Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a plurality of optical fibers formed into a bundle which is shaped such as to efficiently divide a laser beam into a plurality of split beams and transmit the split beams to respective converging lenses to be focused to have a high energy density when incident on respective workpieces. The optical fibers are shaped such as to each have a sufficiently large value of minimum radius of curvature to ensure that a small angle of divergence is maintained for each of the beams emitted from the fibers, thereby ensuring that the converging lenses can be small and inexpensive.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising an ink-discharging opening coupled to an ink chamber for discharging ink therefrom toward a recording sheet. The ink-discharging opening is formed at a center and bottom of a concave portion formed in a thin plate made of an insulating material. A first electrode is provided on one surface of the thin plate and around the concave portion and a second electrode is provided on the other surface of the thin plate and at the vicinity of the ink-discharging opening, the first and second electrodes being electrically coupled to an ink-discharging control signal source. This arrangement can omit an air supply system to simplify the structure of the recording apparatus.

Abstract: An ink nozzle plate has ink discharge channels for discharging ink, and an air nozzle plate has air discharge channels facing the ink discharge channels for discharging air to jet the ink. A power source produces an electric field through the ink at the ink discharge channels, thereby extending the ink meniscus, and the ink is jetted from the air discharge channels by air-flow and the electric field. A heating means increases the temperature of the air nozzle plate, thereby vaporizing water adsorbed in the air discharge channels and stabilizing the ink jet volume.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having a print head which comprises a front nozzle member having a front channel, a housing secured to the front nozzle member, and a rear nozzle member which defines with the housing a liquid chamber and further defines with the front nozzle member a laminar airflow chamber. The rear nozzle member has a forwardly projecting nozzle and a rear channel extending from the liquid chamber through the projecting nozzle in axial alignment with the front channel to form a meniscus at the front end. An electric field gradient is established between the front channel and the meniscus to cause the latter to extend toward the front channel and expelled through the front channel. A portion of the front nozzle member is rendered liquid-repellant to prevent the field distribution from being seriously disturbed by an ink layer formed on it by stray liquid particles.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having a print head which comprises a front nozzle member having a front channel, a housing secured to the front nozzle member, and a rear nozzle member which defines with the housing a liquid chamber and further defines with the front nozzle member a laminar airflow chamber. The rear nozzle member has a forwardly projecting nozzle and a rear channel extending from the liquid chamber through the projecting nozzle in axial alignment with the front channel to form a meniscus at the front end. The airflow chamber is connected to an air supply for directing air to a point between the front and rear channels so that it creates a sharp pressure gradient along a path therebetween. A dead air region is created in a location adjacent the exit end of the rear channel to cause the meniscus to take a dome-like shape which is stabilized against vibrations and transients.

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus, there is provided an air adjusting member (16) between an ink jet printing head (30) and an air supply source (12), and further provided an ink tank (11a) having an air introducing duct (20) including an air chamber (18) at the upper portion of an ink storage (19) and a duct extending to almost the bottom of the ink tank (11a). The air adjusting member has a smaller inside cross-sectional area than that of an air pipe (8), and placed nearby the ink jet recording head (30). The volume of the air chamber (18) is at least 10 to 20% by capacity of the ink tank (11a).

Abstract: An air passage is defined by and between an air nozzle plate having at least one air discharge port and an ink nozzle plate having a plurality of ink discharge ports, and projections are disposed in the air passage between the ink discharge ports and extend in a direction normal to the direction in which the ink discharge ports are arrayed, each of the projections having a length smaller than the width of the air passage. The projections substantially divide the air passage in the direction of the array of the ink discharge ports into different sections associated with the ink and air discharge ports. The projections may be structurally integral with the ink nozzle plate or the air nozzle plate so that an ink jet recording head can simply be assembled.

Abstract: In an ink jet printer, a print head comprises a front nozzle member having a front channel, a housing secured to the front nozzle member, and a rear nozzle member which defines with the housing a liquid chamber and further defines with the front nozzle member a laminar airflow chamber. The rear nozzle member has a forwardly projecting nozzle and a rear channel extending from the liquid chamber through the projecting nozzle in axial alignment with the front channel to form a meniscus at the front end. The airflow chamber is connected to an air supply for directing air to a point between the front and rear channels so that it creates a sharp pressure gradient along a path therebetween. A dead air region is created in a location adjacent the exit end of the rear channel to cause the meniscus to take a dome-like shape which is stabilized against vibrations and transients.

Abstract: In a nonimpact printer having a reciprocable printer head, ink is supplied to the head through a pair of identical, flexible conduits which are connected from first and second spaced apart outlets of an ink container. The container is not air tight with the outside so that it can act as a pressure absorber. Each of the first and second conduits have a sufficient length to allow the head to reciprocate along the length of a platen with end of each conduit moving therewith to cause pressure variations to occur in the conduits when the printer head varies its speed of movement. By virtue of the pressure absorbing action of the liquid container, the pressure variations are nullified and the printer head is supplied with constant pressure ink.

Abstract: In a nonimpact printer a device is provided for feeding a constant pressure fluid to a nonimpact printing head reciprocally movable to scan across a recording sheet. The feeding device is formed with a pair of identical first and second chambers connected respectively to first and second sections of a conduit through which the fluid is supplied from a source to the device. Fluid communication is established between the first and second chambers by a connecting channel which is smaller in cross section than the cross section of the first and second chambers and is connected to the printing head through a narrow passageway.