Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Kenta Hayashida

Hiroto Sugahara

Suguru Tomoguchi

Hirofumi Kondo

Ayako Ohishi

Taro Nagano

Kazuma Goto

Yasuhiro Taga

Mitsunori Maeda

Michiko Aoyama

Akiko Miyajima

Misaki Takeuchi

Suguru Tomoguchii

A liquid discharging device includes a head, a cap, a first wiper, a discharge channel, and a controller. The head ejects liquid from a nozzle. The cap is configured to abut against a nozzle surface at a covered position and to separate from the nozzle surface in a retracted position. The first wiper wipes the nozzle surface. The discharge channel connects an internal space of the cap to an outside of the cap. The controller executes a first maintenance process and a second maintenance process. In the first maintenance process, a first maintenance liquid contacts the cap in the retracted position and the first wiper. In the second maintenance process, a second maintenance liquid different from the first maintenance liquid is distributed to the internal space of the cap and the discharge channel.

Liquid discharging device and method for performing maintenance of liquid discharging device

There is provided an ink-jet recording method including: formation of an achromatic color recording area in a recording medium by using an achromatic color-ink; formation of a chromatic color recording area in the recording medium by using at least one chromatic color-ink; and formation of a boundary area including a first achromatic color boundary area formed by the achromatic color-ink and the chromatic color-inks, and a second achromatic color boundary area formed by the chromatic color-inks, wherein the first achromatic color boundary area is located to be adjacent to the achromatic color recording area, and the second achromatic color boundary area is located to be adjacent to the chromatic color recording area; and the boundary area is formed to have a width of not more than 340 &#x3bc;m, and the second achromatic color boundary area is formed to have a width of not more than 170 &#x3bc;m.

Ink-jet recording method and ink-jet recording apparatus

A liquid cartridge includes a liquid chamber, a partitioning wall partitioning the liquid chamber into a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber, a communication opening through which liquid can flow from the first liquid chamber to the second liquid chamber, and a movable member which is movable between a block position and a communication position. When the movable member is in the block position, the movable member is configured to prevent the liquid from flowing from the first liquid chamber to the second liquid chamber through the communication opening, and when the movable member is in the communication position, the liquid is allowed to flow from the first liquid chamber to the second liquid chamber through the communication opening.

Liquid cartridge

A liquid consuming apparatus includes a liquid container, a detector, and a controller. The liquid container includes a movable member, and the movable member includes a detection portion. The detector is configured to output a detection signal based on the presence or absence of the detection portion in a detection position. The controller is configured to measure, based on the detection signal output from the detector, a physical quantity, based on which a velocity of the detection portion can be specified, and is configured to determine whether the physical quantity is within a threshold range.

Liquid consuming apparatus

A liquid cartridge includes a liquid chamber configured to store liquid therein, a liquid supply portion configured to supply the liquid from the liquid chamber to the outside of the liquid cartridge, an air communication portion configured to bring the liquid chamber into communication with the atmosphere outside the liquid cartridge, and a capillary portion having a first end configured to be in communication with the liquid chamber and a second end configured to be in communication with the atmosphere outside the liquid cartridge. The capillary portion is configured to move the liquid from the first end to the second end therethrough by capillary force when the liquid chamber is brought into communication with the atmosphere outside the liquid cartridge via the air communication portion.

A liquid consuming apparatus includes a liquid cartridge including a capillary portion having a first end configured to be in communication with the liquid chamber and a second end configured to be in communication with the atmosphere outside the liquid cartridge. The apparatus also includes a detector configured to output a detection signal based on the presence or absence of the liquid in a detection position in the capillary portion and a controller configured to measure, based on the detection signal output from the detector, a physical quantity, based on which a velocity of liquid moving in the capillary portion can be specified and determine whether the physical quantity is within a threshold range.

A liquid cartridge includes a movable member and the movable member includes a detection portion and an anchor. The liquid cartridge also includes a restriction member and the restriction member includes an operation portion and a restriction portion. When the operation portion is in a first position, the restriction portion is configured to contact the movable member such that the movement of the anchor is restricted within a restricted range. When the operation portion is in a second position, the restriction portion is configured to release the movable member such that the anchor is positioned in a free range which is below the restricted range.

A liquid cartridge includes a movable member and the movable member includes a detection portion and a float. The liquid cartridge also includes a restriction member and the restriction member includes an operation portion and a restriction portion. When the operation portion is in a first position, the restriction portion is configured to contact the movable member such that the movement of the float is restricted within a restricted range. When the operation portion is in a second position, the restriction portion is configured to release the movable member such that the float is positioned in a free range which is above the restricted range.

A liquid consuming apparatus includes a liquid cartridge, a detector, and a controller. The liquid cartridge includes a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber. The detector is configured to output a detection signal based on an amount of liquid which has flowed from the first liquid chamber to the second liquid chamber. The controller is configured to measure, based on the detection signal output from the detector, a physical quantity, based on which a flow rate of liquid flowing from the first liquid chamber to the second liquid chamber can be specified, and is configured to determine whether the physical quantity is within a threshold range.

A water-based ink set includes a yellow ink, a magenta ink, and a cyan ink, each including a coloring agent, water, and a water-soluble organic solvent. The yellow ink includes dyes (Y-1) and (Y-2), the magenta ink includes dyes (M-1) and (M-2), and the cyan ink includes a dye (C-1). Dye (Y-1): a dye represented by the formula (Y-1) Dye (Y-2): at least one dye selected from the group consisting of C. I. Direct Yellow 86, C. I. Direct Yellow 132, and C. I. Direct Yellow 142 Dye (M-1): a dye represented by the formula (M-1) Dye (M-2): at least one dye selected from the group consisting of dyes represented by a formula (M-2a), dyes represented by the formula (M-2b), C. I. Acid Red 1, and C. I. Acid Red 254 Dye (C-1): a dye represented by the formula (C-1). 

Water-based ink set for ink jet recording, ink cartridge, and ink-jet recording apparatus

A water-based ink for ink-jet recording includes a coloring agent, water, and a water-soluble organic solvent. The coloring agent includes the following a dye (1) and a dye (2). 

Water-based ink for ink-jet recording, ink cartridge, and ink-jet recording apparatus

An ink-jet recording method includes: determining an aggregation degree G (AB) brought about when the ink A and the ink B are brought in contact with each other, at least one of the ink A and the ink B containing a pigment; judging, based on the aggregation degree G (AB), whether or not a boundary portion PC is to be formed at a boundary between a recording portion PA of the ink A and a recording portion PB of the ink B by using an ink C; forming the recording portion PA; forming the recording portion PB; and forming the boundary portion PC if it is judged that the boundary portion PC is to be formed. In the ink jet recording method, the cost is low, the recording quality of a recorded matter is excellent, and the bleeding can be effectively avoided.

A water-based ink for ink-jet recording includes a self-dispersing pigment, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, and an acetylene glycol surfactant. An amount of the self-dispersing pigment (solid content) relative to a total amount of the ink is in a range of about 3.5 wt % to about 4.5 wt %. The water-soluble organic solvent includes glycerin and dipropylene glycol propyl ether, an amount of the glycerin relative to a total amount of the ink is in a range of about 15 wt % to about 25 wt %, and an amount of the dipropylene glycol propyl ether relative to a total amount of the ink is in a range of about 2.0 wt % to about 3.0 wt %. An amount of the acetylene glycol surfactant relative to a total amount of the ink is in a range of about 0.1 wt % to about 0.3 wt %.

Water-based ink for ink-jet recording, ink cartridge and ink-jet recording apparatus

An ink set for ink-jet recording includes a dye yellow ink, a dye magenta ink, a dye cyan ink, and a dye black ink, wherein regarding a reduction rate in OD value between before and after a predetermined lightfastness test of each patch in the case where a patch of each ink is subjected to the lightfastness test, the order of levels of reduction rates in OD values of a yellow component, a magenta component, and a cyan component in a dye black ink patch is reverse to the order of levels of reduction rates in OD values of a yellow component in the dye yellow ink patch, a magenta component in the dye magenta ink patch, and a cyan component in the dye cyan ink patch.

Ink set for ink-jet recording and method for producing tetracomposite black image

An ink set for ink-jet recording is characterized in that, when a patch of each of an yellow dye ink, a magenta dye ink, a cyan dye ink and a black dye ink is subjected to an ozone resistance test, the OD value reduction ratios of the patches upon the ozone resistance test are such that the order of the OD value reduction ratios of the yellow, magenta and cyan components in the black dye ink patch is the reverse of the order of the OD value reduction ratios of the yellow component of the yellow dye ink patch, the magenta component of the magenta dye ink patch and the cyan component of the cyan dye ink patch.

Growing community of inventors

Inazawa, Japan

Kenta Hayashida