Abstract: A head unit includes a common passage, at least one recording head, and a joint mechanism. The joint mechanism has a first valve and couples the common passage to the recording head. The first valve includes: a first stopper having a switch member with an insertion hole and an engagement boss projecting from its inner surface, a sliding portion inserted in the insertion hole slidably up and down, and an engagement groove engaged with the engagement boss; and a first sealing member fitted on the first stopper to be in contact with or away from the insertion hole's inner surface. Rotating the switch member to move the first stopper up/down causes the first valve to switch between a closed state, with the first sealing member in contact with the insertion hole's inner surface, and an open state, with the first sealing member away from the insertion hole's inner surface.

Abstract: A head unit includes a common passage, at least one recording head, and a joint mechanism. The common flow passage has a liquid feed passage through which to pass at least one kind of liquid including ink. The recording head is attachable and detachable to and from the common flow passage, and has nozzles through which to eject the ink. The joint mechanism couples the liquid feed passage to a liquid feed port in the recording head, and has a first valve for opening and closing the liquid feed passage and a coupling member for coupling the first valve to the liquid feed port. In the top surface of the coupling member is a liquid reservoir portion for storing, when the recording head is removed from the common flow passage with the first valve closed, ink left between the first valve and the coupling member.

Abstract: A head unit includes a common passage, at least one recording head, and a joint mechanism. The joint mechanism has a first valve and couples the common passage to the recording head. The first valve includes: a first stopper having a switch member with an insertion hole and an engagement boss projecting from its inner surface, a sliding portion inserted in the insertion hole slidably up and down, and an engagement groove engaged with the engagement boss; and a first sealing member fitted on the first stopper to be in contact with or away from the insertion hole's inner surface. Rotating the switch member to move the first stopper up/down causes the first valve to switch between a closed state, with the first sealing member in contact with the insertion hole's inner surface, and an open state, with the first sealing member away from the insertion hole's inner surface.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a multi-layered flexible print circuit board (FPC), which is capable of preventing an adhesive member of the multi-layered FPC from being peeled from FPCs. The invention provides a method of manufacturing a multi-layered flexible printed circuit board (multi-layered FPC) including laminating at least two flexible printed circuit boards laminated, wherein a side comprising a conductor circuit in which a conductor circuit of at least one of the at least two flexible printed circuit boards before being laminated is present is subject to an alkaline solution with a concentration of 0.2 to 6.0 wt % and a temperature of 20 to 45° C. under a treatment time of 20 to 100 seconds before the laminating.

Abstract: Provided are methods of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board having a surface layer portion where a copper foil circuit is disposed and consisting single-side board, double-side board and multi-layer board. A first manufacturing method in a case when a single-sided CCL is used includes at least a step in which the surface layer portion is subjected to alkaline treatment, and a step to dispose a resist onto the alkaline-treated surface layer portion.

Abstract: A manufacturing method and apparatus for manufacturing a coated optical fiber which has a superior surface smoothness of a resin coating and which can be coated with a colored ink with high coating performance. In the method including the steps of making a coated optical fiber by forming an outer coating layer around a bare optical fiber; and winding the coated optical fiber via pulleys by a take-up, the surface roughness of each solid body which the outer layer of the running coated optical fiber contacts is 0.8 &mgr;m or less. When the temperature of the outer coating layer is a room temperature or the Young's modulus of the outer coating layer is higher than 500 MPa, the surface roughness of each solid body, which the outer layer of the coated optical fiber contacts during drawing or rewinding, is 1.2 &mgr;m or less.