Abstract: A replaceable tank for an ink cartridge used in a bubble jet printer comprises a container formed by side walls, top and bottom walls connected to the side walls. At least one ink supply port is provided in the bottom wall of the container and is disposed for supplying ink from at least one ink chamber in the container into a corresponding ink tapping pipe in the ink cartridge. The container includes a locking member on one of the container side walls for engaging a guide groove in the cartridge, the container being configured for insertion into an open top of an ink tank holder formed by the cartridge, with the bottom wall of the container facing downward and the side walls of the container aligned with side walls of the ink cartridge. The locking member is constructed for securing the container in place in the ink tank holder with the ink supply port connecting with the corresponding ink tapping pipe.

Abstract: A recovery mechanism for an ink jet apparatus having a cap for capping the discharge ports of the ink jet head comprises means for cleaning the surface of the cap on the head side. This surface of the cap is cleaned to remove dust particles, paper fluffs and others adhering thereto before capping the ink jet recording head by the cap, thus assuring the air-tightness between the cap and the ink jet head by capping for the prevention of ink from being dried as well as for more reliable recovery of the ink jet head by sucking ink from the discharge ports thereof.

Abstract: A device for controlling the power supplied to windings of a stepping motor includes a pulse generator for splitting one step drive period of the motor into a plurality of sections, the number of sections and increasing or decreasing depending upon the drive frequency. The pulse generator, also sets the duty cycle of a pulse applied to the motor. The device also includes a stepping motor drive circuit for exciting each phase of the motor with a current determined by the duty cycle of pulse, and a duty changing device for changing the duty cycle for each of plural sections in one excitation phase of the stepping motor, wherein a current wave input into the motor can be maintained as a sinusoidal wave from low-speed rotation to high-speed rotation of the motor by changing the number of sections in excitation depending upon serial drive operations, thereby achieving motor control with less rotation inconsistencies and less noise.

Abstract: An electron device-manufacturing method according to the invention comprises the steps of applying a resin coating layer, containing a solvent, to one of the surfaces of a substrate, directly or with a layer interposed therebetween; drying the resin coating layer to remove the solvent; and heating and pressing the resin coating layer to smooth the surface of the same. The method is characterized in that in the step of smoothing the surface of the resin coating layer, that side of the substrate on which the resin coating layer is not coated is mechanically supported by a supporting member, and a heating roller is brought into contact with the resin coating layer to press and heat the same, with another resin film interposed therebetween, which is thinner than the resin coating layer to be smoothed, thereafter releasing the interposed resin film.

Abstract: A system outputs the execution times of an industrial automated apparatus in which, when an instruction interpreting and executing device for interpreting and executing instructions executes each instruction, ID information specifying each executed instruction and time information indicating time at which each instruction is executed are correlated and stored, and execution time of each instruction is calculated, and then outputted, based upon designated ID information and the time information correlated therewith. By virtue of this arrangement, the execution times of desired instructions in an operation program having various steps are outputted accurately in units of the individual instructions.

Abstract: A replaceable ink cartridge can be inserted into and removed from a bubble jet printer receptacle for removably mounting the cartridge. The cartridge when mounted will cooperate with a hollow needle for supplying liquid ink to a print head and a pipe for removing waste ink from the head. The cartridge includes a container, a liquid ink reservoir and an absorber for waste liquid ink in the container, an outlet and an opening on the front wall of the container, and a label secured to the top wall of the container. The label contains a surface wiring resistance pattern including contact portions which are spaced apart and have an electric connection between them. When the container is mounted in the receptacle, the needle enters the outlet to connect the ink reservoir to the head, and the absorber enters a waste ink pipe opening. The contact portions then make sliding contact with spaced-apart electric terminals in the printer, connecting the terminals and thereby activating a control circuit in the printer.

Abstract: In a suction recovery method in a liquid jet recording apparatus in which the discharge port surface of a recording head is capped by a cap in response to the movement of a carriage carrying the recording head thereon and which is provided with an atmosphere release valve for introducing the atmosphere into the cap after or during the suction of ink from the discharge ports, provision is made of one or more rails disposed on the back of the cap in parallel to the direction of movement of the carriage, and driving means for providing a time difference between the timing of the capping drive of the cap and the valve closing timing of the atmosphere release valve in response to the movement of the carriage to the suction recovery position.

Abstract: An ink tank for storing ink comprises an ink storage unit, an induction outlet provided in the ink storage unit for delivering to the outside the ink stored in the ink storage unit, and a partition member for partitioning the region where the induction outlet is provided from the rest of the ink tank, the partition being higher than the height at which the induction outlet is provided and having at least a part lower than the liquid level of ink stored in the ink storage unit, thus preventing any inconveniences resulting from the mixture of air and ink by vibration in order to obtain a stable printing condition for an ink jet recording apparatus operated at a high speed.

Abstract: A storage container for housing and storing an ink jet cartridge which has a recording head to discharge ink, and an ink tank to contain ink to be supplied to the recording head and which is structured to be exchangeable with respect to a recording apparatus comprises a capping member to be in contact with the ink discharge port surface of the recording head to cover the surface thereof and absorbing members conductively connected to the capping member to absorb ink which leaks from the recording head. With the capping member and absorbing member, an airtightness higher than that of the discharge ports is obtained in order to suppress the ink evaporation from the discharge ports of the recording head while the cartridge which is still in use is kept in the storage container.

Abstract: An AC powder type EL panel includes an AC powder type EL element, thermoplastic adhesive layers formed on all surfaces of the AC powder type EL element, and a pair of protective films adhered to cover substantially the entire surfaces of the thermoplastic adhesive layers and having end portions to be fused to each other to seal the AC powder type EL element. A thickness ratio of the protective film to the thermoplastic adhesive layer is within the range of 5:1 to 2:1. Since the thermocompression-bonded end portions of the thermoplastic adhesive layers having poor moisture barrier properties are not exposed between the protective films at the end portions of the AC powder type EL panel, penetration of external moisture into the panel can be effectively prevented.

Abstract: A container for an ink jet head having a discharge opening therein includes an openable containing member for containing the ink jet head and permitting removal of the ink jet head when opened, and a discharge recovery member for discharging ink from the discharge opening of the ink jet head in response to removing the ink jet head from the container, in response to opening the openable containing member, or in response to pressing against a wall of the container member.

Abstract: A method of cleaning an ink jet recording head uses a flexible blade that is moved forwardly and backwardly in response to the capping operation of the front surface of the recording head and the movement of a carriage, and the front surface of the recording head is wiped by the blade in response to the movement of the carriage. An ink jet recording apparatus has a recording head disposed on a carriage, cap means for covering the front surface of the recording head and a blade for cleaning the front surface of the recording head, characterized by blade moving means for moving the blade forward or backward in the direction of the recording head by movement of the cap means and movement of the carriage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a high-frequency heating device employing microwave heating by a magnetron and heater heating by a heater sheathed by dielectric material. The heating device is internally provided with a wall structure formed in a device housing and having a heating chamber and a heater compartment defined therein. The heater compartment is open towards the heating chamber in communication therewith. The heating device is further internally provided with a magnetron, fixedly mounted in the housing, for supplying microwaves into the heating chamber, a dielectric heater accommodated in the heater compartment and extending through opposite side walls of the heater compartment, and one or more metallic rods, disposed near the heater and securely mounted on at least one of the side walls of the heater compartment, for unifying an electric field on the heater.

Abstract: A three-dimensional manufacturing and assembly plant for installing assembly lines three-dimensionally. The plant comprises a three-dimensional high-rise rack having a plurality of shelves multilayeredly arranged for storing articles and a plurality of multilayered assembly units and provided at least on one side of the three-dimensional rack for supporting assembly lines. The assembly unit includes a plurality of frame members arranged lengthwise and crosswise and a floor detachably placed on the frame members. The floor comprises a plurality of panel members made of transparent and ventilative material. Further, the plant comprises a three-dimensional high-rise rack and having a plurality of shelves multilayeredly arranged for storing articles and an assembly line supporting structure provided at least on one side of the three-dimensional rack for supporting assembly lines.

Abstract: In a suction recovery device in a liquid jet recording apparatus in which the discharge port surface of a recording head is capped by a cap in response to the movement of a carriage carrying the recording head thereon and which is provided with an atmosphere release valve for introducing the atmosphere into the cap after or during the suction of ink from the discharge ports, provision is made of one or more rails disposed on the back of the cap in parallel to the direction of movement of the carriage, and driving means for providing a time difference between the timing of the capping drive of the cap and the valve closing timing of the atmosphere release valve in response to the movement of the carriage to the suction recovery position.

Abstract: An AC power type EL panel includes an AC power type EL element, thermoplastic adhesive layers formed on all surfaces of the AC power type EL element, and a pair of protective films adhered to cover substantially the entire surfaces of the the thermoplastic adhesive layers and having end portions to be fused to each other to seal the AC power type EL element. A thickness ratio of the protective film to the thermoplastic adhesive layer is within the range of 5:1 to 2:1. Since the thermocompression-bonded end portions of the thermoplastic adhesive layers having poor moisture barrier properties are not exposed between the protective films at the end portions of the AC power type EL panel, penetration of external moisture into the panel can be effectively prevented.

Abstract: A high-frequency heating device employs microwave heating by a magnetron and heater heating by a heater sheathed by dielectric material. The heating device is internally provided with a wall structure formed in a device housing and having a heating chamber and a heater compartment defined therein. The heater compartment is open towards the heating chamber in communication therewith. The heating device is further internally provided with a magnetron, fixedly mounted in the housing, for supplying microwaves into the heating chamber, a dielectric heater accommodated in the heater compartment and extending through opposite side walls of the heater compartment, and one or more metallic rods, disposed near the heater and securely mounted on at least one of the side walls of the heater compartment, for preventing a concentration of microwaves on the heater.

Abstract: In a discharge recovery method for an ink jet recording head, a recording head having discharge openings for discharging ink therethrough, liquid paths in which recording energy generating members generating energy for discharging the ink through the discharge openings are provided and which communicate with the discharge openings, and a liquid chamber communicating with the liquid paths for supplying the ink to the liquid paths is used to drive heat energy generating means provided in the liquid chamber for generating heat energy for causing a change in the state of the ink in the liquid chamber and creating a bubble, during nonrecording, thereby causing the ink to be discharged through the discharge openings.

Abstract: An ink jet recovery device comprises an elastic cap that is movable between a retracted position, in which it is spaced from a recording head, and a contact position, in which it is pressed against and seals the recording head. The recovery device also includes a rotatable drive gear having a cam surface, with a retracting cam and a compression cam, for moving the cap. When the drive gear is in a first angular position the retracting cam moves the cap to its retracted position, and when the drive gear is in a second angular position the compression cam presses the cap against the recording head. The drive gear has a third angular position for disengaging the pin from the cam surface so that a spring can press the cap into the contact position. In operation, the compression cam further presses the cap toward the recording in order to force air into the recording head to aid recovery.

Abstract: An operation method on an ink jet recording apparatus, comprises the steps of: moving a recording head to a position at which the recording head faces to a cap, causing the recording head to discharge ink from an ink discharge port thereof into the cap after each lapse of a predetermined time period or each lapse of a printing operation period for a predetermined numbers of lines; and idle-discharging the ink collected in the cap when the removing operation of a recording medium is performed succeedingly to the discharge, or when the period longer than said printing operation period has been lapsed while the recording head stays at the position.