Abstract: A droplet ejecting device includes: a first nozzle group consisting of N pieces of first nozzles aligned in a first direction; a second nozzle group consisting of N pieces of second nozzles aligned in the first direction and at the same positions in the first direction as the first nozzles; and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether an ejection quantity per unit time is not smaller than a first threshold. When the ejection quantity is equal to or greater than the first threshold, a first combination of N pieces of nozzles from among the N pieces of first nozzles and the N pieces of second nozzles is selected. When the ejection quantity is smaller than the first threshold, a second combination of N pieces of nozzles from among the N pieces of first nozzles and the N pieces of second nozzles is selected.

Abstract: A droplet ejecting device includes: a first nozzle group consisting of N pieces of first nozzles aligned in a first direction; a second nozzle group consisting of N pieces of second nozzles aligned in the first direction and at the same positions in the first direction as the first nozzles; and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether an ejection quantity per unit time is not smaller than a first threshold. When the ejection quantity is equal to or greater than the first threshold, a first combination of N pieces of nozzles from among the N pieces of first nozzles and the N pieces of second nozzles is selected. When the ejection quantity is smaller than the first threshold, a second combination of N pieces of nozzles from among the N pieces of first nozzles and the N pieces of second nozzles is selected.

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 liquid-droplet ejecting apparatus, including: a plurality of liquid-droplet ejecting heads; a plurality of liquid storage chambers respectively communicating with the liquid-droplet ejecting heads and respectively storing liquids to be respectively supplied to the liquid-droplet ejecting heads; a plurality of liquid tanks respectively accommodating the liquids to be respectively supplied to the liquid storage chambers, the liquid tanks and the liquid storage chambers being configured to be connected to each other only when the liquids in the liquid tanks are respectively supplied to the liquid storage chambers; a common gas chamber communicating commonly with the liquid storage chambers via respective gas-permeable membranes; and a pressure control device configured to control a pressure in the common gas chamber such that, when the pressure becomes not higher than a threshold that is lower than an atmospheric pressure, the pressure becomes higher than the threshold.

Abstract: A liquid ejector includes a liquid ejection head, a discharge path, a cap, a pump, a first tank, a second tank, a first valve, and a second valve. The liquid ejection head ejects liquid through a nozzle. The cap covers the nozzle. The pump sucks the liquid from the liquid ejection head through the cap and the nozzle and conveys the liquid to a downstream end of the discharge path. The first tank communicates with the outside air, and temporarily stores the liquid in the discharge path. The second tank is detachably attached to the liquid ejector and is connected to the downstream end of the discharge path. The first valve switches the state of the first tank between open to and cut off from the outside air. The second valve switches the state of the first tank between connection to and cut off from the second tank.

Abstract: A liquid-drop ejecting apparatus comprises: a liquid-drop ejection head, a first tank, a second tank and a negative pressure generation unit. The first tank includes: a liquid storage chamber for storing therein a liquid to be supplied to the liquid-drop ejection head; a gas chamber formed therein; a communication hole connecting the liquid storage chamber and the gas chamber; a gas-permeable membrane which covers the communication hole, and by which the liquid storage chamber and the gas chamber is divided; and a suppression member provided in the gas chamber and configured to contact with the gas-permeable membrane which is deformed to project toward an inside of the gas chamber, so as to suppress the deformation of the gas-permeable membrane. The second tank for storing therein a liquid to be supplied to the liquid storage chamber. The negative pressure generation unit configured to generate a negative pressure in the gas chamber.

Abstract: A liquid-drop ejecting apparatus comprises: a liquid-drop ejection head; a first tank; a second tank; and a negative pressure generation unit. The first tank includes: a liquid storage chamber for storing therein a liquid to be supplied to the liquid-drop ejection head; a gas chamber formed above the liquid storage chamber in a first direction; a communication hole connecting the liquid storage chamber and the gas chamber; a gas-permeable membrane affixed to an inner surface of the gas chamber so as to cover the communication hole; and a first groove formed on the inner surface of the gas chamber so as to surround an area where the gas-permeable membrane is affixed. The second tank is for storing therein a liquid to be supplied to the liquid storage chamber in the first tank. The negative pressure generation unit which is configured to generate a negative pressure in the gas chamber.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a recording head configured to eject ink onto a recording medium, an ink tank configured to store the ink to be supplied to the recording head, the ink tank having an expandable and contractible bellows portion, and at least one deformation-preventing member configured to contact an outer surface of the bellows portion and configured to prevent the ink tank from deforming in a direction intersecting with an expanding and contracting direction in which the ink tank expands and contracts.

Abstract: A liquid-droplet ejecting apparatus including: (a) a liquid ejecting head; (b) a liquid supply passage; (c) a suction passage; (d) a sucking device sucking a gas in the liquid supply passage via the suction passage; (e) a gas-permeable film; (f) an opening-and-closing device; (g) a pressure detecting device detecting an internal pressure of the suction passage; (h) a sucking-device control device controlling the sucking device; the sucking-device control device having the sucking device suck the gas in the liquid supply passage when the pressure detecting device detects that the internal pressure is equal to or above a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A liquid-droplet ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head having an ejection opening, a liquid supply passage, a first suction passage normally held in communication with the liquid supply passage, a sucking device sucking a gas in the liquid supply passage via the first suction passage, a gas-permeable film, a gas tank which is disposed in a portion of the first suction passage between the sucking device and the liquid supply passage, and a check valve which is disposed in a portion of the first suction passage between the sucking device and the gas tank, and allows the gas to flow in a first direction from the liquid supply passage to the sucking device, but does not allow the gas to flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus comprises a liquid cartridge including a first unit having a liquid storing chamber and a liquid outlet, a second unit movable relative to the first unit between a close position where the second unit is close to the first unit and a distant position where the second unit is distant from the first unit; and a biasing member which applies a force to cause the second unit in the close position to move toward the distant position. The locking device is configured to lock the second unit in the close position in a state where the liquid cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion. When the second unit moves from the close position to the distant position under the force applied from the biasing member, in an unlocking state, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are maintained to be coupled to each other.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer of a station-supply type, when ink is supplied from a main tank of an ink cartridge to a sub tank storing ink to be supplied to a recording head, the ink cartridge and the sub tank are connected to each other. The inkjet printer includes: a piston pump including (a) a cylinder which communicates with the main tank and (b) a piston which is slidable in the cylinder in a lengthwise direction thereof and cooperates with the cylinder to form a pressure chamber; a power transmission device which transmits a power to the piston in a state in which the ink cartridge is attached to a frame of the inkjet printer; and a piston-position initializing device which moves the piston to a predetermined initial position.

Abstract: A printer comprises a first head which has first nozzles, a second head which has second nozzles each having a nozzle diameter larger than that of the first nozzle, and an ink cartridge which stores an ink to be supplied to the first and second heads. The first head is directly connected to the ink cartridge by means of a tube. The second head is connected to the first head by means of a tube, and thus the second head is connected to the ink cartridge via the first head. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the tubes by connecting the ink cartridge and the two heads in series. Further, it is possible to decrease the frequency of the recovery operation by arranging, on the downstream side in the liquid supply direction, the head in which the jetting failure is hardly caused.

Abstract: A recovery apparatus including an absorber, a holder member and a waste liquid foam is provided. The absorber abuts at least one nozzle for discharging ink and absorbs the ink from the nozzle by a capillary force. The holder member includes an open recessed portion and a communication port communicating an inside of the recessed portion with an outside of the recessed portion. The recessed portion houses the absorber. The waste liquid foam is disposed outside the holder member and contacts the absorber through the communication port of the holder member. The waste liquid foam has a capillary force greater than the capillary force of the absorber.

Abstract: A liquid cartridge which is used and is in the empty state is attached to the second cartridge attaching unit. When the attachment detector has detected that the liquid cartridge is attached to the second cartridge attaching unit and the second empty detector has detected that the liquid cartridge is in an empty state, the control unit controls the pump in such a way that a predetermined conveyance amount of the liquid is conveyed to the liquid cartridge attached to the second cartridge attaching unit after the liquid is conveyed from the discharge path to the liquid cartridge until the second empty detector detects that the liquid cartridge is no longer in the empty state.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer including: (a) a medium feeder operable to feed a recording medium in a medium-feed direction along a medium-feed path; (b) a recording head having (b-1) a nozzle opening surface which extends in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the medium-feed direction and (b-2) a plurality of nozzles which open in the nozzle opening surface and which are arranged in the widthwise direction, the recording head being operable to eject ink toward the recording medium through the nozzles and being pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the widthwise direction; and (c) at least one waste ink receiver configured to receive the ink ejected through the nozzles, the waste ink receiver being positioned relative to the recording head and the medium-feed path such that the at least one waste ink receiver and the recording head are both located on one of opposite sides of the medium-feed path and such that the waste ink receiver is positioned outside a locus that is described by the nozzle opening surface dur

Abstract: A printer includes a first head in which first nozzles are formed, a second head in which second nozzles located at a higher position than the first nozzle are formed, and an ink cartridge positioned at a lower position than the first and second nozzles. Moreover, the first head is connected to the ink cartridge via a tube, and the second head is connected to the first head via a tube. Accordingly, the second head is connected to the ink cartridge via the first head. It is possible to shorten the tubes by connecting serially the ink cartridge and the two heads, and to prevent from breaking simultaneously a meniscus in the nozzles of both the heads located at different height positions.

Abstract: A printer comprises a fixed line type first head, a serial type second head, an ink cartridge which stores an ink to be supplied to the first and second heads, a first cap which is to be installed to the first head, and a second cap which is to be installed to the second head. The ink cartridge and the first and second heads are connected in series in this order by using tubes. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the lengths of the tubes. The serial type head, in which the drying is hardly caused from a nozzle and the influence is exerted to a small extent on the jetting performance when any viscosity-increased liquid and/or bubbles is/are supplied, is arranged on the downstream side. Accordingly, it is possible to decrease the frequency of the recovery operation.

Abstract: A liquid cartridge mountable on a liquid droplet ejection device, includes a liquid chamber configured to store a liquid therein, and a pump unit configured to generate a pressure for the liquid stored in the liquid chamber to be supplied to the liquid droplet ejection device. The pump unit includes a cylinder; a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder and configured to define a pressure chamber with the cylinder; a force transfer member coupled to the piston and including an engagement portion and a support portion; and a support member configured to contact the support portion to support the force transfer member to be movable. The engagement portion is configured to engage a drive member of the liquid droplet ejection device and to receive a drive force from the drive member to displace the piston.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes an image forming unit. The image forming unit includes a main tank configured to receive ink via a supply port and to store the ink therein, a subtank configured to receive the ink from the main tank and to store the ink therein, and a recording head configured receive the ink from the subtank and to dispense the ink onto a recording medium to form an image thereon. The printer also includes an image reading unit positioned above the image forming unit. The image reading unit is configured selectively move between a first position in which the image reading unit covers the supply port, and a second position in which the image reading unit is separated from the supply port.