Abstract: An ink cartridge for a printing apparatus providing ink to a print head through a tapered ink supply needle and removably attached to the print head. The ink cartridge includes an ink chamber for containing ink, an ink supply port, a packing member and a valve device. The ink supply port supplies ink from the ink chamber to the print head of the printing apparatus, the ink supply port including an external opening. The packing member is provided in the ink supply port and forms an ink channel for allowing a flow of ink. The packing member seals the ink supply needle of the printing apparatus by fitting therewith. The valve device is contained in the ink supply port and elastically abuts against the packing member. The valve device selectively opens and closes the ink channel in conjunction with the ink supply needle.

Abstract: The recording medium guide member is placed along the main scanning direction scanned by the carriage mounted with a recording head, and ink-receiver holes for receiving ink discharged from the recording head are formed on the guide member in positions beyond the edges of the recording medium being conveyed. Ink absorbing materials are placed in said ink-receiver holes, and a discharged ink accumulating means that cumulatively counts the amount of ink discharged into the ink absorbing materials is provided. The amount of ink discharged into the ink-receiver holes can be controlled by the discharged ink accumulation means so that contamination of the left and right edges or the top and bottom as well as left and right edges of the recording medium, caused by excessive ink collecting in the ink-receiver holes, can be avoided.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet type printing apparatus having a print head, the ink cartridge including: a container having an ink chamber for containing ink therein; an ink supply port for ejecting the ink from the ink chamber to the print head; a memory device for storing data related to the ink or the ink cartridge, the memory device has an area in which the data is stored in a rewritable manner; and a contact device enabling the transmission of data between the memory device and an external device. The memory device may include data indicative of the history of the ink cartridge which may be utilized to control a reproduction of the ink cartridge.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer having a housing having at least one wall. The ink cartridge further has at least two ink chambers for containing different ink accommodated in the housing. Ink supply ports are formed in one wall of the housing within each of the ink chambers. Each of the ink supply ports has an inner opening and an outer opening. The distance from the inner opening of a first ink supply port to that of a second ink supply port adjacent to the first ink supply port is different from a second distance from the outer opening of the first ink supply opening to that of the second ink supply port.

Abstract: A pressurizing chamber 1 is formed as a recess by half etching of a silicon single-crystal substrate 2. A nozzle communicating hole 6 through which the pressurizing chamber 1 is connected to a nozzle opening 5 is formed as a through hole which is smaller in width than the pressurizing chamber 1. The pressurizing chamber 1 is connected to the nozzle opening 5 in the other face via the nozzle communicating hole 6 while reducing the volume of the pressurizing chamber 1 to a degree as small as possible. The silicon single-crystal substrate is used as a member constituting a spacer so that an ink drop of a reduced ink amount suitable for high density printing flies with high positioning accuracy.

Abstract: A valve unit in an ink supply channel of an ink-jet recording apparatus, the ink supply channel having an upstream side and a downstream side, the valve unit comprising a diaphragm valve having a thin elastic diaphragm operating in response to pressure difference between an upstream side and a downstream side of the diaphragm, a valve body formed on the surface of the thin elastic diaphragm and having an opening therein, and an elastic support portion integrally formed with the valve body for urging the valve body toward the upstream direction, a valve seat disposed in the ink supply channel upstream of the diaphragm and kept in elastic contact with the opening, and a flow-channel forming plate for forming a flow channel disposed on the downstream side of the valve seat, the flow channel, extending in a longitudinal direction of the elastic portion and the flow channel forming plate having an end portion side extending in an upstream direction to form a flow channel whose sectional area decreases in the longi

Abstract: The recording medium guide member is placed along the main scanning direction scanned by the carriage mounted with a recording head, and ink-receiver holes for receiving ink discharged from the recording head are formed on the guide member in positions beyond the edges of the recording medium being conveyed. Ink absorbing materials are placed in said ink-receiver holes, and a discharged ink accumulating means that cumulatively counts the amount of ink discharged into the ink absorbing materials is provided. The amount of ink discharged into the ink-receiver holes can be controlled by the discharged ink accumulation means so that contamination of the left and right edges or the top and bottom as well as left and right edges of the recording medium, caused by excessive ink collecting in the ink-receiver holes, can be avoided.

Abstract: An ink flow passage 7f is formed from an ink storage chamber of an ink cartridge 7 to an ink supply port. A passage control system 7j is located in the ink flow passage. The passage control system is capable of opening and closing the ink flow passage when receiving a drive force from an actuator 32. Particularly, air bubbles A1 staying on a filter member 22 within an ink supplying needle 21 is effectively discharged to a capping system 9 in a manner that a negative pressure is accumulated in an inner space of the capping system 9 in a state that the passage control system 7j is placed to a valve closing state. The passage control system 7j is provided in the ink cartridge. Accordingly, every time the ink cartridge is exchanged with a new one, the passage control system 7j is also exchanged with a new one. Accordingly, the printing function restoring operation performed through a cleaning operation based on the negative pressure accumulation is improved in reliability.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printing apparatus having a printhead which ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium and an ink supply needle introducing ink to the printhead, the ink cartridge having a substantially rectangular housing containing ink therein, the housing having a first outer wall and a second outer wall which is substantially perpendicular to the first outer wall; an ink supply port formed in the first wall for directing ink in the housing to the printhead; a valve mechanism arranged in the ink supply port including a valve seat allowing the ink supply needle to pass therethrough; a valve body movable along the axis of the ink supply port; and an elastic member biasing the valve body against the valve seat, and a memory device for storing information relating to ink mounted on the second wall of the housing and substantially in parallel therewith, the memory device being formed in the vicinity of the ink supply port, which wall directing in parallel with a direction along which the ink su

Abstract: A catalyst for selective oxidation of carbon monoxide present in a hydrogen-containing gas is provided in which the catalyst comprises ruthenium supported on an alumina hydrate. This catalyst has a high selective oxidation activity to carbon monoxide. A carbon monoxide elimination method using this catalyst is also provided. In this method, to a gas containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide and being richer in the hydrogen than the carbon monoxide on the basis of volume, oxygen is added in an amount necessary for oxidizing at least part of carbon monoxide present in that gas, and thereafter the gas to which the oxygen has been added is brought into contact with the catalyst described above. Also provided is a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell system that utilizes this method.

Abstract: An ink cartridge placed in an ink jet printer stores cartridge management data containing “ink capacity”, “ink total consumption amount”, and “cartridge identification information”. A host 1 stores host management data containing “ink total consumption amount” and cartridge identification information for each cartridge. The host collates the cartridge management data read by the printer 5 with the host management data stored in the host 1 and determines the precise “ink total consumption amount.” After print processing terminates, the printer calculates the amount of ink consumed in the print (ink consumption amount) and the host updates the “ink total consumption amount” based on the calculated ink consumption amount. The printer updates the “ink total consumption amount” recorded in the cartridge management data to the “ink total consumption amount” updated by the host.

Abstract: A valve unit in an ink supply channel of an ink-jet recording apparatus, the ink supply channel having an upstream side and a downstream side, the valve unit comprising a diaphragm valve having a thin elastic diaphragm operating in response to pressure difference between an upstream side and a downstream side of the diaphragm, a valve body formed on the surface of the thin elastic diaphragm and having an opening therein, and an elastic support portion integrally formed with the valve body for urging the valve body toward the upstream direction, a valve seat disposed in the ink supply channel upstream of the diaphragm and kept in elastic contact with the opening, and a flow-channel forming plate for forming a flow channel disposed on the downstream side of the valve seat, the flow channel, extending in a longitudinal direction of the elastic portion and the flow channel forming plate having an end portion side extending in an upstream direction to form a flow channel whose sectional area decreases in the longi

Abstract: A methanol-decomposing catalyst comprises catalytically active components containing copper and zinc, and a carrier composed of zirconia and/or titania and ceria for supporting the catalytically active components. The methanol-decomposing catalyst has excellent catalytic activity, thereby efficiently producing a hydrogen gas while suppressing side reactions.

Abstract: A catalyst for selective oxidation of carbon monoxide present in a hydrogen-containing gas is provided in which the catalyst comprises ruthenium supported on an alumina hydrate. This catalyst has a high selective oxidation activity to carbon monoxide. A carbon monoxide elimination method using this catalyst is also provided. In this method, to a gas containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide and being richer in the hydrogen than the carbon monoxide on the basis of volume, oxygen is added in an amount necessary for oxidizing at least part of carbon monoxide present in that gas, and thereafter the gas to which the oxygen has been added is brought into contact with the catalyst described above. Also provided is a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell system that utilizes this method.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printing apparatus having a printhead which ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium and an ink supply needle introducing ink to the printhead, the ink cartridge having a substantially rectangular housing containing ink therein, the housing having a first outer wall and a second outer wall which is substantially perpendicular to the first outer wall; an ink supply port formed in the first wall for directing ink in the housing to the printhead; a valve mechanism arranged in the ink supply port including a valve seat allowing the ink supply needle to pass therethrough; a valve body movable along the axis of the ink supply port; and an elastic member biasing the valve body against the valve seat, and a memory device for storing information relating to ink mounted on the second wall of the housing and substantially in parallel therewith, the memory device being formed in the vicinity of the ink supply port, which wall directing in parallel with a direction along which the ink su

Abstract: A pressurizing chamber 1 is formed as a recess by half etching of a silicon single-crystal substrate 2. A nozzle communicating hole 6 through which the pressurizing chamber 1 is connected to a nozzle opening 5 is formed as a through hole which is smaller in width than the pressurizing chamber 1. The pressurizing chamber 1 is connected to the nozzle opening 5 in the other face via the nozzle communicating hole 6 while reducing the volume of the pressurizing chamber 1 to a degree as small as possible. The silicon single-crystal substrate is used as a member constituting a spacer so that an ink drop of a reduced ink amount suitable for high density printing flies with high positioning accuracy.

Abstract: When a printer carries out maintenance by control by a maintenance control portion 52, an ink information obtaining portion 73 calculates the amount of the consumed ink. The calculated ink amount is stored in a storage element attached to an ink cartridge by a storage element managing portion 74. By doing this, the amount of ink not used in actual printing such as the amount of ink used for maintenance can be grasped by reading out the contents of the storage element later.

Abstract: A methanol-decomposing catalyst comprises catalytically active components containing copper and zinc, and a carrier composed of zirconia and/or titania and ceria for supporting the catalytically active components. The methanol-decomposing catalyst has excellent catalytic activity, thereby efficiently producing a hydrogen gas while suppressing side reactions.

Abstract: An exhaust system comprising a heat-resistant HC adsorbent comprising an MFI metallo-silicate including at least one of gallium (Ga) and indium (In) as a skeleton forming element, and a metal component ME including at least one of an alkali metal and an alkali earth metal in a content of ME≦0.05% by weight. Such an HC adsorbent has an excellent heat resistance.

Abstract: An ink cartridge which has an IC memory for holding information about the cartridge. At the time the ink cartridge is to be installed in a printing apparatus, its insertion is inhibited at a position before installation by a lock mechanism. In this state, the information in the IC memory is read out via a first electrode terminal located on the cartridge side and connected to the IC memory and the propriety of the installation of the ink cartridge to the apparatus is determined. When the ink cartridge is determined to be appropriate, the lock mechanism is unlocked and the ink cartridge can be installed into the printing apparatus. When the ink cartridge is installed in the printing apparatus, data is exchanged between the printing apparatus and the IC memory via a second electrode terminal connected to the IC memory.