Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes an inkjet head, a tank in which liquid to be supplied to the inkjet head is retained, and a flow path for connecting the inkjet head and the tank to each other. The inkjet head includes a head main body, liquid chambers which are built in the head main body, and in which liquid is kept under negative pressure, a nozzle plate bonded to the head main body in such a manner that the plate constitutes one wall part of each of the liquid chambers, nozzles formed in the nozzle plate in such a manner that the nozzles communicate with the liquid chambers, drive elements for causing the nozzles to eject liquid droplets, and first suction holes formed in the nozzle plate in such a manner that the holes communicate with the liquid chambers.

Abstract: An ink jet system according to the present invention is provided with an air bubble removing unit including: an ink jet body having a plurality of ink supply path; a nozzle plate connected to an end of the ink jet body and having a plurality of spaced nozzle holes therein; and a cap configured to cover the nozzle holes formed in the nozzle plate wherein a first ink channel space is formed continuous to the nozzle holes and the plurality of ink supply path, and a second ink channel space is formed between a recess of the cap and a surface of the nozzle plate, so that the second ink channel space and the first ink channel space are continuous through the nozzle holes.

Abstract: A printer is provided having duplex printheads arranged in a printing position on opposite sides of a print media path, two purging members each inclined at a predetermined angle to the print media path, tubes connecting the purging members with a suction pump, and a displacement mechanism configured to displace the printheads between the printing position and a purging position at which the printheads are located at the predetermined angle adjacent the purging members.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head configured to have a nozzle face on which nozzles that discharge liquid droplets are formed; a cap configured to cap the nozzle face of the recording head; a discharge path configured to be connected to the cap; a suction pump configured to be provided in the discharge path and be made of a tube pump; and an atmosphere opening part configured to open an airtight space, created when the nozzle face is capped by the cap, to the atmosphere. The atmosphere opening part is configured to communicate with the inside of the cap at a position higher than a surface of liquid discharged into the cap, and a check valve configured to prevent a flow of the liquid toward the cap from the suction pump is provided in the discharge path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a recording head having a nozzle surface in which nozzles to eject liquid droplets in a horizontal direction or a direction slanted from the horizontal direction are formed, the nozzle surface being disposed in a vertical direction or a direction slanted from the vertical direction; a head tank to supply liquid to the recording head; a suction cap to cap the nozzle surface of the recording head; a suction member connected to the suction cap to suck out liquid from the nozzles by the suction cap; a valve member to open or close a sealed space formed by capping the nozzle surface with the suction cap to atmosphere; a liquid supplier to supply the liquid to the head tank and return the liquid from the head tank; and a control unit to control servicing of the recording head.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection apparatus performs a drawing operation on a workpiece set on a set table by driving the ejection of a functional liquid droplet ejection head in a head unit while moving the head unit in a main scanning direction relative to the set table. The liquid droplet ejection apparatus includes an ejection defect test unit for inspecting an ejection defect of the functional liquid droplet ejection head. The ejection defect test unit includes a drawn unit on which a predetermined test pattern is drawn by test ejection from the functional liquid droplet ejection head and ejection-defect determination means for determining the ejection defect by capturing an image of the test pattern drawn on the ejection-defect test unit and recognizing the image. The drawn unit is disposed on a scan moving axis offset from the set table towards the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes: an inkjet head; a head holder for holding the inkjet head; a platen positioned below the head holder to face the head holder, the platen including a plurality of through holes formed therein; suction means for generating a suction force at the through holes; and a porous platen belt traveling over the platen for suctioning and conveying a paper sheet. The head holder separates between an upper space above the head holder and a lower space below the head holder, and includes a plurality of air holes, which allow communication of air between the upper space and the lower space, within a projection range of the platen onto the head holder. The total opening area of the air holes is 20 percent or more of the total projection area of the inkjet head onto the head holder.

Abstract: A liquid collection device includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, a suction-delivery unit that sucks the liquid from the liquid ejecting head and delivers the sucked liquid, a liquid collection unit that collects the liquid delivered from the suction-delivery unit, and a gas delivery unit that delivers gas to the liquid collection unit.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus has: an inkjet head which has an ink ejection surface and ejects droplets of an ink from the ink ejection surface onto a recording medium; a pressure drum which is disposed in a position opposing the ink ejection surface of the inkjet head, has a round cylindrical circumferential surface in which a recording medium holding position and a non-holding position are provided, an opening section corresponding to an ink ejection width of the inkjet head in the non-holding position where the recording medium is not held, a suction flow channel that is connected to the opening section and provided integrally with the opening section inside the pressure drum, and holds and rotates the recording medium at the recording medium holding position in such a manner that the recording medium is conveyed in a circumferential direction of the pressure drum; and a suctioning device which suctions the opening section and the suction flow channel at least in a droplet ejection region where the droplet

Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes a jetting head unit which has a nozzle which jets droplets of a liquid, and a heat generating section, a suction port which is formed in the jetting head unit, and which opens near the nozzle, and a suction device which sucks air around the nozzle from the suction port, and cools down the heat generating section of the jetting head unit by the air which is sucked. Since the heat generating portion is cooled down by the air sucked from the suction port by the suction device, it is possible to reduce a possibility of the heat of the heat generating section being transferred to the jetting head unit, and destabilizing an operation of the jetting head unit. Moreover, since the suction port opens near the nozzle, it is possible to suck fine liquid droplets together with air around the nozzle.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a conveyor which has one or more holes penetrating from a first surface to a second surface thereof, and which conveys, in a conveyance direction, a recording medium supported on the first surface; and a recording unit which is at such a position as to face the first surface, and records an image on a recording medium while the recording medium is conveyed by the conveyor. The recording apparatus further includes an exhauster capable of causing air exhaust through the one or more holes so that airstream in the one or more holes is directed from the second surface to the first surface; and a controller which controls the exhauster so as to cause air exhaust through at least one medium-facing hole out of the one or more holes, the medium facing hole being a hole facing a recording medium.

Abstract: At a front-end side opposite to a head-fixing-member-attachment side, a protection member has an inclined plane sloped up from a head side toward the opposite outer side in a direction in which liquid ejecting heads are arranged in a row. The surface of the front end is located at a position that is not closer to a head-fixing member in comparison with the nozzle surface of each of the liquid ejecting heads attached to the head-fixing member or level therewith. A recess is formed at a part of the inclined plane. In a state in which one of the caps faces the protection member and, in addition, each of the remaining caps is in contact with the nozzle surface of the liquid ejecting head, a part of the cap facing the protection member is in the recess, which ensures that the cap is not in contact with the protection member.

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: An object of this invention is to prevent prolongation of the time taken for a suction recovery operation while suppressing wasteful consumption of ink in the suction recovery operation. An ink-jet printing apparatus includes a plurality of caps which, when a plurality of nozzles of an ink-jet head are divided into a plurality of nozzle groups, are arranged one by one for the respective nozzle groups, and cap the respective nozzle groups, a suction pump which generates a negative pressure in the plurality of caps to suck ink from the plurality of nozzles, and is arranged commonly for the plurality of caps, and a control unit which controls the suction pump so as to make the negative pressure by the suction pump act on all the caps when a common negative pressure is generated in the plurality of caps, and make different negative pressures by the suction pump act sequentially on the plurality of caps when different negative pressures are generated in the respective caps.

Abstract: The invention prevents and suppresses wasteful expenditure of ink which occurs when recovering nozzles. In greater detail, a plurality of head units arranged in a direction which intersects a transportation direction of a printing medium is provided, a plurality of cleaning units is disposed to face the plurality of head units, and at least one of the plurality of cleaning units is selected and moved so as to be in close contact with the corresponding cleaning unit. By such a method, only the cleaning head unit which faces the head unit of which nozzles need to be recovered is selected and is brought into contact with the head unit, and liquid is sucked in from the nozzles of the head unit.

Abstract: There is provided an ink discharge apparatus including a discharge head provided with a nozzle surface having a first nozzle which is formed in the nozzle surface and via which a liquid droplet of a first ink is discharged and a second nozzle which is formed in the nozzle surface and via which a liquid droplet of a second ink, having a color deeper than a color of the first ink, is discharged; a maintenance device which performs maintenance of the discharge head; and an apparatus body in which the maintenance device is arranged. The maintenance device includes a suction cap which is arranged with respect to the apparatus body, with a predetermined clearance, so the suction cap is rockable three-dimensionally; and an urging mechanism which urges a corner portion of the suction cap in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle surface.

Abstract: A liquid jet head including: a wall portion (24) which surrounds a jetting hole column and protrudes in the same direction as a direction of openings of jetting holes; a lid member (62) which may open and close an opening formed in the wall portion; an opening and closing mechanism (60) for forming closed space between the wall portion and a jetting body (23) and for, in an open state, exposing the jetting holes to the outside; an absorber (40) provided on a back surface of the lid member, for absorbing liquid which overflows from the jetting holes; a suction flow path (15) which has a suction port (15a) that is open to the closed space and which is connected to an outside suction device (8); and an atmosphere release portion (33) which is switchable between release of the closed space to the outside and interruption thereof.

Abstract: A maintenance device for doing maintenance of an inkjet type recording apparatus having a recording head is provided. The maintenance device includes a selecting portion. The selecting portion has a plurality of movable bodies each corresponding to one of nozzle groups of the recording head. Each movable body is driven by the drive source so as to be movable between a selection position and a non-selection position. When arranged at the selection position, each movable body allows the suction portion to apply suction to the movable body and allows the wiper corresponding to the movable body to perform wiping. When arranged at the non-selection position, each movable body inhibits the suction portion from applying suction to the movable body and inhibits the wiper corresponding to the movable body from performing wiping.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a recording head having nozzle chips arranged in a staggered configuration along a second direction that intersects a first direction in which a sheet is conveyed, a first suction portion corresponding to a first row of nozzle chips in the staggered configuration, and a second suction portion corresponding to a second row of nozzle chips. The first suction portion and the second suction port are in a positional relationship in which they are displaced in the second direction so as to correspond to displacement between a first nozzle chip in the first row and its neighboring second nozzle chip in the second row in the second direction. The apparatus further includes a positioning member having a plurality of reference surfaces for use in positioning the recording head at different locations in a third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction.

Abstract: A printing apparatus to form an image on a recording medium is provided. The printing apparatus includes a recording head, an ink cartridge, which contains the ink therein, an ink cartridge storage to store the ink cartridge, an ink conveyer tube, which connects the recording head and the ink cartridge to convey the ink, and a maintenance system having an aspirator to aspirate the ink to be drawn in the recording head and the ink conveyer tube and a cap to cover a nozzle surface of the recording head, and a releasing system, which is arranged in the ink conveyer tube to switch an open state and a closed state. The releasing system is arranged in a position higher than a position of the ink cartridge so that the releasing system and the ink cartridge have a predetermined water head difference therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet printer and an inkjet printing method, which enable an ink that overflowed to the outside from the edge of a printing medium to be fully absorbed by a platen. More specifically, the present invention provides an inkjet printer, having a platen, which absorbs a pigment ink that overflows to the outside of a printing medium when edgeless printing is carried out on the printing medium by using an ink that employs a pigment as a colorant, moving a printing head along a guide shaft, and ejecting the pigment ink from the printing head, and also an inkjet printing method, wherein the platen is impregnated with a humecant, a base, and the like.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus, method and computer readable medium are provided. The inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head comprising a nozzle formation surface having a plurality of ink discharging nozzles formed thereon; a wiper which has elasticity and wipes the nozzle formation surface by pressingly contacting against the nozzle formation surface of the recording head; and a moving unit which moves at least one of the recording head and the wiper to wipe the nozzle formation surface at a first relative speed and moves the at least one of the recording head and the wiper to separate from each other at a second relative speed, which is less than the first relative speed. The method includes moving at least one of the inkjet recording head and the wiper relative to each other so that the wiper wipes the nozzle formation surface at a first relative speed; and separating the wiper from the inkjet recording head at a second relative speed, which is less than the first relative speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a liquid discharge head to discharge droplets of a recording liquid to form an image on a recording medium and a maintenance-and-recovery mechanism to perform a maintenance and recovery operation on the liquid discharge head. The maintenance-and-recovery mechanism includes a suction device, a control unit, a drain tube, and a drain reservoir. The suction device suctions droplets of the recording liquid from the liquid discharge head. The suctioned droplets are not used for an image forming operation. The control unit controls a suction speed of the suction device. The drain reservoir stores the suctioned droplets drained from the drain tube. The drain tube is inclined relative to an opening portion of the drain reservoir. The control unit controls the suction speed of the suction device to change a drain speed of the suctioned droplets drained from the drain tube.

Abstract: A liquid-droplet jetting apparatus which jets a liquid droplet of a liquid, includes: a liquid-droplet jetting head which has a nozzle for jetting the liquid droplet of the liquid; a maintenance mechanism which includes: a suction cap which comes into contact with and separates from the liquid-droplet jetting head and which faces the nozzle; a suction pump which sucks a fluid in a space defined by the suction cap and the liquid-droplet jetting head in a state that the suction cap comes into contact with the liquid-droplet jetting head; and a discharge tube which is connected to the suction pump and discharges the fluid flowing through the suction pump; and a maintenance controller which controls the maintenance mechanism.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a plurality of nozzles, an ejection head capable of ejecting a liquid through the nozzles, a cap member that is capable of being brought into contact with the ejection head so as to maintain or regain initial ejection characteristics of the nozzles, a packing member with a changeable volume that is capable of being packed into a gap between the cap member and the ejection head, and a driving unit that is capable of changing the volume of the packing member.

Abstract: A printer is provided which has two pagewidth printheads arranged to eject ink from ink ejection nozzles disposed along the respective pagewidth onto opposite surfaces of print media being transported therepast, and a capping/purging mechanism. The capping/purging mechanism has two rotatable turrets arranged so that each turret is associated with a respective one of the printheads and an actuating mechanism for selectively rotating and moving each turret. Each turret has located on respective faces thereof, a capping member, platen and purging chamber connected in fluid passage communication with a suction device. The actuating mechanism selectively rotates each turret to align the respective capping member, platen and purging chamber with the respective printhead and selectively moves each turret to engage the respectively aligned capping member or purging chamber with the respective printhead.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a liquid tank which retains a liquid; a liquid jetting head connected to the liquid tank and having a nozzle for jetting the liquid; a carriage on which the liquid tank and the liquid jetting head are provided; a recovery mechanism which recovers the liquid jetting head; a memory which retains predetermined history information; and a controller which controls the recovery mechanism based on the history information. The recovery mechanism selectively executes a first recovery operation for discharging air from the liquid tank and a second recovery operation for discharging air from the liquid tank and for discharging the liquid from the nozzle, and the controller controls the recovery mechanism to perform the first recovery operation if the history information in the memory includes an abnormality when a power of the image forming apparatus is switched ON.

Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes a jetting head unit which has a nozzle which jets droplets of a liquid, and a heat generating section, a suction port which is formed in the jetting head unit, and which opens near the nozzle, and a suction device which sucks air around the nozzle from the suction port, and cools down the heat generating section of the jetting head unit by the air which is sucked. Since the heat generating portion is cooled down by the air sucked from the suction port by the suction device, it is possible to reduce a possibility of the heat of the heat generating section being transferred to the jetting head unit, and destabilizing an operation of the jetting head unit. Moreover, since the suction port opens near the nozzle, it is possible to suck fine liquid droplets together with air around the nozzle.

Abstract: A cleaning control method accurately detects the nozzle recovery condition after cleaning and efficiently eliminates ejection problems. When a regular cleaning command is received from a host device 31, the inkjet printer 1 applies an ink suction operation to the inkjet head 13 as a first cleaning step. After the ink suction operation ends, a nozzle check is performed after waiting a delay time T. If a faulty nozzle is detected, a second ink suction operation is performed, the delay time T is waited, and the nozzle check is then run again. The ink suction operation, waiting delay time T, and nozzle check repeat during regular cleaning until the number of faulty nozzles is less than or equal to a reference number, or the nozzle check has been performed a maximum number of times. Each delay time T is set according to the suction strength in the ink suction operation.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: plural heads arrayed in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of a recording medium and configured to eject ejection liquids onto the conveyed recording medium from plural nozzle holes formed on nozzle surfaces; a cap unit configured to simultaneously cap the nozzle surfaces of all the plural heads; a suction unit configured to simultaneously suck all the nozzle holes on the nozzle surfaces of one head among the plural heads; and a contact and separation mechanism configured to relatively move the cap unit and suction unit and the nozzle surfaces of the heads to be capable of coming into contact with and separating from each other.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head portion which ejects liquid; a plurality of liquid reception portions which receive the liquid discharged from the head portion and in which flow-out ports of the liquid are provided on the bottoms; a suction pump which is connected to each of the flow-out ports of the plurality of the liquid reception portions and sucks the flow-out ports; and closure members each of which is provided in each of the plurality of liquid reception portions, is formed so as to float in the liquid, and closes each of the flow-out ports in a state where the liquid has flown out.

Abstract: A plurality of ejection portions are divided into groups, each containing at least one ejection portion, so that the suction-based recovery operation can be performed for each group independently. Since the number of ejection portions contained in each group differs, if an ink flow resistance varies among the different groups, simultaneous suction-based recovery operations can be done by using a common suction pump, without having to sequentially perform the suction-based recovery operations under an optimum pump driving condition. For this purpose, inner diameters of a plurality of ink discharge tubes running from a plurality of cap units, which cap a plurality of print head units having different numbers of ejection portions, to the common pump are differentiated. This allows different flows to be produced in different ink discharge systems, thus generating desirable ink flows for individual ink supply systems.

Abstract: There is a first process of pressurizing the liquid introduced into the discharge pipe by driving a pump device and transferring the liquid to one end side of the discharge pipe; a second process of applying an electric field between a liquid reception unit, which is disposed to face the surface of the nozzle openings of the liquid ejecting head in a non-contact state, communicates with the other end side of the discharge pipe and is ejected with liquid from the nozzles, and the surface of the nozzle openings; a third process of detecting a change in voltage based on electrostatic induction when the pressurizing of the liquid in the discharge pipe due to the pump device is released; and a fourth process of detecting the discharge state of the liquid from the discharge pipe on the basis of detection result of the change in voltage.

Abstract: A buffer tank mounted on a head holder has a plurality of air discharge valves for discharging the air accumulated in inks to the outside. The air discharge valve includes a valve body for opening and closing the passage bore and a valve rod provided extending from the valve body downwardly. A maintenance unit is provided outside the buffer tank, which includes an air discharge cap for covering the lower ends of the passage bores and a plurality of air discharge rods provided corresponding to the air discharge valves respectively. The air discharge rods are different in length from one another, depending on the colors of ink. When the air discharge rods are lifted up simultaneously by a lifting, they come into direct contact with the lower ends of the corresponding valve rods in sequence as their movements are delayed one after another, hence opening the valve bodies separately.

Abstract: A disclosed droplet discharge apparatus includes a droplet discharge head; a head sealing member that is disposed so as to face the droplet discharge head and that is moved to a position where a surface of the droplet discharge head is sealed off from outside of the head sealing member; and a suction force generator that generates a suction force inside the head sealing member. Further, the head sealing member moves droplets remaining on a nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head along the nozzle surface and suctioning as well as suctioning ink from a nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head.

Abstract: An ink-jet type image recording apparatus includes a recording head which has a nozzle surface having a plurality of nozzles formed therein; a suction mechanism which generates a suction force, a first cap having a first lip portion, and a second cap having a second lip section. Since the second lip portion has a stiffness higher than that of the first lip portion, it is possible to provide an ink-jet type image recording apparatus including a second cap capable of preventing a deformation due to a negative pressure generated inside the second cap, and a first cap capable of maintaining a moisture-retained state of a nozzle group with a less load exerted on the recording head.

Abstract: When a negative pressure is introduced into a closed space formed by a cap abutting to an ejecting head, the cap abuts to the ejecting head with a greater pressing force than that in a case where the negative pressure is not introduced into the closed space. Therefore, the cap can abut to the ejecting head with a weak pressing force during the time when the negative pressure is not introduced, it can be avoided that the cap abuts to the ejecting head with a significant pressing force over a long time, and collapse of the cap can be significantly suppressed.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning an inkjet print head includes: a cleaning plate disposed to correspond to an inkjet print head with an ink flow space interposed therebetween; and a pneumatic device installed in the ink flow space and removing ink in a direction different from a direction in which ink is discharged by changing a fluid pressure of the ink remaining at a nozzle of the inkjet print head.

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: A channel member formed with a liquid storing chamber and a communication channel is configured to be tilted together with a droplet ejecting head. A cap member is configured to be movable between: a standby position spaced away from a droplet ejecting surface; and a capping position at which the cap member is in close contact with the droplet ejecting surface and covers droplet ejecting openings. A cap drive section drives the cap member to move between the standby position and the capping position. When the cap drive section drives the cap member to move to the capping position, the cap member presses the droplet ejecting head, and the channel member is tilted together with the droplet ejecting head in such a manner that a connection section between the liquid storing chamber and the communication channel is located at a position higher than the liquid storing chamber.

Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes a jetting head unit which has a nozzle which jets droplets of a liquid, and a heat generating section, a suction port which is formed in the jetting head unit, and which opens near the nozzle, and a suction device which sucks air around the nozzle from the suction port, and cools down the heat generating section of the jetting head unit by the air which is sucked. Since the heat generating portion is cooled down by the air sucked from the suction port by the suction device, it is possible to reduce a possibility of the heat of the heat generating section being transferred to the jetting head unit, and destabilizing an operation of the jetting head unit. Moreover, since the suction port opens near the nozzle, it is possible to suck fine liquid droplets together with air around the nozzle.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a liquid tank, a first fluid flow path supplying liquid to the recording head, a second fluid flow path being in communication with the liquid tank, a pressure adjusting valve allowing fluid communication between the first and the second fluid flow paths, a cap member covering a nozzle surface of the recording head, and a suction unit being in communication with the cap member. The pressure adjusting valve includes a movable member movably disposed in the internal fluid flow path, wherein the movable member includes a sealing unit that seals the communication between the first and the second fluid flow paths when the cap member covers the nozzle surface of the recording head and a negative pressure is generated in a cap-member space formed between the cap member and the nozzle surface by driving the suction unit.

Abstract: Activation/deactivation of a pump 50 is executed with a delay of a predetermined time from a forward/reverse switching of rotation of a conveying roller 2, while an activation/deactivation of lock means 20 is executed simultaneous with a forward/reverse switching of rotation of the conveying roller 2, and, at the switching of the driving direction of the conveying roller, a difference in timing is provided in the drive transmission so as not to transmit the driving power to the pump for a time necessary for the activation/deactivation switching of the lock means. By separating the cap from the recording head while retaining a negative pressure in the cap after the ink suction operation, thereby reducing the ink amount remaining on the discharge port face or in the cap after the ink suction operation.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a recording head arranged so as to oppose a sheet moving in a first direction, in which a plurality of first nozzle chips and a plurality of second nozzle chips each having a nozzle array are arranged as different arrays in a second direction crossing the first direction, and in which the first nozzle chips and the second nozzle chips adjacent to each other are shifted from each other in the second direction, a first suction unit opposed to the first nozzle chips and configured to suction ink from a part of the nozzle arrays included in the first nozzle chips, a second suction unit opposed to the second nozzle chips and configured to suction ink from a part of the nozzle arrays included in the second nozzle chips, a suction holder configured to retain the first suction unit and the second suction unit, and a movement mechanism configured to cause relative movement between the recording head and the suction holder in the second direction, wherein the first suction unit and the second suct

Abstract: Liquid jet (3) print head (T) comprising: a generator (1) of drops of liquid, the lower part of which comprises a plate (2) equipped with at least one nozzle (4) for ejecting the liquid, a sorting block (5) laid out below the nozzle plate (2) and offset in relation to the axis (Z) of the nozzle; wherein the block and the generator are fixed in relation to each other by delimiting a first space (9) and by forming an angle ? in a vertical plane (YZ), means (50, 51) to suck up any stagnant liquid (13) in the first space and/or in the angle before the ejection of liquid via the nozzle at the start up of printing.

Abstract: Embodiments of a biodegradable absorbent material in a permeable membrane are disclosed.

Abstract: There are provided a printing apparatus and printing method capable of collecting unwanted ink mist and achieving high-quality printing by fine ink droplets. According to the method, the charges of a printing medium are removed prior to printing, and an ink mist collecting unit having an electrode of a positive polarity is employed. Floating ink mist is collected such that ink mist generated from discharged ink droplets and negatively charged is moved toward the ink mist collecting unit by the electrostatic force.

Abstract: A push latch cam is provided so as to be rotatable integrally with a intermittence gear, a cam driving gear for rotating a wiper support member cam rotates in connection with the rotation of the intermittence gear, and in a range in which the intermittence gear is engaged with a planetary gear, so that the intermittence gear can be rotated, a rotation range of the intermittence gear capable of opening and closing a atmosphere opening valve by the push latch mechanism and a rotation range of the intermittence gear in which the wiper is displaced by the rotation of the wiper support member cam are set in non-overlapped positions.

Abstract: Even in the case where preliminary ejection is performed by a recording head having an array of pigment ink ejection outlets and an array of dye ink ejection outlets in which a length of the pigment ink ejection outlet array is longer than a length of the dye ink ejection outlet array, deposition of preliminarily ejected pigment ink at a preliminary ejection receiving portion is effectively prevented by providing an inclined surface at the preliminary ejection receiving portion so that ink from the dye ink ejection outlets is received at an upstream position of the inclined surface and ink from the pigment ink ejection outlets is received at a downstream position of the inclined surface in a direction of gravity.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head with one nozzle group for ejecting one type liquid and another nozzle group for ejecting two types of liquid, thereby ejecting multiple types of liquid from the nozzle groups. A cap forms a sealing space that is suctioned by a suction pump. Flow-passages supply the liquid from a liquid container toward the liquid ejecting head. Flow-passage pumps in the downstream side of the liquid container in the flow-passages suction the liquid from the liquid container and discharge the liquid toward the downstream side. A choke valve has a valve chamber at the downstream side of the flow-passage pump to allow the liquid to flow therein. A flexible member changes a volume of the valve chamber by flexing. A discharge hole in an inner portion of the valve chamber is opened or closed by the flexing of the flexible member.