| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090058908 | Liquid jetting apparatus and maintenance method of the liquid jetting apparatus - A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a first liquid jetting head having a nozzle which jets a first liquid supplied from a first liquid supply source; a second liquid jetting head having a nozzle which jets a second liquid supplied from a second liquid supply source; a liquid shortage detecting section detecting shortage of the first liquid in the first liquid supply source; a state detecting section which detects a state of the first liquid jetting head since a time at which the shortage of the first liquid has been detected by the liquid shortage detecting section up to a time at which the shortage of the first liquid is solved; a recovery mechanism which performs a recovery operation of the first liquid jetting head and the second liquid jetting head; and a controller which controls the first liquid jetting head, the second liquid jetting head, and the recovery mechanism. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090066737 | Image forming apparatus and image forming system - An image forming apparatus includes: a liquid jetting head jetting a liquid to form an image; a recovery mechanism discharging the liquid in the liquid jetting head to an external part to recover jetting performance of the liquid jetting head; a controller controlling an operation of the recovery mechanism; and an information obtaining section obtaining predetermined information, wherein the controller controls the recovery mechanism according to the predetermined information obtained by the information obtaining section. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090085965 | Inkjet printer - An inkjet printer is provided. The inkjet printer includes: an inkjet head which ejects ink toward a surface of a recording medium; a platen provided opposed to the inkjet head to support the recording medium from an opposite side of the inkjet head; and an absorber provided opposed to the inkjet head at the same side as the platen with respect to the recording medium supported by the platen. The absorber includes a plurality of regions different in absorption rate from one another in a plan view observed from a normal direction of the recording medium supported by the platen. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090091593 | Droplet ejection - A droplet ejection device includes a carriage capable of moving back and forth, a droplet ejection head which is mounted on the carriage and has a plurality of nozzles, and a droplet receiver positioned capable of receiving liquid ejected from the nozzles. The nozzles which eject a droplet of a second liquid is positioned, in a flushing region, farthest from a printing region compared to the other nozzles. The droplet ejection device is configured to move the carriage after flushing operation so that the nozzles for ejecting a droplet of the second liquid are brought to a position where the nozzles face a part of the droplet receiver where a droplet of the first liquid has been received. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090141071 | LIQUID DROPLET JETTING APPARATUS - A printer comprises a fixed line type first head, a serial type second head, an ink cartridge which stores an ink to be supplied to the first and second heads, a first cap which is to be installed to the first head, and a second cap which is to be installed to the second head. The ink cartridge and the first and second heads are connected in series in this order by using tubes. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the lengths of the tubes. The serial type head, in which the drying is hardly caused from a nozzle and the influence is exerted to a small extent on the jetting performance when any viscosity-increased liquid and/or bubbles is/are supplied, is arranged on the downstream side. Accordingly, it is possible to decrease the frequency of the recovery operation. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090141074 | LIQUID DROPLET JETTING APPARATUS - A printer comprises a first head which has first nozzles, a second head which has second nozzles each having a nozzle diameter larger than that of the first nozzle, and an ink cartridge which stores an ink to be supplied to the first and second heads. The first head is directly connected to the ink cartridge by means of a tube. The second head is connected to the first head by means of a tube, and thus the second head is connected to the ink cartridge via the first head. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the tubes by connecting the ink cartridge and the two heads in series. Further, it is possible to decrease the frequency of the recovery operation by arranging, on the downstream side in the liquid supply direction, the head in which the jetting failure is hardly caused. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20100053257 | Liquid Droplet Jetting Apparatus - A printer controls a suction pump such that a difference in a discharge amount of an ink and a flow speed of the ink discharged from each nozzle is small between a complete purge in which all ink supply portions connected to a second head communicate with an atmosphere, and a suction purge is performed simultaneously for the nozzles of all types of the second head, and a partial purge in which a communication of a part of the ink supply portions with the atmosphere is blocked by a dummy cartridge, and the suction purge is performed only for the nozzles corresponding to the ink supply portions of which the communication with the atmosphere is not blocked. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100238208 | LIQUID EJECTION DEVICES - A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection head and a cartridge mounting portion configured to selectively mount an initial liquid cartridge and a replacement liquid cartridge The liquid ejection device also includes a controller configured to determine whether a mounting action of the liquid cartridge to the cartridge mounting portion has occurred, determine whether the liquid cartridge mounted by the mounting action is the initial liquid cartridge or the replacement liquid cartridge, and determine whether liquid has been initially introduced to the liquid ejection head. When the controller determines that the mounting action has occurred and the liquid cartridge mounted by the mounting action is the initial liquid cartridge after liquid has been initially introduced to the liquid ejection head, the controller prevents the initial liquid cartridge from being used or gives warning. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100245501 | LIQUID CONTAINERS - A liquid container includes a liquid chamber configured to store liquid, and a float positioned in the liquid chamber and configured to move according to a change in a level of a liquid surface in the liquid chamber. The float includes a liquid-retaining portion configured to retain liquid therein, and at least a portion of the liquid-retaining portion is positioned above the liquid surface when a portion of the float is positioned above the liquid surface. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100328404 | LIQUID SUPPLY DEVICES AND LIQUID CARTRIDGES - A liquid supply device includes a liquid cartridge, which has a liquid chamber that stores liquid, a cartridge mounting portion, and a surface detector. The liquid chamber has a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The liquid cartridge removably attaches to the cartridge mounting portion. The surface detector detects a surface of the liquid stored in the liquid chamber. A horizontal cross-sectional area of the first portion of the liquid chamber is less than each of a horizontal cross-sectional area of the second portion and the third portion of the liquid chamber, and the first portion of the liquid chamber is positioned between the second portion and the third portion of the liquid chamber in a direction orthogonal to the horizontal cross-sectional area of the first portion of the liquid chamber. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110001772 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a detector configured to be in a first state when an amount of liquid stored in a liquid container is greater than a first threshold amount, and to be in a second state when the amount of liquid is less than or equal to the first threshold amount, an estimator configured to estimate the amount of liquid, and a determiner configured to determine that, if it is determined that the state of the detector has changed from the first state to the second state, the liquid container has become a low-amount state, and that, if it is determined that the amount of liquid estimated by the estimator has become less than or equal to the second threshold amount, which is less than the first threshold amount, the liquid container has become the low-amount state. | 01-06-2011 |
