Abstract: A liquid detection device attached on a liquid container for detecting a liquid consumption status of the liquid contained in the liquid container, the liquid detection device including a vibrating section symmetrical about a center thereof, and at least one electrode electrically connecting with said vibrating section.

Abstract: The technique of the present invention improves the accuracy of calculating an amount of ink consumption in an ink reservoir used in a printer, which ejects ink stored in the ink reservoir and prints an image. In the printer of the present invention, a weight of a single ink droplet is measured in advance under a preset reference condition. In the course of printing an image, the printer detects an ink supply condition, which affects the weight of a single ink droplet, and counts a number of ink droplets ejected. The amount of ink consumption is determined by correcting a product of the measured weight of a single ink droplet and the counted number of ink droplets based on a difference between the detected ink supply condition and the preset reference condition. This arrangement calculates the amount of ink consumption by taking into account the ink supply condition, thereby improving the accuracy of calculation for the amount of ink consumption.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of controlling an ink jet recording apparatus on which a liquid container is to be detachably mounted, the liquid container having a piezoelectric device for detecting the liquid. The method includes the steps of: detecting a characteristic value of the piezoelectric device by a detection section provided inside or outside of the ink jet recording apparatus; judging whether or not the characteristic value satisfies a predetermined condition by a judging section provided inside or outside of the ink jet recording apparatus; and controlling the ink jet recording apparatus so that the ink jet recording apparatus is set in an operable or a non-operable state based on a result of the judging step.

Abstract: An ink tank for storing ink comprising a closed container having a first opening on one end and a first porous plate. The opening being sealed by the first porous plate having an affinity for ink and generating negative pressure in the container at least in part, by way of a capillary force imposed on the ink due to pores in the porous plate. The porous plate having a first side contacting the ink in the container and a second side facing away from the ink in the container. At least a portion of the first porous plate being an air intake portion through which air is introduced into an interior of the container.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which avoids the occurrence of banding due to errors of sheet feeding. The apparatus includes a print head with a nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles, a main scan driving unit, a print head driving unit that drives nozzles selected from the array, a sub-scan driving unit that drives the print medium in the sub-scanning direction and a control unit. The control unit controls the main scan driving unit, the sub-scan driving unit and the print head driving unit and also carries out printing on the print medium with the print head. The control procedure of the control unit causes each of the nozzles which are not used in the process of constant pitch sub-scan printing or overlap printing, to create a dot adjoining two dots, where banding is often observed.

Abstract: The present method detects an ink consumption condition in an ink cartridge loaded on an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head for jetting ink drops, using a piezo-electric device mounted on the cartridge. The method detects the ink consumption condition using the piezo-electric device when the recording head is in a non-recording state. A complicated seal structure is not necessary and the ink residue can be detected surely.

Abstract: A specific image is first recorded according to a plurality of dot recording schemes which have an identical resolution and which are different at least in sub-scan feed operations. Then a desired dot recording scheme is selected corresponding to a desired recorded image which has been selected out of a plurality of recorded images recorded according to the plurality of dot recording schemes, and scheme selection information for specifying the desired dot recording scheme is stored into a rewritable non-volatile memory. In actual image recording, the scheme selection information stored in the non-volatile memory is read out, and a desired image is recorded on a recording medium according to the desired dot recording scheme specified by the scheme selection information.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head comprises: recording head units arranged linearly, each of the plurality of recording head units having a pressure producing chamber communicating with a nozzle opening, piezoelectric element for applying pressure to the pressure producing chamber, and a connecting terminal for supplying a drive signal to the piezoelectric element; a drive signal generating semiconductor device for generating the drive signal for driving the piezoelectric element based on a print signal; and a flexible cable for supplying the print signal from an external circuit to the drive signal generating semiconductor device, and supplying the drive signal to the piezoelectric element while connected to the connecting terminal, wherein the flexible cable has a widow and a conductive path, the window allowing the drive signal generating semiconductor device to be attached thereto, and the conductive path being formed so as to extend substantially in parallel in a direction of arrangement of the recording head un

Abstract: A flushing determination section 55 determines whether a flushing operation is to be performed, on the basis of a paper size recognized by a paper width recognizer and a traveling direction detected by a carriage traveling direction detector. In this case, a threshold value produced by threshold value determination section is set so as to assume different values according to the traveling direction of the carriage. The probability of recording heads being subjected to flushing in the vicinity of the home position is made greater while required flushing intervals are maintained. Consequently, print throughput on recording paper of comparatively large size is improved, and the traveling range of the carriage can be reduced.

Abstract: A specific image is first recorded according to a plurality of dot recording schemes which have an identical resolution and which are different at least in sub-scan feed operations. Then a desired dot recording scheme is selected corresponding to a desired recorded image which has been selected out of a plurality of recorded images recorded according to the plurality of dot recording schemes, and scheme selection information for specifying the desired dot recording scheme is stored into a rewritable non-volatile memory. In actual image recording, the scheme selection information stored in the non-volatile memory is read out, and a desired image is recorded on a recording medium according to the desired dot recording scheme specified by the scheme selection information.

Abstract: A flushing determination section 55 determines whether a flushing operation is to be performed, on the basis of a paper size recognized by a paper width recognizer and a traveling direction detected by a carriage traveling direction detector. In this case, a threshold value produced by threshold value determination section is set so as to assume different values according to the traveling direction of the carriage. The probability of recording heads being subjected to flushing in the vicinity of the home position is made greater while required flushing intervals are maintained. Consequently, print throughput on recording paper of comparatively large size is improved, and the traveling range of the carriage can be reduced.

Abstract: A detector of liquid consumption condition includes a vibrating part that can vibrate relatively to a containing space that can be filled and refilled with a liquid. At least a portion of the vibrating part is exposed to the containing space. A piezoelectric device can cause the vibrating part to vibrate based on a driving signal and can generate a counter electromotive force signal by a vibration of the vibrating part. A liquid consumption condition detecting part can detect a liquid consumption condition, based on the counter electromotive force signal from the piezoelectric device. The containing space can contain only a predetermined volume of the liquid. The vibrating part is provided in a vicinity of a liquid surface in the containing space when the containing space contains the predetermined volume of the liquid.

Abstract: A liquid charging method for charging a liquid container with a liquid, the liquid container being provided with a piezo-electric device for detecting a consumption condition of the liquid in said liquid container, the piezo-electric device being provided with a cavity connecting to an inside of the liquid container, has the steps of: reducing a pressure in the liquid container to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure; and charging the liquid container with the liquid. The liquid container requiring no complicated seal structure for precisely detecting the consumption condition of a liquid by using the piezo-electric device is charged with a liquid without internally leaving air bubbles.

Abstract: The mounting structure for mounting the piezo-electric device (106) used to detect the consumption condition of the liquid in the liquid container (1) to the liquid container (1), having the receiving portion (363) to which the piezoelectric device (106) is to be mounted and the mount portion (363) to be mounted to the liquid container (1). The mounting structure can appropriately mount a piezo-electric device (106) for detecting the consumption condition of a liquid in a liquid container (1) to the liquid container (1).

Abstract: A print head 2 has multiple nozzle groups 2a, 2b spaced apart in the sub-scanning direction by a prescribed inter-group distance pni. Each nozzle group 2a, 2b has multiple nozzles aligned in the sub-scanning direction at a nozzle pitch k. In a first printing scheme in which the nozzle groups record different raster lines, the inter-group distance pni is set to a value different from the nozzle pitch k. Since the nozzle pitch k need be secured only within the nozzle groups 2a, 2b individually, a print head 2 with many nozzles can be readily obtained. The sub-scan feed amounts can be set to be a constant value or to be a combination of different values.

Abstract: Flushing regions for receiving ink droplets to be ejected when flushing signal is supplied to a recording head are provided in both of non-print regions situated at both sides of print region in order to prevent throughput during the flushing operation from deteriorating. A guide member having a slant surface is disposed between the recording head and an ink absorbing member to which the ink landed on the slant surface flows in order to reduce in size of the ink absorbing member. A porous sheet member closely faced to nozzle orifices of the recording head for receiving the ink droplets ejected therefrom is provided in order to prevent undesired mist of fine ink droplets from generating. A plurality of plate members closely faced to the nozzle orifices are provided at a predetermined angle with respect to the flight direction of the ink droplets in order to prevent the undesired mist from generating. The flushing operation is performed so as to prevent solidification of the ejected ink.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for mounting on an ink supply needle of a recording head is provided. An ink cartridge main body having a plurality of walls and an ink supply port disposed in a wall of said ink cartridge main body and communicating from the interior to the exterior of the ink cartridge for the flow of ink through the ink supply port are also provided. A cover is adapted to seal said ink cartridge main body and is formed with an ambient air vent in the cover which is in fluid communication with ambient air through a circuitous channel formed in the cover. A second air vent is also formed in the cover and is also in fluid communication with the circuitous channel. The interior of the ink cartridge main body is thus placed in fluid communication with ambient air through the circuitous channel while preventing any ink contained in the ink tank main body from evaporating.

Abstract: An ink supply device includes an ink container connected to an air communication port through a porous member. The ink container is maintained at a negative pressure equivalent to the capillary force of the ink penetrated into the porous member. Since the ink container is in communication with the air through a wide area of the porous member, the ink container can be maintained at a constant negative pressure regardless of the quantity of ink consumed by the recording head.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge for an ink-jet type recording apparatus being removably mountable onto an ink supply needle of said ink jet type recording apparatus is provided. The ink tank cartridge comprises a first chamber for storing ink and a second chamber for storing a porous member. A partition wall separates the first chamber from the second chamber. A lid is attached to the top of the cartridge and at least a portion of the lid corresponding to at least one of the chambers may be opened to allow for replenishment of ink in the ink tank cartridge. Alternatively, the lid may be permanently fixed to the top on the ink tank cartridge, and an ink replenishment hole may be formed in the lid to allow for replenishment with an ink injection device. The ink tank may also be replenished by placing a self contained ink replenishment pack into said ink tank cartridge.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink-jet recording apparatus, comprises: a tank housing containing ink, the ink being visible from an outside; and indications, marked along a depth direction of the tank housing, for displaying the number and size of record sheets which can be subjected to printing, corresponding to a quantity of remaining ink. Alternately, at least an ink consumption state and enablement or disablement of printing are displayed on a cathode ray tube (CRT) screen.