports the valve member so that the valve member can reciprocate in relation to the valve seat to selectively allow a flow of ink into the ink chamber.

Abstract: Treatment of the inner and outer surfaces of an orifice plate for ink-jet pens with self-assembled monolayers is disclosed. The outer surface of a gold-plated orifice plate is treated with self-assembled monolayers to control the wettability of the surface in order to reduce the accumulation of residual ink. The inner surface is treated with self-assembled monolayers to improve and control drop ejection. Various monolayers can also be used on the inner surface allowing for greater flexibility in controlling the steady state firing rate and uniformity of drops from a pen. In addition, treatment of orifice plate surfaces with self-assembled monolayers inhibits corrosion and contamination of the plate while presenting a uniform surface for the ink. The self-assembled monolayers for use in the present invention include thiols, disulfides, and sulfinates, having terminal functional groups which determine the wettability of the surface.

Abstract: A substrate for liquid jet recording head comprises a supporting member with an oxidized film on its surface, exothermic resistive members arranged on the supporting member, and wirings electrically connected to the exothermic resistive members. For the substrate, it is arranged that the transposition density in the area beneath the oxidized film on said supporting member is less than 5.times.10.sup.4 ; hence eliminating the curves of the substrate which will be created when it is cut for the fabrication of a liquid jet recording head.

Abstract: An image recording method is disclosed, which uses a substrate such as paper, a synthetic film, a metal plate, and an earthenware plate and an adhesive layer of a delayed-tack adhesive and activates the adhesive layer in accordance with image information, for example, by a step of endowing a tackiness to the adhesive layer by ejecting an organic solvent which renders the adhesive tacky from an ink jet printer cooperated with a computer in accordance with image information or a step of selectively heating the adhesive layer by a thermal printer to endow the adhesive layer with tackiness, and develops the latent image borne in the activated portion with powder selected from organic pigment powder, inorganic pigment powder, water-soluble dye powder, water-insoluble dye powder, metal powder, ceramics powder, plastics powder, magnetic powder, and microcapsules.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus comprising convey means for conveying a sheet in a predetermined convey direction, a pair of rollers arranged downstream of the coney means in the convey direction for conveying the sheet in the convey direction or in a reverse direction by rotation in a forward direction or in a reverse direction, and control means for controlling the convey means and the pair of rollers. The control means controls these elements in such a manner that, after a sheet conveyed by the convey means is conveyed in the convey direction by a predetermined amount by the pair of rollers, the pair of rollers are rotated in the reverse direction while applying a conveying force in the convey direction to the sheet using the convey means, thereby conveying the sheet in the reverse direction until the sheet passes through a nip formed between the pair of rollers.

Abstract: A scanning head ink jet printer prints at high-speed to produce large format output of graphics quality. The printer utilizes variable paper advance interlacing, which allows high speed, full coverage printing with a variety of saber angles. Several series of variable paper advances can be used to optimally correct potential banding problems in the image. The printer utilizes multiple print heads mounted on a single carriage. The multiple print head system allows for higher ink delivery rates than possible on prior art printers. Bi-directional printing allows even faster output, and several adjustments can be made to address the order of ink laydown. The printer utilizes a new calibration pattern wherein different frequencies of marks are printed by different colored ink jets. The marks can be easily analyzed to determine proper calibration setting between jets. The carriage rides on a single rail having upper and lower v-shaped roller tread surfaces.