Abstract: A liquid-consuming apparatus includes: a tank including a liquid storage chamber which stores a liquid, an inlet formed in a surface of the tank, and an outlet through which the liquid from the liquid storage chamber flows; a cap which is movable between a first position and a second position; a cover which is movable relative to the tank between a closed position and an open position; and a holding member which is connected to the cap and which holds the cap at the second position. The cap at the second position or the holding member is configured to obstruct a movement of the cover from the open position to the closed position.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an inkjet recording apparatus 100 capable of performing recording continuously on both surfaces of a web 1, including a plurality of recording heads H1 to H8 disposed on a substrate, driers 5a and 5b for drying the web 1 recorded by the recording heads H1 to H8, and guide rollers A1 to A8, B1 to B8, and G1 to G8 for guiding the web 1, in which a traveling path of the web 1 is switchable so that the web 1 passes between any selected adjacent ones of the recording heads H1 to H8, the recording head upstream of the position where the web passes performs recording on one surface 1a of the web 1, and the recording head downstream of the position where the web 1 passes performs recording on the other surface 1b of the web 1, and an inkjet recording method using the same.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.

Abstract: A treatment liquid for ink jet recording, containing a polyvalent metal ion and water. A dissolved carbon dioxide concentration in the treatment liquid is 4 mg/l or lower.

Abstract: First humidified gas is supplied from a first supply port to a sheet to be conveyed, thereby increasing the moisture content of the sheet. Simultaneously, second humidified gas is supplied to a space where nozzles of the inkjet recording head are exposed, from a second supply port provided at a position closer to the inkjet recording head than the first supply port, thereby increasing the atmosphere humidity of the space. The part of the sheet of which the moisture content has been increased is made to enter the space where the atmosphere humidity has been increased, and recording is performed by the inkjet recording head.

Abstract: When a film containing constituent elements of a target is formed on a substrate through a vapor deposition process using plasma with placing the substrate and the target to face each other, a potential in a spatial range of at least 10 mm extending laterally from the outer circumference of the substrate is controlled to be equal to a potential on the substrate, and/or the substrate is surrounded with a wall surface having a potential controlled to be equal to the potential on the substrate.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead assembly for use in an inkjet printer, the inkjet printhead assembly includes an array of nozzles disposed along a nozzle array direction; an ink chamber including an ink outlet that is fluidly connected to the array of nozzles; and an air-permeable membrane positioned in the ink chamber at an angle that is inclined relative to the nozzle array direction.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead has been developed that includes an ink reservoir vent, which prevents ink from exiting the ink reservoir through the vent. The inkjet printhead includes a reservoir, an ink inlet, a vent opening, and a vent member. The reservoir contains a supply of ink and an air space above the supply of ink. The vent member extends from the vent opening and includes a first vent member opening positioned in an air space outside of the reservoir, a second vent member opening positioned in the air space above the supply of ink, and a vent channel configured to couple fluidly the first vent member opening to the second vent member opening. The second vent member opening is positioned within the reservoir to enable the second vent member opening to remain within the air space above the supply of ink regardless of a printhead orientation.

Abstract: In an ink jet print head formed with ejection nozzles, which may use a wiping member to wipe ink adhered to the surface of the ink jet print head, it is desired to be able to perform a wiping operation in any environment without requiring a large amount of space to accommodate the liquid used during the wiping operation. To this end, a cooling unit is used which can produce water by cooling the atmosphere. This cooling unit is operated to produce water, which is brought into contact with and transferred onto the wiping member before the wiping member performs wiping.

Abstract: The liquid ejection apparatus includes: a recording head which includes a nozzle and an ejection device, the ejection device ejecting an ejection liquid through the nozzle by applying pressure to the ejection liquid in the recording head; a liquid accommodation unit which is in connection with the recording head and which accommodates a gas, the ejection liquid to be supplied to the recording head, and a non-volatile liquid having a permeability to the gas lower than the ejection liquid, the ejection liquid being separated from the gas by the non-volatile liquid; and a pressure control unit which controls pressure of the ejection liquid in the liquid accommodation unit by moving the gas into and out of the liquid accommodation unit.

Abstract: Various configurations and applications of traveling wave grids are disclosed. Systems for transporting particles to feed apertures, and/or for transporting particles from storage reservoirs are described. The systems are particularly useful for transporting toner particles in printing systems.

Abstract: In an apparatus for supplying a droplet on a substrate and a method of manufacturing a display apparatus, the apparatus includes a base body, a dropping unit and a vapor supplying unit. The base body corresponds to the substrate disposed on a stage. The dropping unit is disposed on the base body. The dropping unit includes a nozzle to drop the droplet on the substrate. The vapor supplying unit is disposed adjacent to the dropping unit to supply the droplet dropped onto the substrate with a volatile solvent vapor. Therefore, an evaporation rate of the droplet dropped onto pixels is adjusted to uniformize a thickness of the layer, thereby improving the image display quality.

Abstract: A method and printing system are provided. The printing system includes a liquid drop ejector, a fluid passage, and a fluid flow. The liquid drop ejector is operable to eject liquid drops having a plurality of volumes along a first path. The fluid passage includes a temperature gradient in the passage. The fluid flow source is operable to cause a fluid to flow in a direction through the passage, wherein interaction of the fluid flow and the liquid drops causes liquids drops having one of the plurality of volumes to begin moving along a second path.

Abstract: A device for device for applying a plurality of microdroplets onto a substrate has a plurality of nozzle orifices in a dosing head. In addition to walls for defining a liquid column of a medium to be dosed on each nozzle orifice, a pressure chamber is provided, which is adapted to be filled with a buffer medium and which is arranged in such a way that said buffer medium can simultaneously be used for applying a pressure to the liquid-column ends which are spaced apart from the nozzle orifices. A pressure generator is provided for applying a pressure to said buffer medium in such a way that a plurality of microdroplets will simultaneously be applied onto the substrate through said plurality of nozzle orifices. Finally, liquid reservoirs for the media to be dosed, which are in fluid communication with the liquid columns on the nozzle orifices are provided.

Abstract: An inkjet apparatus comprising a jetting unit comprising a stage on which a substrate to be jetted is seated, a nozzle head disposed on the stage; a gas supplying unit comprising an auxiliary gas supply supportively supplying a gas to the jetting unit, and a gas supply selector which selects either a gas supplied from the outside or a gas supplied from the auxiliary gas supply. Thus, the present invention provides an inkjet apparatus which lowers equipment damages due to abnormal gas supply from the outside.

Abstract: The present invention provides a gas-permeable hollow fiber membrane having an inner diameter of 50 to 500 &mgr;m and a membrane thickness of 10 to 150 &mgr;m, which is, preferably a composite hollow fiber membrane having a three-layer structure consisting of a nonporous layer having porous layers disposed on both sides thereof. Dissolved gases present in an ink can be removed by passing the ink through the bores of hollow fibers comprising such a hollow fiber membrane, and evacuating the outer surface side of the hollow fibers. This method makes it possible not only to degas inks with a slight pressure loss, but also to degas inks stably even if pressure changes occur during degassing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an image weatherability testing process for evaluating the weatherability of an image, which comprises the steps of placing the image in a mixed gas atmosphere of ozone and at least another gas than ozone and irradiating the image under the mixed gas atmosphere with light having a prescribed wavelength in a prescribed quantity of light, and an apparatus used in this process.

Abstract: A liquid container has a movable member which defines a liquid containing space and which is displaced as the liquid is supplied, a valve for allowing a gas to be introduced into the containing space from the outside and for preventing the liquid from being extracted from the containing space to the outside, and an introduction channel for coupling the valve and the containing space to guide the introduced gas into the containing space. An intake port of the introduction channel located on the containing space side is positioned in an upper part of the containing space in an orientation in use. A negative pressure is kept substantially constant to consume the liquid completely. Since the air introduction for keeping the negative pressure at an adequate value is carried out in a region in a gaseous phase in the container, no leakage of ink occurs, and air is reliably introduced.

Abstract: An ink reservoir (166) has a plurality of thin bodies (164) provided in a housing (161) at gaps from each other. Ink in the housing (161) is held by a capillary force generated by the thin bodies (164). An ink guide portion (167) which is set at a gap between one end of the liquid ink (166) and an inner wall of the housing (161) is provided so that a capillary force in the vicinity of an ink supply port (165) is larger than that of the liquid reservoir (166).

Abstract: An ink composition and an ink cartridge having the ink composition are provided. The ink composition includes a colorant and an aqueous carrier. The ink composition has a dissolved gas content of less than 3 ppm as measured on the basis of the amount of dissolved oxygen gas at 20° C. at 20° C., a static surface tension at 25° C. of greater than 34 dynes/cm, and an advancing contact angle relative to an ink receiving receiver of less than about 55° at room temperature. The ink container can be a collapsible bag.

Abstract: This invention relates to the use of a priming fluid in ink jet printers and in particular, to the use of an aqueous priming fluid used in conjunction with aqueous based ink jet inks in ink jet printers using ink jet printheads, such as, piezo ink jet printer heads.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating a receiver from a micro-fluidic contact print head after ink image pixels have been printed by the print head on the receiver, including a print head having a plurality of ink channels for delivering ink to the receiver when the receiver is in ink transfer contact with the print head; including an air supply device and air plenum which are associated with each ink channel and defining an air channel for conducting air to the air plenum; and the apparatus is effective after the ink has been transferred from the plurality of ink channels to the receiver for causing air to be delivered from the air supply device to the air channel and into the air plenum to exert a pressure which causes the separation of the receiver from the print head.

Abstract: A marking apparatus is disclosed in which a propellant stream is passed through a channel and directed toward a substrate. A liquid marking material, such as ink, is controllably introduced into the propellant stream and imparted with sufficient kinetic energy thereby to be made incident upon a substrate. A multiplicity of channels for directing the propellant and marking material allow for high throughput, high resolution marking. Multiple marking materials may be introduced into the channel and mixed therein prior to being made incident on the substrate, or mixed or superimposed on the substrate without registration. One example is a single-pass, full-color printer.