Abstract: An ink container for an inkjet printer includes an ink containing portion. The ink containing portion contains ink and includes an upper surface including a placing portion, a refill port disposed on the upper surface, and a sealing member. The sealing member includes a sealing portion located at the center and an outer peripheral portion located at the outer periphery. An outer diameter of the sealing portion matches with an inner diameter of the refill port. The placing portion further includes a first recess portion and a positioning portion extending in a circumferential direction of the first recess portion. The first recess portion is configured to receive the sealing member and not to contact the sealing portion. The positioning portion includes a restricting portion configured to reduce horizontal movement of the outer peripheral portion and a supporting portion configured to vertically support the outer peripheral portion.

Abstract: There is provided a tank including a liquid inlet port, an atmosphere open port, a liquid outflow port, a first liquid chamber having a first atmosphere communication channel, a second liquid chamber being in communication with the first liquid chamber and having a second atmosphere communication channel, and a liquid channel. The liquid inside the liquid channel is movable along with a liquid consumption of a liquid consuming device connected to the tank. With the tank in a usage posture, when the liquid is stored in the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber, the liquid level of the liquid stored in the first liquid chamber is formed independently from the liquid level of the liquid stored in the second liquid chamber.

Abstract: In an optical fiber device having a configuration in which an optical fiber is joined to a side surface of another optical fiber, a joint portion is suppressed from reaching a high temperature. The optical fiber device includes a first fluoride fiber, a second fluoride fiber, and a heat dissipation member. The first fluoride fiber guides light. The second fluoride fiber has a first end on or from which light is incident or output and a second end at which an end surface of the second fluoride fiber is obliquely joined to a side surface of the first fluoride fiber.

Abstract: An ink container for an inkjet printer includes an ink containing portion. The ink containing portion contains ink and includes an upper surface including a placing portion, a refill port disposed on the upper surface, and a sealing member. The sealing member includes a sealing portion located at the center and an outer peripheral portion located at the outer periphery. An outer diameter of the sealing portion matches with an inner diameter of the refill port. The placing portion further includes a first recess portion and a positioning portion extending in a circumferential direction of the first recess portion. The first recess portion is configured to receive the sealing member and not to contact the sealing portion. The positioning portion includes a restricting portion configured to reduce horizontal movement of the outer peripheral portion and a supporting portion configured to vertically support the outer peripheral portion.

Abstract: Two glass substrates are fused using a simple method and a simple apparatus configuration without deformation of processed end surfaces. This method for fusing glass substrates is a method in which two glass substrates in close contact are irradiated with a laser beam and fused together, and includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate are brought into close contact. In the second step, the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate are melted and fused together by scanning a laser beam having a wavelength of 2.7 ?m or more and 6.0 ?m or less along a portion where the first and second glass substrates are in close contact.

Abstract: An electric current detector which is mountable on a circuit board on which there is mounted a fluxgate-type magnetic sensor IC chip which detects magnetic flux for electric current detection, including: a substantially ring-shaped core which forms a magnetic-path for magnetic flux induced by detection-target electric current, wherein the core includes a gap which is arranged to become substantially parallel with respect to the circuit board when mounting the aforesaid electric current detector on the circuit board and which is at a place positioned on or on the upper side of the magnetic sensor IC chip in the magnetic-path when mounting the aforesaid electric current detector on the circuit board.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a head including: a reservoir tank; an inlet opening; and ejection openings; an air-discharge passage for discharging air from the reservoir tank to an outside; a first sucking device for sucking air from the reservoir tank via the air-discharge passage; a semipermeable membrane dividing a space in the reservoir tank and the air-discharge passage, into a reservoir-tank-side space and a first-sucking-device-side space and allowing communication of the air and inhibiting communication of liquid between the reservoir-tank-side space and the first-sucking-device-side space; and a first valve mechanism dividing the reservoir-tank-side space into a first space on a semipermeable-membrane side and a second space on an inlet-opening side, inhibiting fluid from flowing from the first space to the second space, and allowing fluid to flow from the second space to the first space. The first space is located above the ejection openings.

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprises a conveyor, a head including an ejection surface, a UV irradiator positioned downstream of the head in a conveyance direction, a wiper, a first shading member, and first and second controllers. The first shading member is movable in a cross direction crossing the ejection surface, and shades an opposed space being opposed to the ejection surface from ultraviolet light applied by the UV irradiator in a state where the first shading member is taking a protruding position. The first controller controls the first shading member to take the protruding position. The second controller controls the wiper to move relatively to the ejection surface while causing the wiper to contact the ejection surface in a state where the wiper is positioned in the opposed space and the first shading member is taking the protruding position, when the wiping is performed.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a head including: a reservoir tank; an inlet opening; and ejection openings; an air-discharge passage for discharging air from the reservoir tank to an outside; a first sucking device for sucking air from the reservoir tank via the air-discharge passage; a semipermeable membrane dividing a space in the reservoir tank and the air-discharge passage, into a reservoir-tank-side space and a first-sucking-device-side space and allowing communication of the air and inhibiting communication of liquid between the reservoir-tank-side space and the first-sucking-device-side space; and a first valve mechanism dividing the reservoir-tank-side space into a first space on a semipermeable-membrane side and a second space on an inlet-opening side, inhibiting fluid from flowing from the first space to the second space, and allowing fluid to flow from the second space to the first space. The first space is located above the ejection openings.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes feeding mechanism that feeds a recording medium in a first direction, a head including nozzles that eject liquid; and a humidifying mechanism. The humidifying mechanism includes a humidified air generating device that generates humidified air, an output portion that outputs the humidified air generated by the humidified air generating device, and a receiving portion that receives the humidified air output from the output portion. The output portion includes a first opening and a second opening. An area of the second opening is greater than an area of the first opening, and the first opening is separated from the second opening in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The head is disposed between the output portion and the receiving portion in the first direction.

Abstract: A recording apparatus including a conveyor which conveys a recording medium in a conveyance direction; a recording head which ejects recording liquid curable by irradiation of ultraviolet light; a plurality of pretreatment heads which ejects pretreatment liquid curable by irradiation of ultraviolet light, the pretreatment heads including a downstream pretreatment head and an upstream pretreatment head which is positioned upstream of the downstream pretreatment head in the conveyance direction; and a controller which controls the conveyor and the pretreatment heads to cause: a total amount of liquid droplets ejected from the downstream pretreatment head to be greater than a total amount of liquid droplets ejected from the upstream pretreatment head; and a liquid droplet ejected from the downstream pretreatment head to overlap, on the recording medium, a liquid droplet which has been ejected from the upstream pretreatment head.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a head comprising ejection openings opposed to an ejection space; a cap mechanism which switches the ejection space between a closed state and an open state; a first supply opening portion communicating with the ejection space being in the closed state, a second supply opening portion communicating with the ejection space being in the open state; and a humidifying mechanism configured to supply humid air to at least one of the first and second supply opening portions. In the closed state, an amount of the humid air supplied to the first supply opening portion is greater than that of the humid air supplied to the second supply opening portion. In the open state, an amount of the humid air supplied to the second supply opening portion is greater than that of the humid air supplied to the first supply opening portion.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and method may provide efficient transfer of ink from a transfer belt to a recording sheet by using a transfer mechanism having a supporting member for supporting the recording sheet and a contact member. In one arrangement, the contact member may be configured to contact an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt to bend the transfer belt and push the outer peripheral surface of the belt outward at an angle smaller than 90°. By pushing and bending the transfer belt, the an ink transfer surface of the belt and the recording sheet may be pinched together to affect transfer of the image.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes feeding mechanism that feeds a recording medium in a first direction, a head including nozzles that eject liquid; and a humidifying mechanism. The humidifying mechanism includes a humidified air generating device that generates humidified air, an output portion that outputs the humidified air generated by the humidified air generating device, and a receiving portion that receives the humidified air output from the output portion. The output portion includes a first opening and a second opening. An area of the second opening is greater than an area of the first opening, and the first opening is separated from the second opening in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The head is disposed between the output portion and the receiving portion in the first direction.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a flow path unit is provided. The flow path unit includes a plurality of liquid ejection ports arranged in a matrix form in a two-dimensional area of a parallelogram, and a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the plurality of liquid ejection ports, respectively, and each pressure chamber being long in a first direction. The flow path unit is long in a second direction. Each of the pressure chambers has a length in the second direction larger than a length in a direction orthogonal to the second direction. The plurality of pressure chambers are arranged in a matrix form in a substantially same area as the two-dimensional area.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a head comprising ejection openings opposed to an ejection space; a cap mechanism which switches the ejection space between a closed state and an open state; a first supply opening portion communicating with the ejection space being in the closed state, a second supply opening portion communicating with the ejection space being in the open state; and a humidifying mechanism configured to supply humid air to at least one of the first and second supply opening portions. In the closed state, an amount of the humid air supplied to the first supply opening portion is greater than that of the humid air supplied to the second supply opening portion. In the open state, an amount of the humid air supplied to the second supply opening portion is greater than that of the humid air supplied to the first supply opening portion.

Abstract: An ink jet printer including a carriage which is movable relative to a sheet of paper, a recording head which is mounted on the carriage and records an image on the sheet by ejecting a droplet of ink toward the sheet, one or more ink tanks which store the ink or inks to be supplied to the recording head, a buffer tank which is mounted on the carriage, and one or more ink flow passages in which the inks are supplied from the ink tanks to the recording head via the buffer tank. The buffer tank has, at a height position higher than a height position where the recording head is provided, one or more air buffer chambers which accommodate respective amounts of the inks, and collect air bubbles produced in the ink flow passages.

Abstract: A processing device is configured to irradiate a laser beam onto a glass substrate for processing. The processing device has a work table, a laser beam output section, a multi-spot focus section, a rotation drive mechanism, an optical system, and a laser beam scan section. The multi-spot focus section receives a laser beam, and splits and focuses the laser beam inputted therein into a plurality of beam focus spots. The rotation drive mechanism rotates the plurality of beam focus spots about a single center axis that is arranged in a center of the plurality of beam focus spots. The optical system guides the laser beam to the multi-spot focus section. The laser beam scan section moves all the plurality of beam focus spots rotating about the single center axis in a desired direction within a predetermined range of a plane arranged along a surface of the glass substrate.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a flow path unit is provided. The flow path unit includes a plurality of liquid ejection ports arranged in a matrix form in a two-dimensional area of a parallelogram, and a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the plurality of liquid ejection ports, respectively, and each pressure chamber being long in a first direction. The flow path unit is long in a second direction. Each of the pressure chambers has a length in the second direction larger than a length in a direction orthogonal to the second direction. The plurality of pressure chambers are arranged in a matrix form in a substantially same area as the two-dimensional area.

Abstract: A processing method of forming a through-hole in a workpiece by means of a pulsed laser beam includes the steps of providing a removable sacrifice layer on the workpiece, forming a through-hole in the workpiece by the laser beam in a state where the sacrifice layer is provided, and removing the sacrifice layer from the workpiece after the step of forming the through-hole.