Abstract: An ink container capable of being simply mounted in a holder with a small working space includes a rib-like guide portion for determining a mounting path during mounting of the ink container in a head cartridge at a side surface. The head cartridge includes a holder portion provided with a sliding projection which slides in contact with the guide portion. When the ink container is mounted, a user moves the ink container so that a first inclined portion first contacts the sliding projection and thereafter the ink contained is moved in an obliquely below direction toward the head cartridge while sliding the sliding projection along the first inclined portion.

Abstract: An information provision exchange service system that can securely prevent the transmission of information that can be used to identify a user to another party and enable users to provide and exchange information between themselves free from confidentiality concerns. A server checks registered personal information to determine whether or not information that can be used to identify any of the users using a plurality of communication terminals is included in information exchanged between the communication terminals via a communication network, and replaces the information that can be used to identify a user with other information if the information that can be used to identify the user is detected in the information exchanged between the communication terminals via the communication network.

Abstract: At least two workpieces are provided and an intermediate member is arranged as a filler between opposed end faces of the workpieces. The workpieces are pressed against each other via the intermediate member to produce friction pressure therebetween while rotating or vibrating the intermediate member at a high speed. Then, each workpiece is upset to the intermediate member on bringing the rotation or the vibration of the intermediate member to a halt. Thus, the workpieces are easily and securely joined without causing any defects.

Abstract: An ink-jet ink cartridge having an ink containing portion for containing the ink to be supplied to an ink-jet head, and a lid for covering the ink containing portion, characterized in that a wall of the ink containing portion and one face of the lid are welded together owing to frictional heat by vibration.

Abstract: A sealing method for an ink container having a front side, a rear side, a bottom side, an upper side and two lateral sides, and having an ink supply port for supplying ink to a recording head portion and an air vent for fluid communication between an inside of the ink container and ambience. A seal member is mounted on a first one of the sides and on a second one of the sides continuous with the first side, the seal member having a width larger than a width of the first and second sides. A portion of the seal member is inwardly folded beyond the width of the first side. A portion of the seal member is outwardly folded beyond the width of the second side. The inwardly folded portion of the seal member is heat-sealed to a side of a packaging bladder for accommodating the ink container.

Abstract: A substrate for an ink-jet element of an ink-jet printing head which ejects ink through ejection openings includes heating elements provided for each of the ejection openings and which generate thermal energy for ejecting the ink, a data holding circuit for holding an image data for driving the heat generating elements, by holding the image data in the number of bits corresponding to the number of ejection openings, and a driving circuit for driving the heating elements in units of the plural heating elements provided for each of the plural ejection openings based on the image data. A selection circuit selects at least one of the plural of heating elements provided corresponding to each of the ejection openings for driving. An ink-jet printing head and ink-jet printing apparatus employ such a substrate.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for ink jet use is provided with an aperture for filling in the cartridge with ink. The circumference of the aperture and a part of a plug pressed in the aperture are fused and welded to be formed integrally to airtightly close the aperture, and obtain an integrated structure without any interface. Hence, it is made possible to reliably prevent ink from leaking therefrom, even if some scratches and cracks are present on both of them. This contributes to eliminating inspection steps to find ink leakage in the course of manufacture, and also, contributes to improving the yield of production. As a result, a significant reduction of costs is possible, while enhancing the reliability of the ink cartridge.

Abstract: At least two workpieces are provided and an intermediate member is arranged as a filler between opposed end faces of the workpieces. The workpieces are pressed against each, other via the intermediate member to produce friction pressure therebetween while rotating or vibrating the intermediate member at a high speed. Then, each workpiece is upset to the intermediate member on bringing the rotation or the vibration of the intermediate member to a halt. Thus, the workpieces are easily and securely joined without causing any defects.

Abstract: An ink-jet ink cartridge having an ink containing portion for containing the ink to be supplied to an ink-jet head, and a lid for covering the ink containing portion, characterized in that a wall of the ink containing portion and one face of the lid are welded together owing to frictional heat by vibration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming method comprising the steps of forming visible images in application of an ink, which at least includes an ink solvent and a color material, onto a recording medium having a porous layer on a surface of the medium from a side of the porous layer; conveying the recording medium from a location for forming images to a location for a subsequent process; and flattening the surface of the recording medium formed with visible images by pressing the surface while heating to form a flattened layer. In a nip region that the surface of the recording medium formed with visible images is pressed, a point A at which the ink solvent contained in the recording medium reaches the boiling point is located upstream of a point B at which the porous layer of the recording medium loses its liquid permeation property.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for ink jet use is provided with an aperture for filling in the cartridge with ink. The circumference of the aperture and a part of a plug pressed in the aperture are fused and welded to be formed integrally to airtightly close the aperture, and obtain an integrated structure without any interface. Hence, it is made possible to reliably prevent ink from leaking therefrom, even if some scratches and cracks are present on both of them. This contributes to eliminating inspection steps to find ink leakage in the course of manufacture, and also, contributes to improving the yield of production. As a result, a significant reduction of costs is possible, while enhancing the reliability of the ink cartridge.

Abstract: An ink container includes an ink absorbing material accommodating chamber for accommodating an ink absorbing material for retaining ink to be supplied to a recording head; an ink supply opening connectable with said recording head to supply the ink to the recording head from said accommodating chamber; an air vent portion for fluid communication between said accommodating chamber with ambience; wherein said air vent portion has an inside opening in fluid communication with an inside of said accommodating chamber, an outside opening open to the ambience, and a fluid communication path in fluid communication with said inside opening and outside opening; wherein said outside opening takes, when said container is mounted on an apparatus with which it is usable, a position lower than that taken by said inside opening.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for an ink container mountable to an ink jet apparatus in which the ink container includes an ink supply port, an air vent which has an inside opening which opens to an inside of the ink container, a groove functioning as an outside opening and extended from the inside opening, and a wall except in a region functioning as an outside opening around the groove. According to the method, a seal member is positioned to a position corresponding to the ink supply port and the air vent, and the wall is thereafter collapsed through the seal member by a welding horn. By virtue of this method, a cover is thus provided in the wall above the groove to form a fluid communication path for fluid communication between the inside opening and the outside opening, with simultaneous welding of the seal member by heat.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet head having a plurality of heaters for one ejection outlet, wherein the heaters and the outlet are disposed so as to satisfy a specific relationship, and thereby errors in the path of ejected ink droplets concerning the driving positions of the heaters can be restricted.

Abstract: An ink-jet ink cartridge having an ink containing portion for containing the ink to be supplied to an ink-jet head, and a lid for covering the ink containing portion, characterized in that a wall of the ink containing portion and one face of the lid are welded together owing to frictional heat by vibration.

Abstract: An ink tank package container includes a first receiver for receiving an ink tank having an atmosphere communication opening and an ink supply port, a second receiver for receiving the first receiver, the second receiver having an opening portion, and at least one seal member for sealing the atmosphere communication and the ink supply port, a part of the seal member being exposed through the opening portion of the second receiver. The atmosphere communication and ink supply port are unsealed by pulling out the exposed part of the seal member.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording head comprises a plurality of liquid flow paths having discharge openings for discharging an ink, and a plurality of thermoelectric transducers provided for each liquid flow path in order to discharge the ink, wherein, a frontward thermoelectric transducer located on the discharge opening side is so provided that, when the ink is discharged by the frontward thermoelectric transducer alone, a value of (discharge velocity v/discharge quantity Vd) with respect to a distance OH extending from an end of its discharge opening side to the discharge opening is at a distance OH of the first region in a regional classification into a first region in which the value of v/Vd increases with a decrease in the distance OH and a second region in which it comes to be substantially constant with an increase in the distance OH.

Abstract: An ink container includes an ink absorbing material accommodating chamber for accommodating an ink absorbing material for retaining ink to be supplied to a recording head; an ink supply opening connectable with said recording head to supply the ink to the recording head from said accommodating chamber; an air vent portion for fluid communication between said accommodating chamber with ambience; wherein said air vent portion has an inside opening in fluid communication with an inside of said accommodating chamber, an outside opening open to the ambience, and a fluid communication path in fluid communication with said inside opening and outside opening; wherein said outside opening takes, when said container is mounted on an apparatus with which it is usable, a position lower than that taken by said inside opening.

Abstract: An ink container includes an ink absorbing material accommodating chamber for accommodating an ink absorbing material for retaining ink to be supplied to a recording head; an ink supply opening connectable with said recording head to supply the ink to the recording head from said accommodating chamber; an air vent portion for fluid communication between said accommodating chamber with ambience; wherein said air vent portion has an inside opening in fluid communication with an inside of said accommodating chamber, an outside opening open to the ambience, and a fluid communication path in fluid communication with said inside opening and outside opening; wherein said outside opening takes, when-said container is mounted on an apparatus with which it is usable, a position lower than that taken by said inside opening.

Abstract: An ink jet head having a plurality of electrothermal transducer elements in one liquid passage is arranged so that the ratio of the areas of two of the plurality of electrothermal transducer elements is smaller than the ratio of the amounts of ink ejected by the two electrothermal transducer elements, thereby stably obtaining the desired amounts of ejected ink and achieving a high gradational effect at a high energy efficiency.