Abstract: A controller generates printing data to be printed by the printing nozzles of at least first and second adjacent printing nozzle arrays out of a plurality of printing nozzle arrays on the basis of tone information of image data to be printed. In particular, the controller generates printing data to be printed by each of the first and second printing nozzle arrays in the range in which the influence of an air flow generated along with ink discharge from the first and second printing nozzle arrays is admissible. Printing by the first and second printing nozzle arrays of the printhead is controlled on the basis of the generated printing data.

Abstract: This invention provides a printing apparatus which employs a print head constructed to minimize a memory area to hold ejection data and not requiring a sophisticated manufacturing technology and thus realizes a print mode to perform a higher-than-normal-resolution printing, making it possible to form a high quality image when needed. For each of cyan and magenta that make large contributions to the formation of an image, four nozzle arrays are allocated. For each of the remaining colors, two nozzle arrays are allocated. For cyan and magenta, the interval between adjoining nozzles of the paired two arrays is set to ¼ the nozzle pitch. For cyan and magenta, all of the four nozzle arrays are used in the high resolution print mode and, in the normal print mode, only two of the four nozzle arrays are used for printing. Of the paired adjoining nozzle arrays, only one is used.

Abstract: A controller generates printing data to be printed by the printing nozzles of at least first and second adjacent printing nozzle arrays out of a plurality of printing nozzle arrays on the basis of tone information of image data to be printed. In particular, the controller generates printing data to be printed by each of the first and second printing nozzle arrays in the range in which the influence of an air flow generated along with ink discharge from the first and second printing nozzle arrays is admissible. Printing by the first and second printing nozzle arrays of the printhead is controlled on the basis of the generated printing data.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus suppresses defective ejection while reducing a consumed ink amount. In the apparatus, a cap-open period, during which a cap member does not cap ejection ports of a recording head of the apparatus, is measured, and a recovery operation executed by a recovery unit is controlled based on a cumulated cap-open period. With the above arrangement, there can be solved a problem that the ink ejecting state of the recording head is deteriorated depending on a recording operation because a cap-open state, in which the cap member does not cap the ejection ports of the recording head, continues while the inkjet recording apparatus executes the recording operation, thereby the reliability of the inkjet recording apparatus can be improved.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid applying apparatus and an ink jet printing apparatus which can reduce evaporation that may occur when a application liquid is left in a liquid holding member for a long time, the liquid holding means forming a space between an elastic member and a roller to hold the application liquid, the apparatuses also being capable of preventing the leakage of the liquid from the liquid holding member regardless of a variation in the posture of the apparatus. In collectitng the application liquid from the liquid holding member to a storage tank, the apparatuses switches a selector valve to allow an air communicating port and a tube to communicate with each other. The apparatuses further drive a pump to collect the application liquid from a liquid applying member and channels to the storage tank. Once the collecting is finished, the air communicating valve is closed.

Abstract: In a sheet-shaped light guide (95), which includes particles for scattering light in a sheet-shaped optical medium and propagates signal light incident from one end face of the sheet-shaped light guide to the other end face side while scattering the signal light by the particles, a high-refractive-index portion 95a and a low-refractive-index portion 95b are formed by the use of a plurality of optical mediums whose refractive indexes are different from each other. Then, an interface between these high-refractive-index portion 95a and low-refractive index portion 95b is curved, and a lens effect for the signal light is imparted.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, which forms a color image by applying different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving the recording head to scan the recording material, includes a changing unit for changing an order of applications of the inks of different colors to be applied at least at one amount for printing a secondary color to a secondary color pixel area; and a forming unit for forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a predetermined direction different from the order of another, by the changing unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid applying apparatus and an ink jet printing apparatus which, when supplying a liquid to and/or collecting the liquid from a liquid holding member holding an application liquid in a space formed by a roller being abutted, can suppress the leakage of the liquid from the liquid holding member. A pump is provided in a collecting path between a storage tank and a liquid collecting port formed in the liquid holding member that is liquid-tight. The pump is driven to circulate the application liquid between the storage tank and the liquid holding member.

Abstract: For a liquid applying mechanism of an ink jet printing apparatus, a liquid to be used for applying it to a medium is prevented from evaporating and leaking from a liquid holding member. An applying roller and the liquid holding member contact with each other to hold the liquid and apply the held liquid to a printing medium by means of the applying roller. In this configuration, the surface of the applying roller has no irregularities. Thereby, the applying roller can contact with the liquid holding member to form an adequate liquid-tight seal therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid applying apparatus that prevents an applying roller from being degraded while contacting with an application liquid for a long time. Specifically, once an applying operation has been completely executed on an applying medium, the apparatus stands by for 60 seconds while holding the application liquid in a liquid holding member. When an applying instruction is not given during this period, the apparatus performs an application liquid collecting operation of discharging the application liquid from the liquid holding member. Thus, upon determining that no applying operation has been performed for a certain period after one applying operation has been finished, the apparatus collects the application liquid from the liquid holding member. This avoids immersing the applying roller in the application liquid for a long time. Therefore, the applying roller is prevented from being degraded by the application liquid.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid applying apparatus which can prevent an applying liquid from evaporating while an applying operation is at a stop and which can reliably prevent the liquid from leaking even when for example, the posture of the apparatus is tilted. Thus, according to the present invention, an abutting member of a holding member is abutted, under an urging force of a spring, against an applying surface of an applying roller. Thus, a liquid holding space is formed between the applying roller and a holding member to hold the applying liquid. The abutting member is annularly formed of a single member. The applying roller rotates to cause the applying liquid held in the holding space to adhere to an outer peripheral surface of the applying roller. The applying liquid is then applied to the applying medium.

Abstract: In a communication system using a sheet-shaped light guide (91), which includes particles for scattering light in a sheet-shaped optical medium and propagates signal light incident from one end face of the sheet-shaped light guide to the other end face side while scattering the signal light by the particles, when the sheet-shaped light guide (91) is connected with optical fibers (21 to 24, and 31 to 34) the diameters of which are larger than the thickness of the light guide, the optical fibers (21 to 24, and 31 to 34) and the sheet-shaped light guide (91) are joined with tapered light guides (92) interposed therebetween, the tapered light guide becoming thinner from the optical fiber side thereof to the sheet-shaped light side thereof.

Abstract: In a communication system using a sheet light guide (10) which is formed to contain light-scattering particles in a sheet optical medium and propagates signal light incident from one end surface thereof to the other end surface side while scattering the signal light by the particles, a photodetector (55) which is coupled to the other end surface of the sheet light guide (10) and detects the signal light and a demultiplexer (84) which distributes an output of the photodetector (55) to a plurality of lines are provided.

Abstract: In a communication system using a sheet light guide 10 which is formed in a manner that the sheet light guide contains light-scattering particles in a sheet optical medium, and propagates a signal light incident from one end surface thereof to the other end surface side to which a photodetector is coupled, while scattering the signal light by the particles, at least two of the sheet light guides 10 are coupled to each other with an angle-converting light guide 90 interposed therebetween.

Abstract: In a communication system using a sheet light guide 100 which is formed by containing light-scattering particles in a sheet optical medium and propagates signal light incident from one end surface 100a to the other end surface 100a side while scattering the signal light by the particles, and using a plurality of optical fibers 21, 22, 23 and 24 or 31, 32, 33 and 34 coupled to the other end surface 100a in a state of being provided in parallel, each of the end surfaces 100a of the sheet light guide 100 is adapted to have an outer edge shape in which at least a part substantially coincides with an outer edge shape of the plurality of optical fibers 21 to 24 or 31 to 34.

Abstract: The evaluation reference tape includes at least one recess formed on a magnetic recording layer of a magnetic tape by processing the magnetic recording layer. In the method and apparatus for manufacturing the magnetic recording layer, at least one recess is formed on the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic tape by a laser beam or laser beams in a visible region, an ultraviolet region or both which is incident on the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic tape while the magnetic tape is transported in the longitudinal direction. The evaluation reference tape can perform sensitivity correction of a dropout testing apparatus in accordance with a depth or size of a defect of the magnetic tape and evaluation of the recording/replaying system of the magnetic tape without destroying the evaluation reference tape itself. The method and apparatus can efficiently manufacture the evaluation reference tape.

Abstract: Two sets of recording heads capable of applying ink of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) and of forming relatively large dots and relatively small dots are arranged in symmetry in a scanning direction and orders of colors C and M ejected in respective dot sizes onto a pixel of a secondary color are set to symmetric orders (C?M and M?C). This makes the application orders of ink for either dot size symmetric in each pixel of secondary color and thus there is no difference between application orders in formation of the pixel by either forward or backward scanning, whereby occurrence of uneven color due to the application orders of ink can be reduced.

Abstract: A light guide includes: an optical medium; and light-scattering particles each having a scattering cross section ? and being contained in the optical medium with a density Np so that light which enters the light guide from a first end face can propagate to a second end face while being scattered by the light-scattering particles. In the light guide, the product of the scattering cross section ?, the density Np, the length LG of the optical medium in the light propagation direction, and a correction coefficient Kc is less than or equal to 0.9. Preferably, the product is less than or equal to 0.4 combining a plurality of optical mediums.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, which forms a color image by applying different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving the recording head to scan the recording material, includes a changing unit for changing an order of applications of the inks of different colors to be applied at least at one amount for printing a secondary color to a secondary color pixel area; and a forming unit for forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a predetermined direction different from the order of another, by the changing unit.

Abstract: A printing apparatus for forming a color image by applying different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving the recording head to scan the cording material, the apparatus includes changing device for changing an order of applications of the inks to be applied for printing a secondary color to a secondary color pixel area; forming device for forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a raster scan direction different from the order of another, by the changing device.