Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a printing system in which a user can obtain permission to use an encrypted copyrighted image by paying a royalty to a creator of the image so as to print the image, a printing method, and an ink tank which can be used to attain the printing system. The printing system comprises a computer and a printer which is connected to the computer. The computer can acquire an encrypted image with a print key which is distributed from an Internet distribution company. The printer has an ink tank replaceably mounted thereon, and the ink tank incorporates a security chip. The security chip contains a certificate key, generates a decryption key from a combination of the certificate key and the print key, and decrypts the encrypted image into print data which can be printed by the printer by use of the decryption key.

Abstract: In a print head of this invention, electricity-to-heat converters and a driver circuit for driving these electricity-to-heat converters in accordance with print data are formed on a single board. The board further includes an input/output interface circuit for receiving print data from an external apparatus, a CPU for controlling a printer apparatus, a ROM, a RAM, an A/D converter, a D/A converter, a timer, and the like, and also includes an external element driver for driving a mechanism portion of the printer apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head utilizing ink bubbling by heating of an exothermic resistor to thereby eject ink and a method manufacturing the same, including the steps of: preparing a substrate provided with the exothermic resistor; applying such first resin on the substrate as to provide a first mold shape for forming the nozzle channel and the movable member; forming the first mold shape using the first resin; applying, on the substrate, second resin over the first mold shape for forming the nozzle channel and the movable member; and removing the first mold shape. By this method, the movable member is formed in the nozzle channel between the ink inlet and the exothermic resistor to thereby provide a high-density, high-accuracy ink jet recording head which can improve a frequency response while maintaining proper discharge performance.

Abstract: In this invention, a camera position display portion for displaying the position of a camera at which a to-be-photographed person looks at the time of photographing by the camera, a confirming process display portion for displaying “wait for photographing” to the to-be-photographed person, an end display portion for displaying “end of photographing” to the to-be-photographed person, and an exit display portion for displaying “traveling direction after the end of photographing” to the to-be-photographed person are provided and display of guidance as to the photographing state (the position at which the to-be-photographed person looks, waiting for photographing, end of photographing, traveling direction after the end of photographing) is made for the to-be-photographed person.

Abstract: A boundary nozzle which is contained in a block that has not been driven and is situated at the boundary with a driving block that is driven prior to the block containing the boundary nozzle contains a second stopper which has a length in a liquid flow direction longer than that of a first stopper contained in a driving nozzle in the driving block that is driven prior. A near-boundary nozzle adjacent to the boundary nozzle has a third stopper which has a length in a liquid flow direction longer than that of the first stopper but shorter than the second stopper. Thus, recording irregularities owing to meniscus regression are suppressed.

Abstract: Liquid is discharged at a high frequency in a consecutive manner with a liquid discharge head having a movable member. A bubble formed for discharge a first discharged droplet grows large into a discharge port side by the movable substantially closing a common liquid chamber side in a bubble forming procedure, and disappears fast at the common liquid chamber side by the movable member releasing the common liquid chamber side of a flow path in a bubble disappearance procedure, and reaches a state to remain at the discharge port side of a heat-generating body. Under this state, since the bubble disappears at the common liquid chamber side, a constant liquid is refilled to reach the discharge port side, and the bubble does not yet completely disappear, a meniscus is disposed comparatively closer to a liquid discharge face. Under the circumstances, if discharge of a second discharged droplet is arranged to start from this state, the liquid can be discharged well at a short interval in a consecutive manner.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid discharge head that comprises: a heat generator that generates a thermal energy for generating a bubble in a liquid; a discharge part as a portion to discharge the liquid; a flow path communicating with the discharge part and having a bubble generation region in which the bubble is generated; a movable member having a free end and is displaced with the growth of the bubble; and a restricting portion to define a displacement amount of the movable member, in which the flow path is formed by joining a substantially flat substrate provided with the heat generator the movable member and a top plate opposing to the substrate and including the restricting portion, and the liquid is discharged from the discharge part by an energy during generation of the bubble, in which the clearance between at least one sidewall of the flow path and the side edge portion of the restricting portion is larger than the clearance between the sidewall and the side edge portion of the movable member.

Abstract: In this invention, a camera position display portion for displaying the position of a camera at which a to-be-photographed person looks at the time of photographing by the camera, a confirming process display portion for displaying “wait for photographing” to the to-be-photographed person, an end display portion for displaying “end of photographing” to the to-be-photographed person, and an exit display portion for displaying “traveling direction after the end of photographing” to the to-be-photographed person are provided and display of guidance as to the photographing state (the position at which the to-be-photographed person looks, waiting for photographing, end of photographing, traveling direction after the end of photographing) is made for the to-be-photographed person.

Abstract: In a liquid discharge head having a movable member displaced by generation of a bubble, endurance of stepped portions of the movable member and of root portions of movable parts of the movable member is enhanced and flexure deformation of the movable member is prevented to enhance endurance of the member. A pressing member for covering stepped portions of a movable member and root portions of branched movable parts is provided within a flow path. A part of the pressing member is tapered and extends to a downstream side (toward a discharge port) to be spaced apart from the movable member, thereby forming a flexure regulating portion opposed to and spaced apart from an intermediate portion of the movable member. The pressing member and the flexure regulating portion suppress excessive deformation of the movable member.

Abstract: A print apparatus carries out printing by allowing an ink and a processing liquid that makes the ink insoluble to deposit on a printing medium in such a way that they are deposited on each other on a printing medium. A head that ejects the ink or processing liquid and the printing medium are relatively moved in a primary scanning direction. A processing liquid droplet and a black ink droplet are sequentially ejected at the same positions in the direction opposite to the relative moving direction from the respective ejection ports provided at a predetermined space in the relative moving direction on the head.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes an ejection outlet for ejecting ink; an ink passage provided corresponding to the ejection outlet; a thermal energy generator to heat the ink in the passage to create a bubble; a flow resistance element, disposed in the ink passage upstream of the thermal energy generator with respect to a direction of flow of the ink, having a reduced ink passage area to divide the bubble.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes a plurality of liquid flow paths for ejecting the ink; and a plurality of heat generating resistors for the respective liquid flow paths, the heat generating resistor being independently drivable; wherein adjacent ones of the heat generating resistors are spaced by not more than 8 microns.

Abstract: The present invention corrects variations in characteristics of each printing element of a printing head to print high-grade images. To achieve this, the present invention provides an ink jet printing head that uses thermal energy generated by a heat-generating resistor to eject an ink from an ink ejection opening, wherein a plurality of wirings with different wiring resistances are connected to the heat-generating resistor. A transistor selected one of the plurality of wirings to conduct current through the heat-generating resistor.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head comprises a heating element which heats liquid in a liquid flow path to produce a bubble in the liquid, a discharge port through which liquid is discharged by pressure involved in bubble growth, the discharge port communicating with the lower part of the liquid flow path and being smaller in the area of a cross section at right angles to the direction of liquid introduction than the liquid flow path, a movable member which is provided like a cantilever in the liquid flow path, the free end of the member being positioned on the side of the discharge port, and a restrictor which substantially closes the upper part of the liquid flow path by being substantially brought into contact with the movable member when the movable member is displaced by the growth of the bubble, wherein a meniscus is in the discharge port when due to bubble breakage, the movable member moves from the normal position in such a direction that the liquid flow path is open widely and then returns to the normal positio

Abstract: The invention is to vary the amount of the liquid discharged from a same discharge port, thereby realizing recording of multi gradation levels. After the discharge of a first liquid droplet 66a, a second liquid droplet 66b is discharged while the movable member 31 is still in a displaced state. In comparison with the first liquid droplet 66a, the second liquid droplet 66b has a larger discharge energy and a larger speed, because the moving energy of the movable member 31 and the energy consumed for the liquid flow opposite to the discharge port 18 are small. Thus the first and second droplets are united to form a united droplet 66d before landing on the recording medium 150. In this manner the amount of the discharged liquid can be varied.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid discharge head that comprises: a heat generator that generates a thermal energy for generating a bubble in a liquid; a discharge part as a portion to discharge the liquid; a flow path communicating with the discharge part and having a bubble generation region in which the bubble is generated; a movable member having a free end and is displaced with the growth of the bubble; and a restricting portion to define a displacement amount of the movable member, in which the flow path is formed by joining a substantially flat substrate provided with the heat generator the movable member and a top plate opposing to the substrate and including the restricting portion, and the liquid is discharged from the discharge part by an energy during generation of the bubble, in which the clearance between at least one sidewall of the flow path and the side edge portion of the restricting portion is larger than the clearance between the sidewall and the side edge portion of the movable member.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes plural heat generating members, each linearly communicating with a discharge port, a liquid flow path communicating with each discharge port and having a bubble generating area in which a movable member is provided, a limiting portion opposed to the bubble generating area in the liquid flow path for limiting displacement of the movable member, and a circuit for receiving data of a predetermined number of bits for each heat generating member and generating drive pulses for each heat generating member based on the respective input data. Substantial contact between the displaced movable member and the limiting portion renders a portion of the liquid flow path including the bubble generating area a substantially closed space except for the discharge port. The number of drive pulses generated from the input data is larger than the predetermined number of bits for at least one set of the data.

Abstract: In a liquid discharge head having a movable member displaced by generation of a bubble, endurance of stepped portions of the movable member and of root portions of movable parts of the movable member is enhanced and flexure deformation of the movable member is prevented to enhance endurance of the member.

Abstract: To provide a liquid discharge head, a liquid discharge apparatus, a value protection method of the liquid discharge head, and a maintenance device.

Abstract: Liquid is discharged at a high frequency in a consecutive manner with a liquid discharge head having a movable member. A bubble formed for discharge a first discharged droplet grows large into a discharge port side by the movable substantially closing a common liquid chamber side in a bubble forming procedure, and disappears fast at the common liquid chamber side by the movable member releasing the common liquid chamber side of a flow path in a bubble disappearance procedure, and reaches a state to remain at the discharge port side of a heat-generating body. Under this state, since the bubble disappears at the common liquid chamber side, a constant liquid is refilled to reach the discharge port side, and the bubble does not yet completely disappear, a meniscus is disposed comparatively closer to a liquid discharge face. Under the circumstances, if discharge of a second discharged droplet is arranged to start from this state, the liquid can be discharged well at a short interval in a consecutive manner.