Abstract: The apparatus includes a tube pump for discharging a fluid in a capping means sealing a nozzle forming face of a liquid ejecting head, having a roller member rolling on an inner periphery of a curved part of a tube member by pressing and deforming the curved part and a leak point, a phase detection means for detecting a phase of a rotational motion of the roller member, and a control means for controlling the operation of the tube pump. The control means has a function for stopping the roller member at a predetermined position based on information on the phase of the rotational motion of the roller member detected by the phase detection means. The suction amount of the liquid suction operation by the tube pump is prevented from variation.

Abstract: A cap member for covering a plurality of nozzle arrays disposed in a nozzle plate of a liquid ejecting head includes a first lip, at least one second lip, and a main body. The first lip has an annular shape and is configured to abut against the nozzle plate to enclose the plurality of nozzle arrays. At least one second lip has an annular shape, is disposed within the annular first lip, and is configured to abut against the nozzle plate to enclose at least one of the plurality of nozzle arrays separately from the first lip. The first lip and the at least one second lip are disposed on the main body. The main body is configured to cooperate with the first lip and the at least one second lip to make sealing contact with the nozzle plate.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus includes a main power supply, power cutoff detecting means, a standby power supply, residual vibration detecting means, storage means, and ejection failure detecting means. When cutoff of the main power supply is detected, an actuator is driven by a driving circuit, the residual vibration detecting means detects the residual vibration of the diaphragm displaced by the driving of the actuator, and the storage means stores the vibration pattern of the residual vibration of the diaphragm detected by the residual vibration detecting means and/or the information obtained from the vibration pattern. The ejection failure detecting means include an oscillation circuit that oscillates in response to an electric capacitance component that varies with the residual vibration of the diaphragm.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for cleaning an ink cartridge. The method includes the steps of: introducing a cleaning fluid into an ink cartridge to be cleaned and drawing the cleaning fluid out of the ink cartridge through a nozzle of the cartridge by vacuum pressure.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head is caused to eject liquid droplets at a region where no target medium is placed, such that such that a first prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed from each of the nozzle orifices in the nozzle arrays of the first group, and a second prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed from each of the nozzle orifices in the nozzle arrays of the second group. At least a part of the first prescribed number of liquid droplets and at least a part of the second prescribed number of liquid droplets are flushed by alternately performing a first unit operation for flushing a third prescribed number of liquid droplets which is smaller than the first prescribed number and a second unit operation for flushing a fourth prescribed number of liquid droplets which is smaller than the second prescribed number.

Abstract: A maintenance mechanism includes: a carriage 22 capable of performing reciprocating movement along a line parallel to an ink discharging surface 4a; and a purge sheet 21 attached to the carriage 22 and capable of being located, depending on the carriage 22 position, in a purge position opposing the ink discharging surface 4a and a printing position not opposing the ink discharging surface 4a. When being in the purge position, the purge sheet 21 has such a shape that allows ink discharged from the ink discharging surface 4a and adhered to the purge sheet. 21 to move, owing to gravity, toward the center of the purge sheet 21 with respect to the width direction of the purge sheet 21 which is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the carriage 22.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus includes ejection failure detecting means for detecting an ejection failure, counting means for counting the number of ejection failures, and droplet receptor transporting means which carry out discharge and feed of the droplet receptor. The ejection failure detecting means detect the ejection failure with respect to a droplet ejection operation when the plurality of droplet ejection heads eject the droplets onto the droplet receptor. In the case where the number of ejection failures exceeds a predetermined reference value, the droplet ejection apparatus stops the droplet ejection operation and operates the droplet receptor transporting means to discharge the droplet receptor from and feed another droplet receptor to the droplet ejection apparatus to carry out a new and same droplet ejection operation with respect to the fed droplet receptor.

Abstract: A printer comprising: (a) a pagewidth printhead assembly having— (i) a single pagewidth printhead and (ii) a plurality of nozzles located along the printhead and arranged in use to deliver ink onto print media as it is transported past the printhead, and (b) a capping mechanism having— (i) a capping member having a length corresponding substantially to that of the printhead and located in a non-capping first position spaced-apart from but confronting the printhead, and (ii) a motor drive arranged for camming engagement with the capping member to effect its linear transitioning from the first position to a second position at which the capping member is located in nozzle capping engagement with the printhead.

Abstract: To provide a suction recovery method of an ink jet printing apparatus by which ink can be securely filled to an ink flow path and a nozzle while minimizing an amount of ink discharge during a suction recovery to prevent an adverse effect such as invited bubbles. The suction recovery method firstly performs the first suction step for generating a negative pressure for sucking a filter section for separating bubbles from the filter section. Thereafter, the second suction step is performed to generate a negative pressure for sucking an ink in the ink flow path and a large nozzle. Thereafter, the third suction step is performed to suck ink from a small nozzle.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head in which a plurality of nozzle groups is formed; a waste-liquid discharging mechanism which includes a plurality of suction caps covering the nozzle groups respectively, a suction mechanism the ink through the suction caps, a plurality of first channels communicating with the suction caps respectively, and a second channel communicating commonly with the first ink channel and with the suction mechanism; and an ink flow-rate control mechanism which control a flow rate of the ink flowing in first channels. Since the image forming apparatus has the ink flow-rate control mechanism, it is capable of sucking evenly the ink from the nozzle groups, irrespective of a shape of the suction cap, and a diameter and a length of the first channels.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed which has: (a) a pagewidth printhead assembly having a pagewidth printhead and a plurality of nozzles located along the printhead for delivering ink onto print media as it is transported past the printhead, and (b) a capping/purging mechanism associated with the printhead.

Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes a recording head and a cap placed in tight contact with a nozzle forming surface for defining a sealed space. A head moving mechanism moves the recording head along a direction in which the nozzle forming surface is extended, toward or separately from a contact position at which the cap is placed in tight contact with the recording head. A cap moving mechanism moves the cap toward or separately from the contact position at which the cap is placed in tight contact with the nozzle forming surface. A cap holding mechanism including a slider holds the cap such that the cap is allowed to slide along a moving direction of the recording head and positions the cap at the contact position.

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus includes: a casing; an inkjet head which is arranged in the casing and ejects ink from nozzles toward a recording medium; a scanning device which is arranged in the casing and moves the inkjet head to scan the recording medium in a scanning direction parallel with a breadthways direction of the recording medium; a recording medium supply device which accommodates the recording medium and is removably installed into the casing via a front face side of the casing and disposed on a lower side of the inkjet head in a vertical direction of the casing; a conveyance device which conveys the recording medium from the recording medium supply device to a recording region where the recording medium receives deposition of the ink ejected from the inkjet head, and conveys the recording medium within the recording region in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction; an ink cartridge which accommodates the ink to be supplied to the inkjet head and is removably installed

Abstract: A droplet jetting applicator includes: a droplet jetting head which freely moves and includes a nozzle surface with a plurality of nozzles formed, from which droplets are jetted; a suction section which sucks the droplets jetted by the droplet jetting head from a facing position facing the nozzle surface; a support/transfer section which supports the suction section, freely moves together with the droplet jetting head, and moves the supported suction section to the facing position and a non-facing position which is apart from the facing position; and an exhaust section which evacuates the suction section to give the suction section a suction force.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a color filter having a plurality of colored pixels on a substrate by discharging an ink from an ink-jet head having a plurality of ink discharging nozzles while performing relative movement of the ink-jet head and the substrate, includes the step of dividing the plurality of ink discharging nozzles for discharging the ink having a same color into a plurality of nozzle groups, each nozzle group including every N nozzles, with N being a positive integer. In coloring one substrate by performing the relative movement a plurality of times, an ink discharging operation is performed such that inks are discharged by using only one nozzle group of the plurality of nozzle groups in the plural relative movements, and ink discharging nozzles which are used in a subsequent relative movement always include all of, or part of, ink discharging nozzles which have been used in a previous relative movement.

Abstract: An ink jet printer has a white ink recording head for jetting white ink onto a recording medium; a color ink recording head for jetting color ink onto the recording medium; a sucking device for providing ink nozzles of the white ink recording head and ink nozzles of the color ink recording head with sucking forces to suck ink in a white ink supply path and in a color ink supply path respectively, the paths communicating with the ink nozzles of the respective recording heads; and a controlling section for controlling sucking forces, wherein, the controlling section controls the sucking forces in such a manner that a sucking force applied to white ink is greater than a sucking force applied to color ink.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed that has: (a) a pagewidth printhead assembly having a pagewidth printhead and a plurality of nozzles located along the printhead for delivering ink onto print media as it is transported past the printhead, and (b) a capping mechanism associated with the printhead. The capping mechanism comprises (i) a carrier positioned adjacent the printhead and having a longitudinal length corresponding substantially to that of the printhead, (ii) a longitudinally extending capping member pivotally mounted to the carrier and having a longitudinal length corresponding substantially to that of the printhead, and (iii) an actuating mechanism arranged to effect pivoting of the capping member from a non-capping first position to a second position at which the capping member is located in nozzle capping engagement with the printhead. Also disclosed is a printer in which the carrier of the capping mechanism incorporates a purging chamber into which material may be purged from the printhead nozzles.

Abstract: An inkjet printer is provided comprising a chassis, a pagewidth printhead operatively mounted on the chassis and a capping assembly. The capping assembly comprises a base structure mounted on the chassis, a static solenoid mounted on the base structure, a support member reciprocally movable between an operative position and an inoperative position, and a printhead capping member mounted directly on the support member. The support member is actuated by the solenoid and the capping member arranged such that when the support member is in the operative position, the capping member caps the printhead and when the support member is in the inoperative position, the capping member is disengaged from the printhead. The base structure and the solenoid areelongate and substantially coextensive with printhead.

Abstract: A droplet jetting apparatus having a droplet jetting head including a nozzle opening formed in a nozzle formation surface, from which droplets of a predetermined liquid are jetted, and a capping device for capping the nozzle opening of the head. A moisture retentive liquid supply device connected to the capping device is provided for supplying a moisture retentive liquid with respect to the predetermined liquid to a space formed by the nozzle formation surface and the capping portion. The weight and the size of the head and its periphery, which is a movable body, are not specifically increased, and accordingly, increase in the cost for motors for driving the droplet jetting head is prevented, thereby effectively avoiding clogging in the nozzle opening of the droplet jetting head. In addition, it is unnecessary to move the droplet jetting head when the moisture retentive liquid is supplied.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed which comprises: (a) a pagewidth printhead assembly having a pagewidth printhead and a plurality of nozzles located along the printhead for delivering ink onto print media as it is transported past the printhead, and (b) a capping/purging mechanism having (i) a capping/purging member having a length corresponding substantially to that of the printhead, (ii) a first actuating mechanism arranged to move the printhead in a arcuate first direction from a first position to a second position and a third position, and (iii) a second actuating mechanism arranged to move the capping/purging member in an arcuate second direction opposite to that of the first direction to effect nozzle capping engagement of the printhead when it is in the second position and to permit purging of the nozzles when the printhead is in the third position. The capping/purging mechanism is also disclosed in relation to a printer having a printhead assembly with two pagewidth printheads.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a recording head, a conveyance mechanism, a shutter, a storage portion, and a moving mechanism. The recording head includes an ejection surface in which an ejection port for ejecting ink is defined. The conveyance mechanism conveys a printing medium while the printing medium is facing the ejection surface. The shutter covers the ejection surface. The storage portion stores the shutter. The moving mechanism moves the shutter from the storage portion to a facing position while the shutter is separate from the ejection surface. The shutter faces and covers the ejection surface at the facing position.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: an ejection head that ejects a liquid from a nozzle; a cap that can seal an opening of the nozzle; an absorber disposed in the cap; a first ejection unit that allows to perform a first ejection operation toward the cap for maintenance of the nozzle; a suction unit that sucks the liquid from the cap; a second ejection unit that allows to perform a second ejection operation for replenishing the cap with a liquid before the suction, and a capping unit that covers the opening of the nozzle by the cap after the second ejection operation is performed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a maintenance device which can suction ink in a short period of time and with a small amount of consumed ink. The maintenance device has a plurality of capping portions disposed so as to face a plurality of unit heads which can discharge liquid drops onto a recording medium; a plurality of small chambers communicating with the plurality of capping portions, respectively; a suction portion suctioning interiors of the small chambers; and a plurality of valve mechanisms independently controlling airtight states of the interiors of the small chambers. The present invention also provides a recording device equipped with this maintenance device.

Abstract: A protector is provided for a capping facility for a printhead. The protector comprises a covering member which is arranged to engage with the capping facility during intervals when the capping facility is not engaged with the printhead, whereby the capping facility is protected against loss of moisture and/or ingress of contaminating material. In one of its possible forms, the protector is provided for a capping facility in the form of a capping mechanism for a printhead having a plurality of ink-delivery nozzles.

Abstract: A Cleaning fluid discharge openings capable of supplying a cleaning fluid is provided around a suction port mounted in opposition to a nozzle hole. A negative pressure generating source performs suction from the suction port to take out the cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid discharge openings and to contact the cleaning fluid, thus taken out, with a neighborhood of the nozzle hole, and the cleaning fluid thus contacted is sucked and recovered from the suction port. A member of the suction port is made of a porous resin and the cleaning fluid discharge openings comprise pores formed on a surface of the porous resin. A cleaning fluid supplied to the porous resin is taken out from the pores formed on the surface of the porous resin to clean the neighborhood of the nozzle holes and to simultaneously clean the suction port as a wiping member.

Abstract: A printer includes a cleaning mechanism that reliably performs an operation of cleaning a liquid ejecting head with a small amount of driving energy. The cleaning mechanism includes a cap manufactured by coinjection molding of a core part and an elastic part. The cap includes a bottom surface, an outer wall, and a partition wall dividing a cap inner space surrounded by the outer wall into two. A ratio of the elastic part in the partition wall is higher than that in the outer wall. With this structure, the partition wall is more elastically deformable than the outer wall. When the cap comes into contact with a nozzle surface of a recording head and covers nozzle rows, the outer wall comes into contact with the nozzle surface with a larger stress compared with the partition wall, and seals chambers where the nozzle rows on the nozzle surface are exposed.

Abstract: Line heads are arranged along the transfer direction of a recording medium. Each line head has a nozzle surface in which nozzles are provided over a width direction of the recording medium. Purge units each corresponding to one of the line heads are arranged along the transfer direction of the recording medium at positions which deviate from the recording medium in the width direction. Each purge unit cleans the nozzle surface of a corresponding one of the line heads.

Abstract: An ink-jet line printer (30) is constituted by multiple ink-jet heads (1-1 to 1-3). Actuators (3-1 to 3-3) are arranged so as to be moved between a home position and a print position, and backup mechanisms (2-1 to 2-3) are arranged at home positions. In this ink-jet line printer, the ink-jet heads can be protected and recovered by backup mechanisms, thus making high-speed continuous printing possible. Even though the backup mechanisms are incorporated, a compact apparatus can still be achieved.

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus comprises: a recording head including nozzles which discharge ink droplets onto a recording medium for printing; a computing device which computes a non-operational time period for one of the nozzles; a calculating device which calculates a predicted non-operational time period until a next operation of the one of the nozzles; and a preliminary discharge control device which performs control whereby preliminary discharge of the one of the nozzles is carried out if a total of the non-operational time period and the predicted non-operational time period exceeds a reference time period.

Abstract: An inkjet imaging device is provide with a recording head that ejects ink toward a recording medium, a maintenance system that performs a recovery procedure consisting of a plurality of operations which include (1) a purging operation to remove ink from the recording head and (2) a wiping operation to wipe out the ink adhered oh a nozzle surface of the recording head after the purging operation is executed, a determining system that determines whether a currently executed operation of the recovery procedure can be interrupted when interruption of the currently executed recovery procedure is instructed, and an interrupting system that interrupts the recovery procedure when the determining system determines that the currently executed operation of the recovery procedure can be interrupted.

Abstract: A capping device and method for a print head for an inkjet printer are disclosed. The capping device has a head cap to seal the print head during the printing standby mode. The head cap has a through hole to allow a sealed portion formed between the head cap and the print head to fluidly communicate outside of the head cap. The through hole is respectively disposed at an inner wall and outer wall of the head cap. Due to the through hole, an air path is formed in the head cap to allow a sealed portion between the print head and the head cap to fluidly communicate with the outside. Even if the air in the sealed portion is heated and expanded, the pressure therein does not increase.

Abstract: A fluid delivery device includes a plurality of nozzle openings from which fluid is ejected and a waste control aperture. For example, a drop ejection device, including a flow path in which fluid is pressurized to eject drops from a nozzle opening, a piezoelectric actuator for pressurizing the fluid, and one or more waste fluid control apertures proximate the nozzle opening, the aperture being in communication with a vacuum source.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a conveyance unit, a recording head, a sealing unit, and a carrier unit. The conveyance unit conveys a recording medium in a conveyance direction. The recording head includes plural recording portions. Each recording portion has plural ejection ports for ejecting ink. The recording portions partially overlap each other if viewed in the conveyance direction, when the recording head is located at a recording position where the recording head performs record with respect to the recording medium. The sealing unit is disposed in a region outside the conveyance unit. The sealing unit includes plural sealing portions each of which seals the ejection ports of each recording portion. The sealing portions are arranged in the conveyance direction. The carrier unit carries the recording head in a carrying direction between a sealing position where each sealing portion faces the ejection ports of each recording portion and the recording position.

Abstract: This invention is related to an ink cleaning device, wherein this device comprises a cartridge stand, a driving mechanism, a printing control device and a cleaning cartridge. The feature of this invention is when the cleaning cartridge is put in the cartridge stand to replace the ink cartridge; the cleaning cartridge will be driven to guide cleanser into the guide tube and the printing head for cleaning purpose. Besides, the cartridge stand can accommodate the ink cartridge and the cleaning cartridge at one time. When ink cleaning function is required, the cleaning cartridge will be driven directly to clean the ink out by printing control device which is driven by an external device. The function of cleaning will also be approached.

Abstract: The cleaning process best suited to the condition of an inkjet printer is selected and run, thereby removing nozzle clogging without wastefully consuming ink. The first time a cleaning switch 7 is operated a CL1 cleaning process is run. If the cleaning switch 7 is pressed a second time and the print pass count is less than e.g., 400, a CL2 cleaning process that uses more ink than the CL1 process is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used. If the print pass count is less than 400 the third time the switch is operated, the CL2 cleaning process is used, but the CL1 cleaning process is used if the print pass count is 400 or more. If the cleaning switch 7 is operated four or more times and the print pass count is less than 400, a YCL cleaning process that consumes substantially no ink is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed which has: (a) a pagewidth printhead assembly having a pagewidth printhead and a plurality of nozzles located along the printhead for delivering ink onto print media as it is transported past the printhead, and (b) a capping mechanism associated with the printhead. The capping mechanism comprises (i) a rotatable turret having a longitudinal length corresponding substantially to that of the printhead, (ii) a longitudinally extending capping member carried by the turret and (iii) an actuating mechanism arranged to effect rotation of the turret to move the capping member from a non-capping first position to a second position at which the capping member is located in nozzle capping engagement with the printhead.

Abstract: A method for servicing a printhead includes moving the printhead along a first path away from a printing position adjacent a drum to a service position away from the drum, moving a service station carrying a printhead service element through an arc-shaped second path from a rest position to a servicing position, and conducting a service operation with the service element on the printhead at the service position.

Abstract: A discharge recovery device and an ink-jet recording apparatus incorporating the same. The discharge recovery device includes a wiper reciprocating to wipe a discharging surface of a recording head. The wiper touches a pivotable wiper cleaner while moving in a forward direction, and is thereby cleaned of ink. The wiper cleaner is fixed and rubs against the wiper when the wiper moves forward. A cleaner holder also covers the wiper to prevent ink scatter when the wiper in the forward direction. As the wiper moves in a backward direction, the wiper cleaner is pivoted out of contact with the wiper via a retracting device. This reliably prevents ink from scattering during the backward movement of the wiper without reducing cleaning performance of the wiper cleaner.

Abstract: A capping unit for use with a liquid discharge head. The capping unit includes a cap for covering a discharge surface of the liquid discharge head. The cap includes air-communication openings provided at corners of the cap, and a suction opening. The air-communication openings connect a space in the cap with the atmosphere. A high negative pressure pump provides pressure to the space via the suction opening. The cap minimizes liquid spatter on the discharge surface after a suction process.

Abstract: A printer is provided comprising an elongate printhead for printing across the pagewidth of print media, a rotatable, elongate platen arranged to support the print media being printed on by the printhead, a sensor for sensing a thickness of the print media, and a controller arranged to rotate the platen. The platen can support the print media at a plurality of predetermined distances from the printhead with the rotation of the platen providing selection of the plurality of predetermined distances. The controller rotates the platen in response to the sensed print media thickness so as to select a predetermined distance of the plurality of predetermined distances which accommodates the print media.

Abstract: An ink ejection nozzle constituting section for performing printing with a high image quality and an ink ejection nozzle constituting section for performing full-color printing at a high speed are separately disposed in one ink jet head. A recovery system is capable of performing suction recovery only in each of the nozzle constituting sections, and the suction recovery optimized for each constituting section is carried out. Accordingly, an increase in size of a recording apparatus can be restrained, and total ink consumption can be suppressed at the time of maintenance.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus periodically performs the purge process and the wiping process. When the instruction is made to start the recording operation, a control unit judges whether or not the purge process and the wiping process have been performed after the previous recording operation. If it is judged that the purge process and the wiping process have been performed, the recording operation is started after executing the flashing process. Bubbles generated by the purge process are decreased by being dissolved in the ink during the period until the recording operation is started. Therefore, it is possible to avoid any occurrence of the discharge failure which would be otherwise caused by the bubbles contained in the ink. The purge process and the wiping process are separated from the flashing. Therefore, the period of time required for the processes is scarcely inhibits the demand of the user to start the printing.

Abstract: This invention concerns a printhead capping mechanism for preventing evaporation of ink from a printhead when it is not in use. The invention has utility, for instance, in a color printer which uses a drop-on-demand inkjet printhead. The mechanism includes a cap fitted with an elastomeric seal to seal against the face of the printhead, and a sponge to catch drops ejected from the printhead during the nozzle cleaning cycle. The mechanism also includes an actuating structure operable to selectively move the cap between an engaged position to press against the printhead and a disengaged position spaced away from the printhead. The actuating structure frictionally engages a drive member so that it can slip against the drive member when the cap reaches the engaged or disengaged positions.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus records information within a recording width on a recording surface of a recording medium, and is provided with a multi-nozzle ink-jet recording head which includes a nozzle surface and a plurality of nozzles arranged in an array on the nozzle surface to cover the recording width of the recording medium, a transport section which transports the recording medium to pass a position confronting the nozzle surface of the multi-nozzle ink-jet recording head, and a reliability maintaining mechanism which is provided to cover all of the nozzles of the multi-nozzle ink-jet recording head, so as to maintain reliability of the nozzles.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports a record medium; a print head having a plurality of nozzles that ejects ink, thereby forming an image on the record medium; a first recovery ejection unit that performs recovery ejection of nozzles used for forming an image on the record medium; and a second recovery ejection unit that performs recovery ejection of at least one of the plurality of nozzles in accordance with a time elapsed from a previous recovery ejection.

Abstract: A head cap which comes into close contact with a nozzle surface of a function liquid droplet ejection head to thereby seal the function liquid droplet ejection head has a cap base; an absorbing material housing part which is formed in the cap base; a function liquid absorbing material which is filled inside the absorbing material housing part; an absorbing material urging member which urges the function liquid absorbing material; a sealing member; and a seal fixing member which fixes the sealing member to the cap base. The sealing member is fixed to the cap base in a state of urging the peripheral portion of the absorbing material urging member. There is thus obtained a head cap as well as a liquid droplet ejection apparatus in which the function liquid absorbing material can be easily replaced without impairing the original function of the sealing operation.

Abstract: An ink jet print station with improved start-up reliability includes an ink reservoir and a printhead. The printhead has at least two drop generators, a return line connected to the generator's fluid ports, an orifice plate connected to the drop generator for forming jets, at least two filters, a controller for operating the valves to control flow, and an ink pump. The ink pump is adapted to move ink from the reservoir to the printhead. Upon startup, fluid is applied independently to the first filter and then the second filter. A method for at least partially filling filters in an ink jet uses the ink jet print station with improved start up reliability.

Abstract: A liquid member ejecting device comprises an ejecting head and a liquid member tank for storing a liquid member and supplying the liquid member to the ejecting head. The liquid member ejecting device further comprises an attracting member for covering nozzles, a first decompressing section which is connected to the first attracting section for decompressing inside of the ejecting head via the first attracting member, a second attracting member for covering the nozzles, and a second decompressing section which is connected to the second attracting member so as to decompress inside of the ejecting head via the second attracting member and inside of the liquid member tank while communicating the liquid member tank.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus having: a recording head having a jet opening for jetting an ink which is cured by an irradiation with light, toward a recording medium; a light source for irradiating an ink jetted on the recording medium with light, a maintenance unit for performing a maintenance operation to the recording head; a suction cap member to suction an ink from the jet opening or near the jet opening; a wipe member to wipe an ink in the jet opening or near the jet opening; a control section for controlling the light source to turn on or off, wherein the control section controls the light source to have a light quantity of ½ or less of that at a time of an image recording, in a maintenance operation performed by at least one of the wipe member and the suction cap member.

Abstract: In an inkjet printing apparatus which includes a printhead that discharges ink and an ink tank detachably attached to the printhead, and executes printing by using the printhead that discharges the ink supplied from the ink tank, an ink tank detection section detects the presence/absence of the ink tank. On the basis of the detection result, a control circuit inhibits the cleaning operation of the printhead.