Abstract: A printer includes an ink jet head, a recovery unit, a moving unit, a conveying unit and a cover. The ink jet head performs printing on a printing medium and has an ink ejection port on an ejection port forming surface. The recovery unit is used for a recovery process for maintaining an ink ejection state of the ink jet head in a good condition. The recovery unit includes a cap for covering the ejection port forming surface, a wiping member for wiping the ejection port forming surface, and an absorbing member for receiving ink ejected from the ejection port of the ink jet head. The moving unit moves the recovery unit to a position where the recovery unit faces the ink jet head and to a position where the recovery unit does not face the ink jet head, the ejection forming surface of which is oriented toward the printing medium. The conveying unit conveys the printing medium to be printed by the ink jet head. The cover contains the ink jet head and the recovery unit.

Abstract: A printer includes an ink jet head, a recovery unit, a moving unit, a conveying unit and a cover. The ink jet head performs printing on a printing medium and has an ink ejection port on an ejection port forming surface. The recovery unit is used for a recovery process for maintaining an ink ejection state of the ink jet head in a good condition. The recovery unit includes a cap for covering the ejection port forming surface, a wiping member for wiping the ejection port forming surface, and an absorbing member for receiving ink ejected from the ejection port of the ink jet head. The moving unit moves the recovery unit to a position where the recovery unit faces the ink jet head and to a position where the recovery unit does not face the ink jet head, the ejection forming surface of which is oriented toward the printing medium. The conveying unit conveys the printing medium to be printed by the ink jet head. The cover contains the ink jet head and the recovery unit.

Abstract: In a recovering apparatus for recovering ink ejecting ports forming a plane of an ink jet head, an ink absorbing member is disposed inward of a cap and proximate to the ink ejecting ports, facing the ink ejecting ports at a predetermined distance therefrom. Large ink droplets or water droplets adhering to the ink ejecting ports are then absorbed in the absorbing member. Thereafter, the plane of the ink jet heads with the ink ejecting ports is cleanly wiped by a wiping member, thereby preventing scattering of ink droplets or water droplets away from the ink ejecting ports. A trough is located adjacent to each head, and the recovering apparatus is disposed with respect to the trough so that a distance between the recovering apparatus and the ink jet head can be reduced, thereby permitting a compact arrangement of the recovering apparatus and the ink jet head.

Abstract: To provide a small-sized recovering apparatus for recovering the ink ejecting ports forming plane of an ink jet head, an ink absorbing member disposed inward of a cap comes near to the ink ejecting ports forming plane of the ink jet head with a predetermined distance to face to it. Subsequently, large ink droplets or water droplets adhering to the ink ejecting ports forming plane of the ink jet head are absorbed in the absorbing member. Thereafter, the ink ejecting ports forming plane is cleanly wiped by a wiping member, whereby there does not arise a malfunction that ink droplets or water droplets are scattered away from the ink ejecting ports forming plane of the ink jet head. Since a trough serving as recovering means is located adjacent to each head, a distance of relative displacement between the recovering means and the ink jet head can be reduced, resulting in the whole recovering apparatus being designed and constructed with small dimensions.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus and method for removing a recording ink from a surface of a recording material conveying belt of a recording apparatus. The method includes the steps of contacting a blade member to a surface of the recording material conveying belt and contacting an ink absorber member to a surface of the recording material conveying belt, thus removing from the belt surface an improper discharge of recording ink.

Abstract: An ink tank includes an ink containing portion for containing ink, a bottom surface provided with three projections for supporting the ink tank, an ink supply portion for leading ink out of the ink containing portion to the exterior a top surface opposing to said bottom surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces adjacent to the bottom and top surfaces. The plurality of lateral surfaces include one set of opposing surfaces extended in a lengthwise direction of the ink tank. A grip portion is provided at one end of the ink tank in the lengthwise direction of insertion thereof. Two of the three projections are provided on the bottom surface in an opposed relation in areas near the opposing surfaces of the plurality of lateral surfaces, the ink supply portion being provided in an area of the top surface opposed to an area located on or within lines connecting the three projections.

Abstract: An ink jet textile printing method forms an image on cloths in an image forming operation by repeating a step of applying ink on the cloths from an ink discharge port of a recording head, the recording head relatively main-scanning to form the image in a main scan direction, and a step of relatively conveying the cloths in a sub-scan direction. The method includes the steps of forming the image on the cloths by applying ink on the cloths from the recording head based on image data. The method further includes the step of temporarily stopping the image forming operation in accordance with an indication to effect a temporary halt of the image forming operation. When the temporary halt is indicated while the recording head performs a main scan in the image forming operation, the image forming operation by the main scan is completed, and then the temporary halt of the image forming operation is effected by moving the recording head to a standby position.

Abstract: An ink jet printer comprises a wiper member for wiping the surface of the ink jet recording head. The ink jet recording head and the wiper member move in the same direction each other to wipe the surface of the ink jet recording head by one operation. In this way, the stabilized wiping is always possible to keep the head surface in an appropriate condition of ink discharges, hence obtaining images in beautiful print quality with the stable ink discharges.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink tank coupling method for an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a recording head, an ink supply needle, and a moving unit for moving the ink supply needle to a predetermined position, the recording apparatus being able to detachably mount an ink tank containing ink supplied to the recording head. The method comprises a step of holding and fixing the ink tank to a predetermined position by releasing a movement preventing unit which prevents movement of the ink supply needle caused by the moving unit, and pressing the ink tank to abut a reference surface with an operation of attaching the ink tank to the recording apparatus, and a step of inserting the ink supply needle to the predetermined position in the ink tank by the moving unit after the holding and fixing step.

Abstract: To provide a small-sized recovering apparatus for recovering the ink ejecting ports forming plane of an ink jet head, an ink absorbing member disposed inward of a cap comes near to the ink ejecting ports forming plane of the ink jet head with a predetermined distance to face to it. Subsequently, large ink droplets or water droplets adhering to the ink ejecting ports forming plane of the ink jet head are absorbed in the absorbing member. Thereafter, the ink ejecting ports forming plane is cleanly wiped by a wiping member, whereby there does not arise a malfunction that ink droplets or water droplets are scattered away from the ink ejecting ports forming plane of the ink jet head. Since a trough serving as recovering means is located adjacent to each head, a distance of relative displacement between the recovering means and the ink jet head can be reduced, resulting in the whole recovering apparatus being designed and constructed with small dimensions.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink tank coupling method for an ink jet recording apparatus including a recording head, an ink supply needle, and a moving unit for moving the ink supply needle to a predetermined position, the recording apparatus being able to detachably mount an ink tank containing ink supplied to the recording head. The method includes a step of holding and fixing the ink tank to a predetermined position by releasing a movement preventing unit which prevents movement of the ink supply needle caused by the moving unit, and pressing the ink tank to abut a reference surface with an operation of attaching the ink tank to the recording apparatus, and a step of inserting the ink supply needle to the predetermined position in the ink tank by the moving unit after the holding and fixing step.

Abstract: An ink jet printer comprises a wiper member for wiping the surface of the ink jet recording head. The ink jet recording head and the wiper member move in the same direction each other to wipe the surface of the ink jet recording head by one operation. In this way, the stabilized wiping is always possible to keep the head surface in an appropriate condition of ink discharges, hence obtaining images in beautiful print quality with the stable ink discharges.

Abstract: A printer having an ink container, an ink jet head, and an ink storage container for temporarily storing ink to be supplied from the ink container to the ink-jet head, the ink storage container having a closable air communicating portion communicating with ambient air. A first ink path connects the ink container to the ink storage container, defines a flow of ink from the ink container to the ink storage container, and is provided with a one-way flow restricting member for permitting only a flow of ink in a direction of discharge from the ink container. A second ink path connects the ink storage container to the ink container and defines a flow of ink for returning an excess amount of ink over a predetermined liquid amount in the ink storage container to the ink container. An opening/closing member opens and closes the air communicating portion to ambient air.

Abstract: A method for refilling liquid to a liquid supply path is provided with a sub-tank for supplying the liquid by retaining it temporarily and inducing the air outside into the sub-tank. This method includes the steps of making the sub-tank a closed space and filling the liquid while reducing pressure in the sub-tank. With the application of this method, liquid can be supplied stably. Also, by use of a pump serving as a device for generating negative pressure in the sub-tank, which can be installed on a path different from the liquid supply path, the structure of the liquid supply path becomes simpler to make it easier to avoid liquid leakage or other operational difficulties for the enhancement of a stabilized supply of liquid.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus and method for removing a recording ink from a surface of a recording material conveying belt of a recording apparatus. The method includes the steps of contacting a blade member to a surface of the recording material conveying belt and contacting an ink absorber member to a surface of the recording material conveying belt, thus removing from the belt surface an improper discharge of recording ink.

Abstract: A printing medium feeding apparatus comprises a conveying belt, on which a roll-shaped printing medium is placed with the lower surface of the roll being in contact therewith to unwind the outer periphery of the roll. With the arrangement, setup of the roll to the feeding apparatus is completed easily by only placing the roll onto the conveying belt, as compared with a construction in which the center of a roll is rotatably supported. It is also possible to omit or simplify a transmission mechanism such as a train of reduction gears that is necessary for the case of central driving. Further, it is also possible to feed a constant amount of length at a constant drive speed irrespective of radius of the roll.

Abstract: An ink jet textile printing apparatus for performing printing by reading an original image created by a designer, converting the original image into original data represented by an electric signal, retrieving the original data for processing to be output as image data, and recording data on cloth based on the image data. The ink jet textile printing apparatus has a first ink jet recording head provided upstream of a recording position, and a second ink jet recording head provided downstream thereof, and is provided with a drying unit located between the recording heads, whereby high-quality recorded images with less bleeding can be obtained by recording on a recording area again with the second ink jet recording head after drying the recording area on the cloth recorded by the first ink jet recording head with the drying unit.

Abstract: A recording apparatus builds an image at high quality without occurrence of malfunctions attributable to raised/recessed spots on the surface of a conveyance belt and insufficient dimensioning for the width of the conveyance belt, while preventing the interior of the recording apparatus from being contaminated with erroneously ejected ink. The recording apparatus includes a conveyance belt for conveying a recording sheet below four kinds of recording heads, and the conveyance belt has a joint line along which the opposite ends of a band-shaped material are joined to each other. In addition, the conveyance belt has a band-shaped colored portion which is located remote from the joint line by a predetermined distance. The colored portion is detected by an optical sensor, and a control unit controls the driving of the conveyance belt in response to a signal derived from the detection of the optical sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing the printing by scanning a carriage having a plurality of print heads mounted in a predetermined direction relative to the printing medium, so that an image is formed to have a desired color tone and density without decreased throughput. Conversion data for reproducing the color tone and the scan range of the carriage are changed in accordance with the used heads among the mounted heads. Also, the replaceability can be enhanced and the longer life for each group is attained by grouping the heads mounted. Further, the scan range of recording and the scan range for the recovery can be changed by selecting the group for use in accordance with the recording mode. Also, in an ink jet printing apparatus having a longer print length, a printing method for effecting the stable recording is provided.

Abstract: A method for refilling liquid using a refilling container is to refill liquid to a liquid reserving container, which is provided with a first chamber that houses a negative pressure generating member, at the same time, having an aperture conductively connected to the outside, and with a second chamber conductively connected with the first chamber through a communicating unit for forming essentially a closed space with the exception of the communicating unit.