Abstract: The ink supply device for an inkjet printer which supplies ink to an inkjet head via an ink supply channel from an ink tank storing ink, the ink supply device comprises: a printing duty pre-reading device which previously reads a printing duty from print data; and a flow rate adjustment device which is provided on an upstream side of a pressure loss region in the ink supply channel and controls a flow rate of ink passing through the pressure loss region in the ink supply channel to a prescribed flow rate, in accordance with the printing duty obtained by the printing duty pre-reading device.

Abstract: An image forming method includes: moisture-controlling one surface of an inkjet recording medium having an air permeability of 300 seconds or more; feeding the moisture-controlled inkjet recording medium onto a conveyance path in a state where the moisture-controlled inkjet recording medium is curled such that a surface of the moisture-controlled inkjet recording medium that is curved inwards faces the conveyance path for conveying the inkjet recording medium; conveying the fed inkjet recording medium while adhering the inkjet recording medium by suction onto the conveyance path; and forming an image by applying ink by an inkjet method on the inkjet recording medium adhered by suction to the conveyance path.

Abstract: An ink cartridge is partitioned into a negative pressure generator chamber containing a negative pressure generator and a storage chamber containing an ink bag. The ink bag stores ink and supplies the ink to the negative pressure generator chamber through an ink port. The negative pressure generator absorbs and holds the ink by its capillary force, to keep pressure inside nozzles of a recording head negative to atmospheric pressure. Through a first air introduction hole, the air is introduced into the negative pressure generator chamber as the ink in the negative pressure generator chamber decreases. Through a second air introduction hole, the air is introduced into the storage chamber as the ink in the ink bag decreases. So variations in pressure inside the nozzles are suppressed, which makes ink discharge from the nozzles stable.

Abstract: The method for evaluating color mixing between dots of two different colors discharged onto a recording medium, the method comprises the steps of: outputting a color mixing evaluation print having a color mixing evaluation patch formed on a recording medium by dots of two different colors in such a manner that at least a portion of the dots are adjacent or overlapping; measuring a density of the color mixing evaluation patch of the outputted color mixing evaluation print; and evaluating color mixing of the dots of two colors, according to density profiles for the dots of two colors forming the color mixing evaluation patch, as obtained by the density measuring step.

Abstract: The method for evaluating bleeding into a recording medium of ink discharged onto the recording medium, the method comprises the steps of: outputting a bleeding evaluation print including a plurality of bleeding evaluation patches created by recording lines of a prescribed length of ink colors, at a prescribed width, and varying at least one of a recording speed at which recording data is recorded onto the recording medium, a volume of ink discharged, and a fixing energy which fixes the discharged ink onto the recording medium, as a parameter, between a plurality of different levels; measuring density of each of the bleeding evaluation patches in the outputted bleeding evaluation print; and evaluating the bleeding of the ink into the recording medium according to a density measurement result on the bleeding evaluation patches.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a formation unit that forms an image on a recording medium by inkjetting, a suction conveyance unit that conveys the recording medium to the formation unit while adhering the recording medium by suction onto a guide surface which is a conveyance path, and a conditioning unit that conditions one surface of the recording medium before feeding the recording medium to the suction conveyance unit, wherein the conditioning unit controls a rate of moisture absorption of the one surface of the recording medium and causes the recording medium to bend such that the center portion of the recording medium separate from the guide surface of the suction conveyance unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a formation unit that forms an image on a first surface of a recording medium; a suction conveyance unit that conveys the recording medium to the formation unit while suctioning the recording medium onto a guide surface; a switchback conveyance unit that inverts the recording medium on whose first surface an image has been formed to allow a second surface of the recording medium to be used as an image formation surface, and conveys the recording medium to the suction conveyance unit; and a conditioning unit that conditions the first surface of the recording medium, wherein the conditioning unit controls a rate of moisture absorption of a surface of the recording medium and causes the recording medium that is fed to the suction conveyance unit via the switchback conveyance unit to bend such that the center portion thereof separates from the guide surface.

Abstract: The liquid ejection head comprises: a plurality of pressure chambers connected to a plurality of nozzles from which liquid is ejected, the pressure chambers being arranged in a two-dimensional configuration; a diaphragm which constitutes a wall of each of the pressure chambers, the wall being located opposite to the nozzles; a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed at positions corresponding to the pressure chambers on a surface of the diaphragm which is on an opposite side of the diaphragm from the pressure chambers, the piezoelectric elements causing portions of the diaphragm corresponding to the pressure chambers to deform; an intermediate plate which is located on a piezoelectric element side of the diaphragm where the piezoelectric elements are disposed and which forms a space around a periphery of each of the piezoelectric elements; electrical wires for electrically connecting drive circuits which drives the piezoelectric elements with drive electrodes of the piezoelectric elements, the electrical

Abstract: An ink cartridge consists of an ink bag storing ink and a case holding the ink bag. A valve unit is placed on an ink supply path from the ink bag to a recording head. During the printing, the amount of ink discharged from the recording head is measured at predetermined time intervals, and the valve unit is controlled to supply the recording head with the ink by an amount corresponding to the discharged amount. So the pressure inside the recording head is kept approximately constant, improving stability of ink-discharging from nozzles of the recording head. A head internal pressure detecting mechanism detects pressure inside a sub-tank as a value representative of the head internal pressure.

Abstract: The inkjet recording method includes: a treatment liquid depositing step of applying treatment liquid onto a recording medium while holding the recording medium on a circumferential surface of a treatment liquid drum and conveying the recording medium by rotating the treatment liquid drum, and drying at least a portion of a solvent in the treatment liquid; an image forming step of ejecting ink from a line type inkjet head to deposit the ink onto the recording medium on which the treatment liquid has been deposited, while holding the recording medium on a circumferential surface of an image formation drum and conveying the recording medium by rotating the image formation drum, the ink containing at least a resin dispersant (A), a pigment (B) that is dispersed by the resin dispersant (A), self-dispersible polymer micro-particles (C) and an aqueous liquid medium (D), the ink having one of a solid component that is aggregated upon making contact with the treatment liquid and a solid component that is precipitated

Abstract: The method forms an image by directly depositing aqueous ink ejected from an inkjet recording apparatus onto a recording medium.

Abstract: The liquid ejection head comprises: a plurality of pressure chambers which are provided correspondingly to a plurality of ejection holes formed on a first wall defining the pressure chambers, the ejection holes being two-dimensionally arranged and ejecting liquid toward a liquid receiving medium, the pressure chambers accommodating the liquid to be ejected from the ejection holes; a common liquid chamber which supplies the liquid to the pressure chambers; a plurality of piezoelectric elements which are provided correspondingly to the pressure chambers and are arranged on a second wall defining the pressure chambers opposing the first wall, the piezoelectric elements each having individual electrodes to which drive signals are applied; a plurality of extending electrodes which extend from the individual electrodes of the piezoelectric elements and are electrically connected to the individual electrodes; a structural member which is bonded to a first surface of the second wall reverse to a second surface thereo

Abstract: An image recording apparatus having a plurality of nozzle rows of respective colors each having a plurality of nozzles arranged independently for each of inks of the respective colors, the plurality of nozzles discharging the inks onto a recording medium. A conveyance device performs conveyance of the recording medium in a relative conveyance direction relatively with respect to the plurality of nozzle rows and a fixing device fixes the inks deposited on the recording medium from the plurality of nozzles to the recording medium. A relative conveyance velocity control device controls a relative conveyance velocity V of the recording medium in the relative conveyance with respect to the plurality of nozzle rows and a fixing control device controls a fixing energy of the fixing device in such a manner to satisfy a relationship S/V>t1, where t1 is a fixing time and S is the nozzle row separation distance.

Abstract: The liquid ejection apparatus comprises: a liquid ejection head having an ejection port surface on which ejection ports for ejecting liquid are formed; a wiping device having a blade member which wipes and cleans the ejection port surface; a sliding device which causes the blade member to slide relatively with respect to the ejection port surface; a state identification device which identifies at least one state, of a state of the ejection ports, a state of the ejection port surface, and an operational state of the blade member when sliding over the ejection port surface; and a cleaning capability modification device which modifies a cleaning capability of the wiping device in accordance with a determination result of the state identification device.

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording surface of a recording medium, includes: an inkjet head which ejects an ink; a first drum-shaped member for printing which has a first drum circumferential surface opposing the inkjet head, and holds and rotationally conveys the recording medium in such a manner that the ink is deposited onto the recording medium by using the inkjet head; and a second drum-shaped member for drying which is disposed downstream of the first drum-shaped member, has a second drum circumferential surface opposing a drying device which dries a solvent of the ink, and holds and rotationally conveys the recording medium.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus which ejects an ink so as to record an image on a recording medium has: a conveyance device which conveys a recording medium; a liquid deposition device which deposits a liquid onto a recording surface of the recording medium which is conveyed by the conveyance device; an intermediate conveyance body which moves the recording medium in rotation onto the recording surface of which the liquid has been deposited by the liquid deposition device while holding an edge of the recording medium; a conveyance guide which guides a non-recording surface of the recording medium which is moved in rotation by the intermediate conveyance body; and a pressure application device which applies a pressure differential between the recording surface and the non-recording surface of the recording medium which is moved in rotation by the intermediate conveyance body.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus has: an inkjet head which ejects ink so as to record an image on a recording surface of a recording medium; a drum-shaped member which includes a drum, holds an edge of the recording medium, and conveys the recording medium in close contact with a circumferential surface of the drum; an intermediate conveyance body which holds an edge of the recording medium while moving the recording medium in rotation, and transfers the recording medium to the drum-shaped member; and a conveyance guide which guides a non-recording surface of the recording medium which is moved in rotation by the intermediate conveyance body, wherein the conveyance guide has a back tension application device which produces a force to act on the recording medium in an opposite direction to a direction of movement of the recording medium.

Abstract: The liquid ejection apparatus comprises: a liquid ejection head having an ejection port surface on which ejection ports for ejecting liquid are formed; a wiping device having a blade member which wipes and cleans the ejection port surface; a sliding device which causes the blade member to slide relatively with respect to the ejection port surface; a state identification device which identifies at least one state, of a state of the ejection ports, a state of the ejection port surface, and an operational state of the blade member when sliding over the ejection port surface; and a cleaning capability modification device which modifies a cleaning capability of the wiping device in accordance with a determination result of the state identification device.