Abstract: An inkjet print head includes one nozzle sheet (23) and a plurality of head chips (25) including a plurality of heaters. The nozzle sheet (23) is formed of an electroformed metal layer made of nickel or a material comprising nickel, and has discharge nozzle rows for respective colors disposed so that the discharge nozzles are in staggered arrangements and so that each set of discharge nozzles partly overlaps another set of discharge nozzles in a sheet-feed direction. The head chips are positioned at and affixed to a growth surface side of the nozzle sheet (23) in staggered arrangements so that the positions of the discharge nozzles and the positions of the heaters correspond to each other. Accordingly, reduction in printing quality caused by displacement of any of the discharge nozzles is prevented from occurring, and landing positions of discharged ink on a recording sheet are stabilized.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a print head, in which a substrate member provided with heating elements is laminated to a nozzle-formed member in which ink-ejection nozzles are formed, includes the step of laminating a correcting member having approximately the same coefficient of linear expansion as the substrate member to the nozzle-formed member. A nozzle interval L1 of a nozzle-formed member which doesn't laminate a correcting member at an operating temperature T0 is determined as =L2(1+&agr;2&Dgr;T)/(1+&agr;1&Dgr;T), wherein L2 is the nozzle interval and a heater interval at the operating temperature after the print head is completed; &agr;1 and is the coefficient of linear expansion of the nozzle-formed member; &agr;2 is the coefficient of linear expansion of the correcting member; T1 is the laminating temperature of the nozzle-formed member and the correcting member; and &Dgr;T is the difference between the laminating temperature T1 and the operating temperature T0.

Abstract: A printer head with overlapping nozzles. A plurality of head chips are formed in an array pattern on the printer head wherein a plurality of nozzles are associated with each head chip. Nozzles associated with one head chip and nozzles associated with an adjacent head chip partly overlap to form an overlapped area. When an ink-ejecting mechanism drives across a print object, the nozzles of the one head chip and the nozzles of the adjacent head chip respectively eject inks which are mixed in the overlapped area to reduce dot density differences on the print object.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for discharging liquid in which nozzles (31) allocated to head chips (25) are so arranged as to overlap at parts of adjacent head chips (25), and the distance Ls between nozzles of adjacent head chips of the same color is set to be even number pitches, while the distance Ld between nozzles of head chips of different color is set to be even number pitches. Thus, tiling part can be printed in the hound's tooth manner in driving line heads employing tiling which has overlapped parts formed therein under time division drive. The problem that coloring of superposed colors at overlapped parts becomes different from that at non-overlapped parts can be prevented.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus comprises a cleaning member cylindrically formed of a material having elasticity, a moving mechanism for moving both the peripheral face of the cleaning member and the ink discharge face of the print head relative one to another, with both in contact one with another, and a driving control unit for controlling the driving of the moving mechanism. Each time a predetermined number of sheets of the recording medium have images formed thereupon, or each time a predetermined amount of time elapses, following starting of the operations for forming images, the image formation operations are temporarily interrupted, and the moving mechanism is driven under the control of the driving control unit, and the peripheral face of the cleaning member is moved over the surface of the ink discharge face while in contact therewith, thereby suctioning the ink within the ink discharge orifices.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes a print head having ink-discharge surfaces having the ink-discharge openings therein; a cylindrical cleaning roller composed of an elastic material; moving means for moving the cleaning roller and the print head relative to each other while keeping the circumferential surface of the cleaning roller in contact with the ink-discharge surfaces; drive control means for controlling the moving means; a head cap for protecting the ink-discharge surfaces; cap opening/closing means for opening and closing the head cap. When the head cap is opened by the cap opening/closing means, by driving the moving means with control of the drive control means so as to move the cleaning roller relative to the print head while keeping the circumferential surface of the cleaning roller in contact with the ink-discharge surfaces, ink in the ink-discharge openings is sucked.

Abstract: A print head for a line printer in which errors between print head chips and another component are reduced and ink leakage is prevented, and in which heat generated in print head chips is efficiently dissipated without making the structure of the print head complex or increasing the size of the print head. A plurality of print head chips (11) are arranged along an ink path (20) and are disposed on both sides of the ink path in a zigzag pattern. Dummy chips (21) which do not eject ink are disposed at regions between the print head chips (11) arranged along the ink path (20). In addition, an ink-path member (23) is provided, at least a part of the ink-path member (23) which includes portions adhered to the print head chips (11) being composed of a material having a high thermal conductivity, so that the ink-path member (23) also serves as heat-dissipating means which dissipates heat generated in the print head chips (11).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printer and printer head, and more particularly, to an ink-jet method printer for preventing quality deterioration of the print result caused by head chips having irregular characteristics.

Abstract: A print head is provided with at least ink-pressurizing cells, heating elements, and ink-ejection nozzles. In addition, the print head includes substrate members which form side surfaces and one end surface of the ink-pressurizing cells, and which are provided with the heating elements; a nozzle-formed member which forms the other end surface of the ink-pressurizing cells, and in which the ink-ejection nozzles, which individually correspond to the ink-pressurizing cells, are formed; and a head frame which supports the nozzle-formed member.

Abstract: A print head is provided with at least ink-pressurizing cells, heating elements, and ink-ejection nozzles. In addition, the print head includes substrate members which form side surfaces and one end surface of the ink-pressurizing cells, and which are provided with the heating elements; a nozzle-formed member which forms the other end surface of the ink-pressurizing cells, and in which the ink-ejection nozzles, which individually correspond to the ink-pressurizing cells, are formed; and a head frame which supports the nozzle-formed member.

Abstract: A remaining-liquid-amount apparatus for displaying an amount of conductive liquid (ink) remaining in a container includes electrode units which are arranged along a direction in which the liquid level falls when the amount of liquid in the container decreases and which conduct current when the electrode units are in contact with the liquid, a voltage source (pulse generator) which applies a voltage to the electrode units, a liquid detector (DFFs) which detects the presence/absence of the liquid at positions of the electrode units on the basis of whether or not the electrode units conduct current when the voltage is applied by the voltage source, and a remaining-liquid-amount display unit (LEDs) which displays, in steps, the amount of liquid remaining in the container on the basis of the detection result of the presence/absence of the liquid at positions of the electrode units obtained by the liquid detector.

Abstract: An inkjet head includes a head cap for protecting an ink discharge surface of a print head and a cleaning roller for cleaning the ink discharge surface of the print head. The head cap moves relative to and is removably mounted to the print head including the ink discharge surface with an ink discharge hole for discharging ink supplied from an ink cartridge. The cleaning roller is provided at a print head side of the head cap in the longitudinal direction of the print head. By virtue of this structure, it is possible to reduce the size of a printer body. The invention aims at reducing the size of the printer body by providing the cleaning member at the head cap for protecting the ink discharge surface.

Abstract: A self-diagnosis device includes a diagnosing unit for diagnosing the condition of a printer which prints on record sheets and a displaying unit for displaying a diagnosis result based on the condition of the printer.

Abstract: A printer head chip includes a plurality of ink compressing chambers which include heat-generating resistors and which are disposed side by side on a substrate. The printer head chip is used to discharge ink inside the plurality of ink compressing chambers from a nozzle by driving the heat-generating resistors. The printer head chip further includes an ink flow path groove, which is formed in the substrate and which is connected to each of the ink compressing chambers, for supplying ink to each of the ink compressing chambers. The invention makes it possible to supply ink to the printer head chip without increasing the size of a printer head, and to simplify the structure of the printer head.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer and an apparatus and a method of driving a recording head for an ink-jet printer for suppressing satellite droplets. Two piezoelectric elements are provided for every ink chamber corresponding to each nozzle. Timing of displacement of the piezoelectric elements is adjusted by applying a drive signal for ink droplet ejection to one of the piezoelectric elements and a drive signal for suppressing satellite droplets when a droplet is ejected to the other piezoelectric element. An auxiliary pressure generated by the displacement of the latter piezoelectric element is superimposed on an ejection pressure generated by the displacement of the former piezoelectric element. Trailing of an ink droplet is cut off at an early stage and generation of satellite droplets is suppressed.

Abstract: An inkjet head includes a head cap for protecting an ink discharge surface of a print head and a cleaning roller for cleaning the ink discharge surface of the print head. The head cap moves relative to and is removably mounted to the print head including the ink discharge surface with an ink discharge hole for discharging ink supplied from an ink cartridge. The cleaning roller is provided at a print head side of the head cap in the longitudinal direction of the print head. By virtue of this structure, it is possible to reduce the size of a printer body. The invention aims at reducing the size of the printer body by providing the cleaning member at the head cap for protecting the ink discharge surface.

Abstract: A printing apparatus forms image information and information associated therewith on a print medium. The printing apparatus receives image information from an image file stored in a recording medium, etc., and obtains information associated with the image information. The associated information includes attached information that is read out from the image file based on a file format using tags via an interface unit or added information that is input or selected in accordance with the image information. The image information is printed on the print medium, and the associated information is formed on a film sheet (laminate film), which is disposed over the image-printed surface, as a watermark. The associated information is not visible when the print medium is seen from the front, and can be seen when it is seen at an angle due to the difference in surface glossiness.

Abstract: A printer performs a printing operation by driving a cartridge to discharge ink. The ink in the printer is billed according to the amount of actual use of ink. In a service center, the head ID is first input. Then, the head ID is verified against the user ID. The amount of the use of ink is checked. Then, the billing amount for the actual use of ink is determined. The user is requested to pay for the cost.

Abstract: A print head is provided with at least ink-pressurizing cells, heating elements, and ink-ejection nozzles. In addition, the print head includes substrate members which form side surfaces and one end surface of the ink-pressurizing cells, and which are provided with the heating elements; a nozzle-formed member which forms the other end surface of the ink-pressurizing cells, and in which the ink-ejection nozzles, which individually correspond to the ink-pressurizing cells, are formed; and a head frame which supports the nozzle-formed member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printer and printer head, and more particularly, to an ink-jet method printer for preventing quality deterioration of the print result caused by head chips having irregular characteristics.