Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus performs printing on a printing medium by feeding ink to an inkjet head having a plurality of nozzles and dispensing the ink from the inkjet head to the printing medium. The apparatus includes a tank, a supply pipe communicatively connecting the tank and the inkjet head, a pump for feeding the ink stored in the tank to the inkjet head, a filter disposed on a path of the supply pipe, and a controller for operates the pump and controlling feeding of the ink. The controller operates the pump to engage in forward drive in time of printing operation, and operates the pump to engage in backward drive in time of functional recovery operation.

Abstract: The technique provided enables, when first ink is precured and second ink is ejected thereon, ensuring sufficient adhesion of the second ink via a primer. A printer includes a transport mechanism, a primer ejection head, a second light irradiator, a white-ink ejection head, a color-ink ejection head, and a controller. The controller controls the amount of primer ejected to a unit region of a continuous base material by the primer ejection head, the amount of white ink ejected thereto by the white-ink ejection head, and the amount of color ink ejected thereto by the color-ink ejection head. The controller determines a first primer amount based on the amount of white ink and determines a second primer amount based on the amount of color ink. The controller then determines an ultimate primer amount based on the sum of the first primer amount and the second primer amount.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes: a base material transport mechanism for transporting a base material along a transport path in a transport direction; an ink ejection head having a lower surface opposed to the transport path, and an ink ejection port for ejecting ink toward the transport path; and a base plate having a lower surface opposed to the transport path over the transport path, and a mounting hole open in the lower surface, the ink ejection head being mounted in the mounting hole. The base plate includes an air flow hole that is a though hole penetrating through the base plate. The air flow hole has an air outlet open in a location downstream of the ink ejection port in the lower surface. Air passing through the air flow hole is ejected from the air outlet toward the transport path.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus performs printing on a printing medium by feeding ink to an inkjet head having a plurality of nozzles and dispensing the ink from the inkjet head to the printing medium. The apparatus includes a tank, a supply pipe communicatively connecting the tank and the inkjet head, a pump for feeding the ink stored in the tank to the inkjet head, a filter disposed on a path of the supply pipe, and a controller for operates the pump and controlling feeding of the ink. The controller operates the pump to engage in forward drive in time of printing operation, and operates the pump to engage in backward drive in time of functional recovery operation.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes: a base material transport mechanism for transporting a base material along a transport path in a transport direction; an ink ejection head having a lower surface opposed to the transport path, and an ink ejection port for ejecting ink toward the transport path; and a base plate having a lower surface opposed to the transport path over the transport path, and a mounting hole open in the lower surface, the ink ejection head being mounted in the mounting hole. The base plate includes an air flow hole that is a though hole penetrating through the base plate. The air flow hole has an air outlet open in a location downstream of the ink ejection port in the lower surface. Air passing through the air flow hole is ejected from the air outlet toward the transport path.

Abstract: This image recording apparatus includes a viscosity increasing light irradiator that increases the viscosity of ink ejected onto a recording medium, and a fixing light irradiator that fixes the ink on the recording medium. The fixing light irradiator is disposed behind a first switching part that causes the transport orientation of the recording medium to approach the vertical. This reduces the footprint of the image recording apparatus. Also a second type of irradiation light emitted from the fixing light irradiator is intercepted by the recording medium. This suppresses the unwanted curing of the ink in an image recorder. Also the viscosity increasing light irradiator is disposed at a location upstream from the first switching part in a transport direction. This suppresses the decrease in printing quality resulting from the passage of the ink remaining uncured through the first switching part.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer where any two ink ejection parts provided upstream and downstream in a conveyance direction of a base member are referred to as first and second ink ejection parts, the first ink ejection part ejects a first ink, a droplet of which when deposited on the base member has a surface tension decreasing with time. The second ink ejection part ejects a second ink, a droplet of which when deposited on the base member has a surface tension that is substantially equal to a surface tension of the droplet of the first ink deposited on a position adjacent to the droplet of the second ink. The printer can therefore make substantially equal the surface tensions of droplets of the first and second inks, deposited on adjacent positions, thus reducing bleeding in a boundary between areas of the inks or variation in the position of the boundary.

Abstract: A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a liquid filling chamber filled with a liquid, and a plurality of pressure chambers in communication with the liquid filling chamber and filled with the liquid. Each of the pressure chambers includes a communication port in communication with the liquid filling chamber, a pressure generating element for exerting pressure on the liquid which fills the interior of each pressure chamber, and a nozzle for ejecting the liquid in each pressure chamber therefrom in the form of droplets. A recovery controller brings the pressure generating element corresponding to the communication port included in a partial region of the liquid filling chamber into operation to cause the corresponding nozzle to eject the droplets.

Abstract: A inkjet printer calculates a print percentage indicative of a load on a pressurizing mechanism for each block, based on print data, and then factors in the print percentage for each block to determine the upper limit of a transport speed so that the upper limit becomes slower as the print percentage increases and becomes slower as a printing distance in a transport direction corresponding to the print data increases. This provides the upper limit of the transport speed in consideration for not only a spontaneous temperature increase in each block but also a temperature increase due to the influence of its surrounding blocks. This allows the blocks in a head to operate at temperatures within a permissible range.

Abstract: A sub-tank is pressurized by a pump, with head valves closed. Then, one of the head valves is opened to perform a first purge on a first head. After the one head valve is closed, a different one of the head valves is opened to perform a second purge on a second head different from the first head. After these purges, an open-to-atmosphere valve is opened, with the head valves closed, to decrease the pressures inside the heads which are increased by the purges. This allows a selective purge on only a head which requires a purge. As a result, the amount of ink forced out is suppressed during the pressurized purges. After the sub-tank is made open to the atmosphere, a depressurizing pump depressurizes the sub-tank to form ink menisci in the heads. This prevents air bubbles from being drawn into nozzles during the formation of the ink menisci in the nozzles after the purges.

Abstract: This image recording apparatus includes a viscosity increasing light irradiator that increases the viscosity of ink ejected onto a recording medium, and a fixing light irradiator that fixes the ink on the recording medium. The fixing light irradiator is disposed behind a first switching part that causes the transport orientation of the recording medium to approach the vertical. This reduces the footprint of the image recording apparatus. Also a second type of irradiation light emitted from the fixing light irradiator is intercepted by the recording medium. This suppresses the unwanted curing of the ink in an image recorder. Also the viscosity increasing light irradiator is disposed at a location upstream from the first switching part in a transport direction. This suppresses the decrease in printing quality resulting from the passage of the ink remaining uncured through the first switching part.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer, a cap part for receiving ink from a head unit during maintenance includes a liquid receiving part and an exhaust part disposed laterally to the liquid receiving part. In the liquid receiving part, a second liquid receiving chamber is disposed further from the exhaust part than is a first liquid receiving part. A second flow path is disposed below the first liquid receiving chamber without passing through the first liquid receiving chamber. In the exhaust part, a first fan part is connected to the first liquid receiving chamber, and a second fan part is connected to the second liquid receiving chamber through the second flow path. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately exhaust a gas contained within the second liquid receiving chamber, independently of the first liquid receiving chamber. Consequently, a mist in the liquid receiving part can be discharged efficiently.

Abstract: A sub-tank is pressurized by a pump, with head valves closed. Then, one of the head valves is opened to perform a first purge on a first head. After the one head valve is closed, a different one of the head valves is opened to perform a second purge on a second head different from the first head. After these purges, an open-to-atmosphere valve is opened, with the head valves closed, to decrease the pressures inside the heads which are increased by the purges. This allows a selective purge on only a head which requires a purge. As a result, the amount of ink forced out is suppressed during the pressurized purges. After the sub-tank is made open to the atmosphere, a depressurizing pump depressurizes the sub-tank to form ink menisci in the heads. This prevents air bubbles from being drawn into nozzles during the formation of the ink menisci in the nozzles after the purges.

Abstract: A inkjet printer calculates a print percentage indicative of a load on a pressurizing mechanism for each block, based on print data, and then factors in the print percentage for each block to determine the upper limit of a transport speed so that the upper limit becomes slower as the print percentage increases and becomes slower as a printing distance in a transport direction corresponding to the print data increases. This provides the upper limit of the transport speed in consideration for not only a spontaneous temperature increase in each block but also a temperature increase due to the influence of its surrounding blocks. This allows the blocks in a head to operate at temperatures within a permissible range.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a cleaning unit to be brought into contact with a head lower surface of an ejection head, and a unit movement mechanism for moving the cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a base part, a cleaning liquid ejecting part protruding above the base part, and a pair of positioning parts. The positioning parts are brought into contact with a block lower surface of a head fixation block on opposite sides of the cleaning liquid ejecting part to keep an under-head gap for holding the cleaning liquid between the cleaning liquid ejecting part and the head lower surface. Since the positioning parts are spaced from the cleaning liquid ejecting part, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid that has spread from the under-head gap to the surrounding area from adhering to the block lower surface via the positioning parts.

Abstract: A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a liquid filling chamber filled with a liquid, and a plurality of pressure chambers in communication with the liquid filling chamber and filled with the liquid. Each of the pressure chambers includes a communication port in communication with the liquid filling chamber, a pressure generating element for exerting pressure on the liquid which fills the interior of each pressure chamber, and a nozzle for ejecting the liquid in each pressure chamber therefrom in the form of droplets. A recovery controller brings the pressure generating element corresponding to the communication port included in a partial region of the liquid filling chamber into operation to cause the corresponding nozzle to eject the droplets.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer where any two ink ejection parts provided upstream and downstream in a conveyance direction of a base member are referred to as first and second ink ejection parts, the first ink ejection part ejects a first ink, a droplet of which when deposited on the base member has a surface tension decreasing with time. The second ink ejection part ejects a second ink, a droplet of which when deposited on the base member has a surface tension that is substantially equal to a surface tension of the droplet of the first ink deposited on a position adjacent to the droplet of the second ink. The printer can therefore make substantially equal the surface tensions of droplets of the first and second inks, deposited on adjacent positions, thus reducing bleeding in a boundary between areas of the inks or variation in the position of the boundary.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer, a first sparsely arranged portion of a first ejection head entirely overlaps in a movement direction with a second densely arranged portion of a second ejection head. A plurality of outlets of the first sparsely arranged portion include use outlets, and among a plurality of outlets of the second densely arranged portion, those that overlap in the movement direction with use outlets of the first sparsely arranged portion are non-use outlets. In an overlapping range of the first ejection head and the second ejection head, outlets of both of the ejection heads are used in recording an image onto a base material. Consequently, it is possible to prevent or suppress a reduction in print quality such as changes in density or the occurrence of voids due to displacement of the mounting positions of ejection heads in the overlapping range.

Abstract: In an inkjet printer, a cap part for receiving ink from a head unit during maintenance includes a liquid receiving part and an exhaust part disposed laterally to the liquid receiving part. In the liquid receiving part, a second liquid receiving chamber is disposed further from the exhaust part than is a first liquid receiving part. A second flow path is disposed below the first liquid receiving chamber without passing through the first liquid receiving chamber. In the exhaust part, a first fan part is connected to the first liquid receiving chamber, and a second fan part is connected to the second liquid receiving chamber through the second flow path. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately exhaust a gas contained within the second liquid receiving chamber, independently of the first liquid receiving chamber. Consequently, a mist in the liquid receiving part can be discharged efficiently.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a cleaning unit to be brought into contact with a head lower surface of an ejection head, and a unit movement mechanism for moving the cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a base part, a cleaning liquid ejecting part protruding above the base part, and a pair of positioning parts. The positioning parts are brought into contact with a block lower surface of a head fixation block on opposite sides of the cleaning liquid ejecting part to keep an under-head gap for holding the cleaning liquid between the cleaning liquid ejecting part and the head lower surface. Since the positioning parts are spaced from the cleaning liquid ejecting part, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid that has spread from the under-head gap to the surrounding area from adhering to the block lower surface via the positioning parts.