Abstract: A moisture removal apparatus and method of an image read-out apparatus, in which the image read-out apparatus includes a contact image sensor (CIS) provided with a document glass on which a document is put on an upper portion thereof and a read-out unit to read out an image of the document, and a pressing roller rotatably provided in contact with a top surface of the CIS to press and transfer the document. The moisture removal apparatus includes a heater to heat the document glass at a predetermined temperature to remove moisture, a power source to apply a predetermined voltage to the heater, a sensing unit to provide basic information to determine driving conditions of the heater, and a controller to control heating conditions of the heater on the basis of the information received from the sensing unit. Thereby, the moisture on the top surface of the document glass may be effectively removed.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an ink cartridge including an ink container storing ink and fixed to a body of a printer, a printhead assembly including a plurality of nozzle plates, each including a plurality of nozzles ejecting ink supplied from the ink container, disposed on the bottom of the ink cartridge, and extending in a direction perpendicular to a paper moving direction, a platen disposed a predetermined distance below the printhead assembly, the platen supporting a sheet of paper moving in the paper moving direction, and having a plurality of slits extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper moving direction such that they correspond to the nozzle plates, and a wiping apparatus within the platen, the wiping apparatus protruding through the slits, moving in the direction perpendicular to the paper moving direction, and wiping the nozzle plates.

Abstract: An inkjet multi-function machine having cooperating scanning and printing functions, and more particularly, an inkjet multi-function machine in which a scanner is engaged with a printing carriage to communicate common motion, in addition to providing scanning specific motions. The inkjet multi-function machine includes a scanner fixing unit having a scanner position adjuster for fixing and supporting the scanner, wherein the scanner is movable between a first rotational direction and elevated position for scanning a document, and a second rotational direction and elevated position for scanning a sheet of paper, wherein the scanner can move together with the carriage when the carriage moves, and at the same time, selectively move between the first and the second directions and elevated positions.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a print head forming an image by spraying ink from a nozzle towards a paper, a transfer unit for transferring the paper towards the print head, a discharge/heater roller being in contact with a side of the paper opposite to a side on which an image is formed by the print head for drying ink and discharging the paper, and one or more supporting rolls located above the discharge/heater roller and discharging paper together with the discharge/heater roller. The discharge/heater roller includes a heat-conductive cylindrical portion, a roller rubber covering the cylindrical portion and generating a friction force during discharging paper, and a heat-generator disposed on an inner surface of the cylindrical portion in an axial direction. The discharge/heater roller is disposed close to the print head, and the supporting roll includes a star wheel for minimizing a spread of ink on the image on the paper.

Abstract: A wet-type wiping apparatus of an inkjet printer to clean a print head of the inkjet printer includes a moisture storing portion, a moisture suction portion disposed on an upper side of the moisture storing portion and having a plurality of moisture suction holes, and a wiper portion inserted in the moisture storing portion and having a plurality of capillary tubes vertically penetrating therein. The moisture suction portion includes one of calcium chloride, a silica gel, and a high molecular weight substance, which are highly absorbent. The moisture storing portion includes a foam for containing moisture therein.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a printing head having a nozzle unit for discharging ink onto recording media. A first drying unit primarily dries ink discharged by the nozzle unit. A second drying unit is set at a temperature higher than that of the first drying unit to secondarily dry the ink discharged by the nozzle unit.

Abstract: An inkjet printer checks whether each nozzle on a printing head is normal, and upon receipt of a nozzle checking command for a nozzle of a printing head through an inputting unit, cuts off a first driving power supply provided during a normal operation and drives in sequence a plurality of nozzle driving units using a second driving power supply. Through such operation, the inkjet printer determines a state of each nozzle driving unit in accordance with an output signal from a comparator comparing a voltage level during driving of each nozzle driving unit with a reference voltage, and then stores a nozzle number corresponding to the nozzle driving unit whose failure is detected. Upon completion of checking for each nozzle driving unit, the stored nozzle number representing an abnormal nozzle is displayed on a display.

Abstract: A system connecting a printer and a host computer includes a signal processing unit, a printing unit, a DC/DC converter converting a power supply voltage into a lower voltage required by the signal processing unit and outputting the converted voltage to the signal processing unit, an input unit receiving a printing command, and a power supply controlling device. The power supply controlling device includes a first switching unit, a pulse width modulating unit, a power supply switch providing a power on/off signal from a user, and a power supply controlling unit outputting a control signal to the pulse width modulating unit to control the first switching unit to perform an on/off operation corresponding to the power on/off signal from the user.

Abstract: A moisture removal apparatus and method of an image read-out apparatus, in which the image read-out apparatus includes a contact image sensor (CIS) provided with a document glass on which a document is put on an upper portion thereof and a read-out unit to read out an image of the document, and a pressing roller rotatably provided in contact with a top surface of the CIS to press and transfer the document. The moisture removal apparatus includes a heater to heat the document glass at a predetermined temperature to remove moisture, a power source to apply a predetermined voltage to the heater, a sensing unit to provide basic information to determine driving conditions of the heater, and a controller to control heating conditions of the heater on the basis of the information received from the sensing unit. Thereby, the moisture on the top surface of the document glass may be effectively removed.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an ink cartridge including an ink container storing ink and fixed to a body of a printer, a printhead assembly including a plurality of nozzle plates, each including a plurality of nozzles ejecting ink supplied from the ink container, disposed on the bottom of the ink cartridge, and extending in a direction perpendicular to a paper moving direction, a platen disposed a predetermined distance below the printhead assembly, the platen supporting a sheet of paper moving in the paper moving direction, and having a plurality of slits extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper moving direction such that they correspond to the nozzle plates, and a wiping apparatus within the platen, the wiping apparatus protruding through the slits, moving in the direction perpendicular to the paper moving direction, and wiping the nozzle plates.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for using current in an ink-jet printer having a head including a plurality of nozzles for each color and nozzle driving units driving the nozzles include detecting an amount of the current flowing through the head, dividing the detected amount of the current by a unit current and determining a result of the division as a first nozzle number, and accumulating first nozzle numbers and determining a result of the accumulation as a second nozzle number. A state of the ink-jet printer is determined using the second nozzle number, and the unit current corresponds to current flowing through a nozzle through which ink is ejected.

Abstract: A maintenance method for an inkjet printer, includes the steps of a) wiping a nozzle surface of a print head with a wiper, b) calculating a number (X1) of ink firings and comparing the calculated number (X1) with a first reference value (Y1); c) if X1?Y1 in step b), blocking the print head; and d) cleaning the rear surface of the print head, with the print head being blocked. While the rear surface of the print head is cleaned, the nozzle portion of the print head is prevented from being contaminated by the ink remaining after the cleaning.

Abstract: A device for preventing a printer header from overheating includes a heater driving portion which is driven in response to a heater driving control signal, a heater emitting heat using electricity which is supplied by the heater driving portion, a substrate temperature detector detecting a temperature of a header substrate where the heater is mounted, a reference voltage generator generating a reference voltage, a comparator comparing a voltage detected by the substrate temperature detector with the reference voltage, a power control portion controlling a driving voltage supplied to the heater in response to a power control signal and controlling the driving voltage in accordance with an output signal of the comparator, and a control portion controlling the heater driving portion and the power control portion in accordance with transmitted printing data.

Abstract: An apparatus detecting an amount of ink discharged by a printer, the printer having a plurality of heaters and corresponding nozzles and performing printing by applying pulses to the heaters to heat the heaters and discharge ink through the corresponding nozzles, the apparatus including a detector connected to the heaters that detects a state change of the heaters and output a state change signal; and an ink discharge amount calculator that calculates an amount of discharged ink corresponding to the state change output signal from the detector.

Abstract: An inkjet multi-function machine having cooperating scanning and printing functions, and more particularly, an inkjet multi-function machine in which a scanner is engaged with a printing carriage to communicate common motion, in addition to providing scanning specific motions. The inkjet multi-function machine includes a scanner fixing unit comprising a scanner position adjuster for fixing and supporting the scanner, wherein the scanner is movable between a first rotational direction and elevated position for scanning a document, and a second rotational direction and elevated position for scanning a sheet of paper, wherein the scanner can move together with the carriage when the carriage moves, and at the same time, selectively move between the first and the second directions and elevated positions.

Abstract: A wet-type wiping apparatus of an inkjet printer to clean a print head of the inkjet printer includes a moisture storing portion, a moisture suction portion disposed on an upper side of the moisture storing portion and having a plurality of moisture suction holes, and a wiper portion inserted in the moisture storing portion and having a plurality of capillary tubes vertically penetrating therein. The moisture suction portion includes one of calcium chloride, a silica gel, and a high molecular weight substance, which are highly absorbent. The moisture storing portion includes a foam for containing moisture therein.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a print head forming an image by spraying ink from a nozzle towards a paper, a transfer unit for transferring the paper towards the print head, a discharge/heater roller being in contact with a side of the paper opposite to a side on which an image is formed by the print head for drying ink and discharging the paper, and one or more supporting rolls located above the discharge/heater roller and discharging paper together with the discharge/heater roller. The discharge/heater roller includes a heat-conductive cylindrical portion, a roller rubber covering the cylindrical portion and generating a friction force during discharging paper, and a heat-generator disposed on an inner surface of the cylindrical portion in an axial direction. The discharge/heater roller is disposed close to the print head, and the supporting roll includes a star wheel for minimizing a spread of ink on the image on the paper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a power supply, having a power switching unit, in an electronic machine using a host connected to the electronic machine. Received alternating current (AC) power is transmitted to the power switching unit and simultaneously transformed into direct current (DC) power. Next, it is determined whether the host requests provision of the DC power to the electronic machine. Then, the power switching unit is driven using the AC power when it is determined that provision of the DC power to the electronic machine is requested. Thus, even when a power switching unit is not supplied with power immediately after interruption of power from an AC power supply source, charges stored in an electrolytic capacitor are not discharged so that incorrect operation of the electronic machine is prevented.

Abstract: An ink cartridge identifying apparatus of a printer which is capable of selectively mounting two or more kinds of ink cartridges therein for printing includes an identifying unit, a sensing unit, and a micro processing unit. The identifying unit is prepared on a body of the ink cartridge. The sensing unit is prepared in a carriage mounted with the ink cartridge therein so as to sense the identifying unit. The micro processing unit identifies what kind of cartridge the ink cartridge is, by using signals detected from the sensing unit. In this structure, it is possible to identify the kind of the ink cartridge without adding electrical contact nodes to a flexible printed circuit of the ink cartridge.

Abstract: An apparatus detecting an amount of ink discharged by a printer, the printer having a plurality of heaters and corresponding nozzles and performing printing by applying pulses to the heaters to heat the heaters and discharge ink through the corresponding nozzles, the apparatus including a detector connected to the heaters that detects a state change of the heaters and output a state change signal; and an ink discharge amount calculator that calculates an amount of discharged ink corresponding to the state change output signal from the detector.