Abstract: An ink-jet printer including recording heads; a carriage carrying the recording heads; ink flow passages which supply ink from ink tanks to the recording heads; air collecting chambers which are provided on the carriage and each of which collects air bubbles produced in a corresponding one of the ink flow passages; discharging passages which are provided on the carriage and each of which communicates with a corresponding one of the air collecting chambers; opening and closing valves each of which is normally closed and is provided in a corresponding one of the discharging passages such that the opening and closing valves are arranged in a first direction; opening and closing bars which arranged in a second direction parallel to the first direction, and each of which opens and closes a corresponding one of the opening and closing valves; an air-tight-space defining device including an air-discharge cap which has a bottom wall, a side wall projecting upward from a periphery of the bottom wall, and a suction hol

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a recording head which has a first nozzle, and a second nozzle having a hole diameter larger than a hole diameter of the first nozzle, an ink cartridge which supplies an ink to the first nozzle, a reusable-ink tank device which stores for reusing a waste ink discharged from the first nozzle for a recovery of the ink from the first nozzle, and a supply passage which supplies the waste ink from the reusable-ink tank device to the second nozzle. Accordingly, it is possible to perform the printing effectively, without allowing the reusable ink blocked in the nozzle.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus including an ink jet head including an ink ejecting portion and an ejection-energy generating portion operable to eject ink droplets from the ink ejecting portion, a purging device operable to discharge the ink from the ink ejecting portion, without an operation of the ejection-energy generating portion, for thereby performing a purging operation to improve an ink ejecting state of the ink jet head, and a controller operable to control the purging device for performing the purging operation, and to control the ejection-energy generating portion for performing a flushing operation to discharge the ink from the ink ejecting portion to improve the ink ejecting state. The controller includes a flushing control portion operable to control the ejection-energy generating portion such that ink ejecting actions in the flushing operation are performed in a plurality of intermittent cycles, with a non-ejection pause being inserted between two successive ones of the intermittent cycles.

Abstract: An ink-jet head includes a plurality of pressure chambers arranged in a paper feeding direction, and two manifold channels extended along the paper feeding direction. The manifold channel includes a first area which communicates with the pressure chambers, and a second area which is connected to an end of the first area, on a side opposite to an ink inflow port, and communicates with a plurality of dummy nozzles. A width of the second area is more than a width of the first area, and an acoustic capacitance of the second area, per unit length in the paper feeding direction is higher than an acoustic capacitance of the first area, per unit length in the paper feeding direction. Accordingly, it is possible to attenuate efficiently a pressure wave in the manifold channel.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: an ink jet head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging inks; a cap body having an inner space and adapted to cover open surfaces of the nozzles such that the inner space forms a sealed space; a sucking device which is connected to the inner space of the cap body and sucks the ink from the nozzles; a cap body driver which switches a position of the cap body between a first position where the cap body is in contact with the open surfaces of the nozzles and a second position where the cap body is separated from the open surfaces of the nozzles; and a controller which controls a timing when the cap body driver switches the position of the cap body from the first position to the second position, on the basis of an ink amount to be sucked from the nozzles.

Abstract: A packaging structure of an inkjet head for transporting thereof with a liquid stored therein, the inkjet head including an ink inlet of ink supplied from an ink source and a nozzle communicated with the ink inlet for discharging the ink to a recording medium, comprises a first packaging member including a cap for covering an opening of said nozzle, the first packaging member being detachably attached to the opening of said nozzle, and a second packaging member including an ink absorbing material for covering said ink inlet, the second packaging member being detachably attached to said ink inlet.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: an ink-jet head having a plurality of nozzles which are open in a surface thereof so as to provide a nozzle opening surface and through which ink is ejected; and a cap which is operable to cover the nozzle opening surface of the ink-jet head so as to surround the plurality of nozzles and which includes (a) a peripheral portion that comes into close contact with the nozzle opening surface at an end thereof when the cap covers the nozzle opening surface and (b) an outlet formed at a part of the peripheral portion, the part being located at a lower position when the image recording apparatus is kept in a posture for transportation thereof.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: an ink-jet head having a plurality of nozzles which are open in a surface thereof so as to provide a nozzle opening surface and through which ink is ejected, the plurality of nozzles being divided into a plurality of nozzle groups: and a plurality of caps which are provided in correspondence with the plurality of nozzle groups, each of which is formed of an elastic material, each of which has a peripheral portion that comes into close contact with the nozzle opening surface at an end thereof, and which are capable of covering the nozzle opening surface such that the peripheral portion of each of the plurality of caps surrounds nozzles which constitute a part of the plurality of nozzles and which belong to a corresponding one of the plurality of nozzle groups, wherein a first cap among the plurality of the caps has a hardness higher than that of a second cap which is different from the first cap.

Abstract: An apparatus for maintaining a recording head which has a nozzle opening in a nozzle-defining surface thereof, and ejects, from the nozzle, a droplet of an ink toward a recording medium, in a state in which the recording head is separate from a remaining portion of a recording device, the apparatus including a cover member which is adapted to air-tightly contact the recording head to cover the nozzle-defining surface of the recording head such that a space is formed between the cover member and the nozzle-defining surface; and a selectively communicating device (50c, 80; 53, 53c, 94; 53c, 96; 50c, 62; 50c, 52; 50c, 71) which can selectively take (a) a first state thereof in which the selectively communicating device allows the space to communicate with an atmosphere so that substantially no difference is produced between an air pressure in the space and an atmospheric pressure, when the cover member is air-tightly contacted with the recording head, and (b) a second state thereof in which the selectively commu

Abstract: An information processing apparatus searches for documents with access rights created for them. A file information obtaining section obtains predetermined information from a file. A right information obtaining section obtains right information indicating a user who can access a file. An index storing section stores an index in which information obtained by the file information obtaining section is associated with right information obtained by the right information obtaining section. A keyword inputting section accepts keyword input for searching for a file. A user specifying section specifies a user who inputted a keyword. A search query generating section generates a search query from a keyword input from the keyword inputting section and information indicating a user specified by the user specifying section. A searching section searches the index storing section for an index corresponding to a search query generated by the search query generating section.

Abstract: When multi-dimensional data for specifying search conditions is input, a plurality of combinations of the search conditions are automatically generated from the multi-dimensional data. Then, a plurality of search results for the plurality of combinations are obtained, and output as multi-dimensional data.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes a container in which ink is accommodated, an ink supply hole which is formed in the container so as to be open in an outer surface of the container, a plurality of atmosphere communication holes which are formed in the container so as to be open in the outer surface of the container, and a strip member which is removably stuck to the outer surface of the container to seal the ink supply hole and the plurality of atmosphere communication holes. The ink supply hole is sealed by a longitudinally intermediate portion of the strip member, and at least one of the plurality of atmosphere communication holes is sealed by a portion of the strip member which extends from the longitudinally intermediate portion toward one of longitudinally opposite ends thereof while at least one of the plurality of atmosphere communication holes is sealed by a portion of the strip member which extends from the longitudinally intermediate portion toward the other of the longitudinally opposite ends.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus including an ink jet head including an ink ejecting portion and an ejection-energy generating portion operable to eject ink droplets from the ink ejecting portion, a purging device operable to discharge the ink from the ink ejecting portion, without an operation of the ejection-energy generating portion, for thereby performing a purging operation to improve an ink ejecting state of the ink jet head, and a controller operable to control the purging device for performing the purging operation, and to control the ejection-energy generating portion for performing a flushing operation to discharge the ink from the ink ejecting portion to improve the ink ejecting state. The controller includes a flushing control portion operable to control the ejection-energy generating portion such that ink ejecting actions in the flushing operation are performed in a plurality of intermittent cycles, with a non-ejection pause being inserted between two successive ones of the intermittent cycles.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus changes ink suction forces of a purge device according to amounts of ink remaining in an ink cartridge. As it is determined that the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge is less than a predetermined amount for a purge operation, second pulse signals which output the smaller number of pulses than first pulse signals, are output to a line feed motor. Accordingly, high viscous ink is sucked from nozzles by a suction pump with a weaker suction force than that when the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount. Therefore, even when the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge is less than the predetermined amount, that is, when a considerable amount of air is contained in the ink cartridge, the purge operation can be performed without the air being pulled into the ink jet print head by the suction force of the suction pump. Consequently, ink can be stably ejected for subsequent print operation.

Abstract: A wiping mechanism removing foreign substances adhered to a nozzle surface without deteriorating durability of an ink-repellent coating applied on the nozzle surface. A wiper has first and second wiping members that are integrated into one piece. During normal wiping operation, the nozzle surface is wiped to remove the foreign substances therefrom, using the first wiping member, with a wiping force that is weaker than that required during a powerful wiping operation. Therefore, the normal wiping operation has little effect on the ink-repellent coating on the nozzle surface, thereby increasing the durability of the ink-repellant coating. During the powerful wiping operation, the nozzle surface is wiped, with a force stronger than that during the normal wiping operation, using the second wiping member, so that stubborn foreign substances, such as ink solidifying on the nozzle surface 24a, can be surely removed therefrom.

Abstract: The invention includes a suction cap that does not retain ink therein. The suction cap includes a cap member having a recess and a suction opening formed therein and a capillary force generating member disposed in the recess. When a recovery operation is performed for ink ejection using the suction cap, ink sucked from a nozzle flows downwardly from a tilt surface of the recess due to gravity and a suction force applied through the suction opening. The ink impinges a side face of a projection of the capillary force generating member, flowing into defined narrow spaces, due to the action of capillary force of the ink, and flowing toward the suction opening. The ink in the defined narrow spaces is discharged by the suction force applied through the suction opening to outside the suction cap.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus changes ink suction forces of a purge device according to amounts of ink remaining in an ink cartridge. As it is determined that the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge is less than a predetermined amount for a purge operation, second pulse signals which output the smaller number of pulses than first pulse signals, are output to a line feed motor. Accordingly, high viscous ink is sucked from nozzles by a suction pump with a weaker suction force than that when the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount. Therefore, even when the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge is less than the predetermined amount, that is, when a considerable amount of air is contained in the ink cartridge, the purge operation can be performed without the air being pulled into the ink jet print head by the suction force of the suction pump. Consequently, ink can be stably ejected for subsequent print operation.

Abstract: A data display apparatus and method for displaying the result of a data mining process as multi-dimensional data. In one embodiment, the multi-dimensional data is displayed on a parallel coordinate axis. An engine unit executes the data mining process on displayed multi-dimensional data according to an instruction from a visual data mining tool and transfers the result to the visual data mining tool. The user interface unit of the visual data mining tool generates an axis corresponding to the result of the data mining process, adds the axis to the parallel coordinate axis and displays the result of the data mining process on the added axis.

Abstract: A wiping mechanism removing foreign substances adhered to a nozzle surface without deteriorating durability of an ink-repellent coating applied on the nozzle surface. A wiper has first and second wiping members that are integrated into one piece. During normal wiping operation, the nozzle surface is wiped to remove the foreign substances therefrom, using the first wiping member, with a wiping force that is weaker than that required during a powerful wiping operation. Therefore, the normal wiping operation has little effect on the ink-repellent coating on the nozzle surface, thereby increasing the durability of the ink-repellant coating. During the powerful wiping operation, the nozzle surface is wiped, with a force stronger than that during the normal wiping operation, using the second wiping member, so that stubborn foreign substances, such as ink solidifying on the nozzle surface 24a, can be surely removed therefrom.

Abstract: In a parallel processor, a local area and an overlap area are assigned to the memory of each processing element (PE), and each PE makes calculations to update the data in both areas at the runtime. If the data in the overlap area is updated in processes closed in the PEs, the data transfer between adjacent PEs can be reduced and the parallel processes can be performed at a high speed.