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: An ink cartridge includes ink passages (5) which are spaced from a bottom part (2a) of a container by a fixed distance and extend parallel to the bottom part (2a) while being disposed within an area of the bottom part (2a), ink supply ports (7) having an opening surface at the ends of the ink passages (5), which the opening surface may be connected to ink guide members (38) communicating with an ink jet recording head (37) and directed perpendicular to the bottom part (2a). In the ink cartridge, the bottom part (2a) of the container is guided by a protrusion (39) of the carriage (33).

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: An ink-jet recording apparatus having an ink-jet recording head including pressure generating chambers communicatively connected to a nozzle opening and a reservoir, pressure generating member for pressurizing the pressure generating chambers, and a control device for applying drive signals to the pressure generating member. The control device applies drive signals to the pressure generating member. The drive signals contain signals corresponding to print data and signals which minutely vibrate the meniscus of ink in the nozzle openings to such an extent as to not eject ink droplets during a nonprint period. The control device causes ejection of ink droplets from the nozzle openings in accordance with print data during printing operations, and minutely vibrates the meniscuses of ink formed at the nozzle openings a preset period of time before or after the discharging of the ink droplets in a printing operation.

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 comprises 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 comprising 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: An inkjet recording apparatus is provided, which comprises a sub-tank unit mounted on a carriage for supplying ink to an ink jet record head and an ink replenishment unit connected to a main tank installed on a housing by a duct and being able to be connected to and disconnected from the sub-tank unit. The sub-tank unit comprises an ink injection port and an exhaust port that are communicated with an ink storage chamber via self-seal type valve means, and a valve mechanism for opening and closing the exhaust port based on a liquid level of ink, wherein ink is supplied to the ink storage chamber by negative pressure from negative pressure generation means for sucking air through the exhaust port. Also provided is an ink droplet ejection capability recovery method for a recording head of an ink jet recording apparatus for determining an amount of ink remaining in the sub-tank unit, replenishing the sub-tank unit with ink from the main tank, and performing a recovery operation.

Abstract: An ink cartridge (1, 2) is provided with a rewritable storage system (32, 42). The storage system stores therein data concerning the operation history of a cleaning system in a rewritable mode. The cleaning operation that has been performed during the actual use of the printing apparatus can be recognized precisely based on the data concerning the operation history.

Abstract: A maintenance cartridge has a main body (2) mountable in a recording apparatus, similarly as an ink cartridge, and a plug element (4), which is provided in a region corresponding to an ink supply port of the ink cartridge, for sealing an ink supply needle (B) that supplies ink to an ink jet recording head (A).

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus having an ink-jet recording head including pressure generating chambers communicatively connected to a nozzle opening and a reservoir, pressure generating means for pressurizing the pressure generating chambers, and control means for applying drive signals corresponding to print data to the recording head and for minutely vibrating meniscuses of ink in the nozzle openings to such an extent as to not eject ink droplets during a nonprint period. The control means ejects ink droplets from the nozzle openings in accordance with print data during printing operations, and minutely vibrates meniscuses of ink formed at the nozzle openings a preset period of time before or after the discharging of the ink droplets in a printing operation.

Abstract: When ink cartridge (1), (2) is detached and attached, kinds of mounted ink cartridge (1), (2) is judged according to ID data and data relating to ink amount in memory means (32, 42). A small amount of ink in case of brand-new ink cartridge or a relatively large amount of ink in case of remounting due to user's handling miss is sucked, so that print quality can be secured while the amount of ink consumed by the ink filling operation performed when the ink cartridge (1), (2) is mounted is being suppressed to a minimum.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a timer (26) that outputs a signal upon measurement of a predetermined time that is longer than a predetermined cycle during a period for which recording heads (8, 9) are released from a cap member (uncapped period) after a print command has been outputted; and a flushing control means (27) that control to move the recording heads (8, 9) to an ink receiving means so that the recording heads jet ink droplets, in response to the signal from the timer (26), and to reset the timer (26). If the predetermined time set to the timer (26) is up during uncapped period, the flushing control means (27) flushes a maximum number of ink droplets, and upon end of a single round of printing, the flushing control means (27) flushes a number of ink droplets corresponding to a time measured by the timer (26).