Abstract: A carriage for an ink-jet printer constrains torsional deflections by providing carriage to writing-instrument latch interface features having a zero clearance interfit such that when opened, the writing-instrument latch allows individual writing-instruments to be accessed and when closed the writing-instrument latch reduces the carriage torsional deflections and increases the torsional stiffness of the carriage by providing a biasing force at each the interface feature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for positioning a fluid ejection device such as an inkjet pen, or a plurality of aligned fluid ejection devices, on a supporting frame known as a printbar for page wide array printing involves provision of datum surfaces on each ejection device extending in three orthogonally related planes. The datum surfaces on the fluid ejection devices mate with positioning surfaces on the printbar to hold each fluid ejection device in correct position. A datum surface on a laterally outwardly extending key on each device is engaged by a biasing spring mounted on the printbar to position the device lengthwise of the printbar and also to prevent incorrect installation of the device.

Abstract: A fluid ejecting device with a body defining an array of nozzles. The nozzles are arranged in an array along an array axis. The array has a first portion in which the nozzles are spaced apart along the array axis by a first pitch, and a second portion in which the nozzles are spaced apart by a different second pitch. The array may have a third portion between the first and second portions with a third pitch different from the first and second pitch. An assembly may include two or more of such fluid ejection devices, and the second portion of one print head may be aligned with the first portion of the other print head. Printers incorporating the fluid ejection devices and printing methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A carriage for an ink-jet printer constrains torsional deflections by providing the carriage to writing-instrument latch interface features having a zero clearance interfit such that when opened, the writing-instrument latch allows individual writing-instruments to be accessed and when closed the writing-instrument latch reduces the carriage torsional deflections and increases the torsional stiffness of the carriage by providing a biasing force at each the interface feature.

Abstract: A unitary latching device moves between an open position allowing individual inkjet print cartridges to be installed or replaced and a closed position securely positioning a plurality of print cartridges in a carriage during printing, replenishing and servicing modes.

Abstract: An inkjet print cartridge is provided in a printer for removable installation in a carriage which typically holds a plurality of print cartridges of different color printing liquids. In order to minimize overall size of the printer and its carriage, a handle is pivotally mounted on a crown of the print cartridge to move from a down recessed position during normal printing and servicing operations to an upraised position for gripping while removing the printhead from a carriage chute. The handle forms a loop to facilitate gripping with the fingers and thumb, and in its preferred form is bendable in order to provide flexible yielding upon application of undesirable lateral or torsional forces during a removal procedure.

Abstract: An inkjet print cartridge is provided for removable installation in a carriage which typically holds a plurality of print cartridges of different color printing liquids. In order to minimize overall size of the printer and its carriage, a handle is pivotally mounted on a crown of the print cartridge to move from a down recessed position during normal printing and servicing operations to an upraised position for gripping while removing the printhead from a carriage chute. The handle forms a loop to facilitate gripping with the fingers and thumb, and in its preferred form is bendable in order to provide flexible yielding upon application of undesirable lateral or torsional forces during a removal procedure.

Abstract: A datum arrangement on the replaceable semi-permanent compact print cartridge includes three x-datums, one y-datum and two z-datums to assure proper seating of the print cartridge in the carriage as well as proper electric and fluidic interconnections.

Abstract: A shuttle-type printer has a movable carriage to carry and position at least one pen over a printing surface. The printer also has a carriage positioning system coupled to move the carriage at a slew rate in swaths over the printing surface. The carriage positioning system starts the carriage at a starting position for individual swaths. The carriage positioning system implements techniques for masking the effects of periodic vibrations in the printer. According to one technique, the carriage positioning system varies the starting position for the individual swaths. According to a second technique, the carriage positioning system makes multiple passes before advancing the recording media and varies the slew rate for individual passes. The techniques do not eliminate or reduce the vibrations themselves, but mask their effects in the print results that are caused by period vibrations in the printer.

Abstract: A carriage for an ink-jet printer constrains torsional deflections by providing carriage to writing-instrument latch interface features having a zero clearance interfit such that when opened, the writing-instrument latch allows individual writing-instruments to be accessed and when closed the writing-instrument latch reduces the carriage torsional deflections and increases the torsional stiffness of the carriage by providing a biasing force at each the interface feature.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a nonwoven fibrous web wherein the web contains at least one binder fiber and at least one support fiber. The apparatus comprises a mixer for creating a homogeneous mixture of the fibers, a conveyor for transporting the resulting fiber mixture to a shaker chute, an oscillating mechanism which acts on the fiber mixture, a depositing mechanism for depositing the fiber mixture onto a horizontal planar surface, a heater for heating the mixture to a temperature to fuse the binder and support fibers, and a cooling mechanism to cool the mixture after heating.

Abstract: Non-black ink jet printheads are arranged in a printer carriage such that the printhead nozzle arrays are non-overlapping in the carriage swath direction. A fixer printhead is positioned such that the print medium is first advanced past the fixer printhead prior to reaching any of the other printheads. The printheads are selectively driven during each direction of a bi-directional carriage movement, and the print medium is incrementally advanced before each change in carriage movement direction. The order of laying down droplets of different colors is the same during the movement in each direction, thereby eliminating bi-directional hue shifting print artifacts.

Abstract: A carriage for an ink-jet printer constrains torsional deflections by providing carriage to writing-instrument latch interface features having a zero clearance interfit such that when opened, the writing-instrument latch allows individual writing-instruments to be accessed and when closed the writing-instrument latch reduces the carriage torsional deflections and increases the torsional stiffness of the carriage by providing a biasing force at each the interface feature.

Abstract: A semi-automatic, user-interactive solution to a color printer's inter-pen misalignment is described. Plural test patterns are printed using two or more possibly misregistered color pens, and the operator selects the best, or a preferred, alignment pattern. The operator's choice of pattern is entered into the ink-jet printer's controller and adjustment, e.g. offset, data are stored by the controller in a non-volatile memory device to be used in subsequent printing to better align the misaligned color pens. Importantly, the test patterns use a linear hash-mark from one of the separate pens, e.g. black (K), and adjacent thereto a color combination from plural others of the separate pens, e.g. yellow (Y) and cyan (C), to produce alignment patterns that are readily visible to the operator. In accordance with the preferred method, an alignment pattern includes a background patch of visible ink, e.g. cyan, and a foreground linear hash-mark of `invisible` ink, e.g. yellow.

Abstract: An inkjet print cartridge having minimized size dimensions and capable of removable installation in a carriage. In a preferred printer environment a plurality of such print cartridges are mounted in a carriage, with each print cartridge holding a different type/color of liquid to be applied to a media material. Liquid replenishment is provided through a liquid interconnect and control signals are provided through an electric interconnect, which are respectively positioned in spaced apart locations on opposite sides of the print cartridge.

Abstract: Inkjet pens are combined in a printer so that the swaths printed by individual pens are combined into a resultant, wide swath that increases printer throughput. The print medium is carried on a drum and advanced through the printer. In a preferred embodiment, sets of two pens, each set having the same color of ink, are carried near the drum with the two pens arranged such that the swath of one pen is adjacent to the swath of the other pen in a direction that is parallel to the drum axis. Also provided is a carriage assembly for carrying the pens in the just mentioned arrangement for combining the swath widths of the individual pens. The components of the carriage assembly are such that two pens of the same color ink are precisely positioned relative to each other, thereby to meet a very close tolerance requirement for arranging two pens of the same color.

Abstract: A tube routing configuration for a printing system with an off-axis ink supply system. The system includes a printer housing and a transporting system for transporting a print medium along a medium path to a print area. A scanning carriage holds a printing cartridge with a print-head, the carriage holding the cartridge such that the printhead faces the print zone. A carriage scanning apparatus moves the carriage along a scanning axis transverse to the medium path at the print area. An off-axis ink supply station is mounted in a fixed position relative to the printer housing. Hollow flexible tubing interconnects between the carriage and the off-axis ink supply station to provide an ink replenishment path for the printer cartridge.

Abstract: A module for a printing composition delivery system of a printing device that is a separable unit from the printing composition delivery system is disclosed. An embodiment of the module includes a printing composition supply station connector, a printing member connector, and a flexible conduit. The printing composition supply station connector is releasably attached to a printing composition supply station of the printing composition delivery system and has a coupler fluidly connectable to a printing composition supply of the printing composition supply station. The printing member connector is releasably attached to the printing device and has a coupler fluidly connectable to the printing member. The flexible conduit includes a first end fluidly connected to the coupler of the printing composition supply station connector and a second end fluidly connected to the coupler of the printing member connector to supply printing composition from the printing composition supply to the printing member.

Abstract: An integrated air conditioning and power unit is provided for use with an aircraft. The system includes an air turbine 42 having air passages connected to an engine 10 of the aircraft for receiving bleed air and/or ram air for driving the air turbine 42. A motor/generator 104 is drivingly connected to the air turbine 42. The motor/generator 104 is capable of drawing electricity from an aircraft primary power system for driving the motor or generating electricity which is delivered to the primary power system 108. An air compressor 54 is drivingly connected to the motor/generator 104 and is provided with an air passage which receives bleed air 32 and/or ram air 30 from the aircraft engine 10. A cooling system 71 is provided including a system compressor 81 drivingly connected to the motor/generator 104. A cooling system evaporator 70 and a condenser 92 are connected to the system compressor by fluid passages.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-mode secondary power unit comprising a first starter/generator unit operably coupled to a shaft. The first starter/generator motor is operable in a motor mode for causing rotational movement of the shaft and is operable in a generator mode for generating electric power from rotational movement of the shaft. A thermal engine is operably coupled to the shaft and is operable in a fuel burning mode for causing rotational movement of said shaft and is operable in a non fuel burning mode for receiving rotational movement from the shaft. A load compressor is operably coupled to the shaft for pressurizing air to a predetermined level.