Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus which is capable of increasing the printing speed by employing a multi-head structure while maintaining or enhancing print quality. The printing apparatus prints on a print medium by using N print heads, where N is an integer equal to or larger than 2, assuming that two axes orthogonal to each other on a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system are set to an X axis and a Y axis, each of the print heads being capable of printing M dots in a direction along the Y axis simultaneously, where M is an integer equal to or larger than 3, and at the same capable of printing M dot lines each extending in a direction along the X axis, by relative scan on the print medium in the direction along the X axis, the M dot lines being arranged side by side in the direction along the Y axis.

Abstract: There are provided a waste ink reservoir and an ink jet printer incorporating the waste ink reservoir. A waste ink absorber has a top surface, for receiving waste ink from the print head at the top surface, and then absorbing the waste ink for storage therein. The waste ink absorber has a plurality of ink absorbent boards arranged in a vertically layered structure and formed with respective through holes vertically extending therethrough, such that adjacent through holes of absorbent boards at each pair of respective adjacent layers are displaced from each other, thereby allowing the adjacent through holes to partially communicate with each other. A waste ink container accommodates the waste ink absorber.

Abstract: There is provided a DC motor control system and method which is capable of carrying out an accurate rotation control of a DC motor even when the power supply voltage thereof is reduced. A detection signal indicative of a detected number of rotations of the DC motor is delivered. Stop control is carried out for stopping the DC motor by braking rotation of the DC motor when the number of rotations of the DC motor indicated by the detection signal has reached a predetermined number of rotations.

Abstract: A card printing apparatus is disclosed which is capable of preventing degradation of print quality even if a card leaves a pair of feed rollers while a print head continues printing operation. The card printing apparatus prints on a card having a predetermined thickness by an ink jet printing method. A pair of feed rollers feed the card forward while urgingly sandwiching the card therebetween. A print head prints on the card being fed, while performing reciprocating motions. A release mechanism causes the pair of rollers to stop urgingly sandwiching the card therebetween. A controller controls the release mechanism such that the release mechanism causes the pair of rollers to stop urgingly sandwiching the card therebetween when a trailing edge portion of the card leaves the pair of feed rollers.

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus and method recording is performed by using a replaceable ink cartridge mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus, and includes a recording head for delivering ink therefrom. Cleaning of the recording head is carried out by sucking ink from the recording head. A cartridge absence time period is detected over which continues a cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus. An amount of ink to be sucked for the cleaning is set, based on the cartridge absence time period, when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus and a method of flushing a recording head of the same are provided. A recording medium is fed along a predetermined feeding passage in a predetermined feeding direction. An ink jet recording head is arranged in a manner movable along a with of the recording medium, in directions orthogonal to the predetermined feeding direction, for effecting printing on the recording medium while moving within a range of printing motion which is larger than a width of the recording medium. Further, the ink jet recording head is controlled such that the ink jet recording head ejects ink droplets toward an area aside from the recording medium within the range of printing motion to carry out a flushing operation of ejecting ink droplets regardless of contents to be printed during a printing process.