Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Brother Industries, Ltd.

Shingo Hattori

Toyonori Sasaki

Tomohiro Kanbe

Hiroto Sugahara

Hirotake Nakamura

Atsuhiro Takagi

Yoshitsugu Morita

Narumi Kawai

Keita Sugiura

Motohiro Momozaki

Makoto Yamada

Akio Yoshinari

Kosuke Nukui

Yoichiro Shimizu

Takahiro Yamada

Masayuki Arakawa

Yoshinori Yokoe

Hironobu Yamakita

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a plurality of liquid ejection heads each comprising a channel member having a plurality of ejection openings, a plurality of channels communicated with the plurality of ejection openings, and a heat body, and a plurality of radiators each provided for each of the plurality of liquid ejection heads. The liquid ejection apparatus further includes a plurality of temperature sensors each provided for each of the plurality of liquid ejection heads and outputting a signal indicating a temperature of the channel member, a heat-resistance change device changing a heat resistance between one of the plurality of radiators and one of the plurality of liquid ejection heads corresponding to the one of the plurality of radiators, and a controller controlling the heat-resistance change device based on the signal outputted from at least one of the plurality of temperature sensors.

Liquid ejection apparatus

A capping mechanism, which causes an ejection space opposing ejection openings of a liquid ejection head to take either one of a sealed state and a non-sealed state, includes an annular component which surrounds the ejection space in the sealed state and an opposing member which opposes the ejection openings with the ejection space interposed therebetween. A mechanism for supplying humidified air generates humidified air and includes a supply opening and a discharging opening. The supply opening and the discharging opening are positioned to form a humidifying passage such that the humidified air having flown along an inner circumferential surface of a first region of the annular component passes through a gap between the ejection openings and the opposing member and flows along an inner circumferential surface of a second region of the annular component, which opposes the first region.

A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a head having an ejection face; a capping mechanism including: a separator having a lip member enclosing the head; a facing member facing the ejection face to form an ejection space; and a moving mechanism for moving the lip member between a contact position and a distant position; and a humidifying mechanism including: a humid air producer; a first projecting portion extending along a first side face of the head and extending in a direction away from the first side face; a supply opening defined by the first projecting portion and the separator, for supplying humid air into the ejection space; and an air discharger disposed on an opposite side of the ejection face from the supply opening and configured to discharge air from the ejection space. At least one cutout is formed in an edge portion of the first projecting portion.

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a cap, an opposing member opposing an ejection surface of a liquid ejection head which is elongated in one direction, and a cap moving mechanism arranged to move the cap. The cap includes a lip component, a diaphragm, and a holder having a lower linear expansion coefficient and higher rigidity than the lip component. On the elongated portions of the lip component, either first hooks or first receiving portions hooked on the first hooks are formed, whereas the other first hooks or first receiving portions are formed at parts of the holder which parts oppose the elongated portions. The lip component is connected with the holder such that the first hooks hook the first receiving portions in a direction orthogonal to the ejection surface. In the one direction, gaps are formed between the first hooks and the first receiving portions.

An ink-jet printer including: an ink supply portion; a transport mechanism; an ink-jet head; an inverting mechanism; and a controller is provided. The controller is configured to control the ink-jet head to perform an ordinary jetting operation and a marking jetting operation, and is configured to control the ink-jet head and the inverting mechanism such that only the ordinary jetting operation is performed on the one surface of the printing medium without performing the marking jetting operation, and the marking jetting operation is performed on the other surface of the printing medium after inverting the printing medium with the inverting mechanism.

Ink-jet printer

Ink jet head

A liquid container includes a liquid chamber, and a liquid supply chamber at least partially defined by at least one wall having a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening formed therethrough. A method of filling such a liquid container includes the steps of closing the third opening, positioning the liquid container in a predetermined orientation, and introducing liquid into the liquid supply chamber via the second opening. The method also includes the step of introducing liquid into the liquid chamber after the step of introducing liquid into the liquid supply chamber.

Methods of filling a liquid container

An ink-jet printer performs the ordinary jetting operation in which the printing is performed on a printing area of the recording paper while transporting the recording paper frontwardly by transport rollers and the marking jetting operation in which a marking is formed at an edge portion of the recording paper. A control unit of the ink-jet printer allows nozzles to jet liquid droplets therefrom in the marking jetting operation, the liquid droplets having larger volumes as compared with those jetted in the ordinary jetting operation. Therefore, in the marking jetting operation, a larger amount of the ink liquid droplets can be permeated in the thickness direction of the recording paper as compared with the ordinary jetting operation. Accordingly, the marking, which can be easily confirmed from the side of the printing medium, is formed.

An ink supply device including an ink cartridge for storing an ink; a mounting portion which includes an opening from which the ink cartridge is removable in a direction; an elastic member which urges the ink cartridge accommodated in the mounting portion to the direction; and a lock member. The lock member includes a lock arm including an operating lever provided at a first end thereof, and a lock portion provided at a second end thereof; a supporting mechanism which movably supports the lock arm between a first posture in which the lock portion is disengaged from the engaged portion and a second posture in which the lock portion is engaged with the engaged portion to regulate a movement of the ink cartridge to the direction; and a stopper which is provided in the lock arm and contacts the ink cartridge when the lock arm takes the first posture.

Ink supply device

A liquid cartridge determination system includes a liquid cartridge including a main body including a first detect portion. The system also includes a movable member positioned outside the liquid chamber and configured to move relative to the main body in a particular direction. The movable member includes a second detect portion. Moreover, the system includes a resilient member having a first end which is coupled to the main body and a second end which is coupled to the movable member, and a mounting portion configured to receive the liquid cartridge thereon. The system further includes a first detector configured to detect the first detect portion when the liquid cartridge is positioned in a first position relative to the mounting portion, a second detector configured to detect the second detect portion when the liquid cartridge is positioned in a second position relative to the mounting portion, and a determiner configured to determine whether the liquid cartridge has a predetermined characteristic associated therewith based on the detection of the first detect portion and the detection of the second detect portion.

Liquid cartridge determination systems and liquid cartridge determination methods

A handy printer and a mobile phone based on the use of the same are provided, wherein the printing can be performed on recording paper sheets having various sizes. The handy printer comprises a cover member which is movable between an exposure position at which an ink discharge surface of an ink discharge head is exposable to the outside and a cover position at which the discharge surface is hidden from the outside. When the cover member is positioned at the cover position, the recording is permitted on a recording paper sheet accommodated in a recording paper-accommodating mechanism. When the cover member is positioned at the exposure position, the recording is permitted on a recording medium disposed outside a handy-printer body casing.

Handy printer and mobile phone provided with the same

A storage device includes a case configured to mount a liquid container. The storage device includes: a lever configured to move among a first position, a second position, and a third position between the first position and the second position; a first member movable between a protruding position to restrict an insertion of the liquid container at a particular position, and a retracted position that allows the liquid container to be inserted to a mounted position; a link member configured to change the position of the first member from the protruding position to the retracted position when the lever moves from the first position to the third position; and a second member. When a liquid container which is pre-assigned to the case is inserted into the case, the second member allows a positional change of the lever from the first position to the third position.

Storage device for storing liquid container and liquid container for use with the same

A liquid jetting apparatus includes a head having a nozzle which jets a liquid; a drive mechanism which reciprocately moves the head in a vertical direction to move the nozzle in the vertical direction; a nozzle protective member which is arranged in a moving area for the head and which protects the nozzle of the head; a controller which controls the drive mechanism to stop the head at a standby position which faces the nozzle protective member; a liquid container which contains the liquid; and a liquid tube which supplies the liquid to the head, and the liquid container is arranged such that, when the liquid container is filled with the liquid at a maximum capacity thereof, a liquid level of the liquid in the liquid container is same as or lower than a lowermost point of the nozzle in the head stopped at the standby position.

Liquid jetting apparatus

A plurality of ink cartridges are installed to be arranged in a vertical direction. A carriage reciprocates in the vertical direction. An ink-jet head has nozzle rows arranged, in a row in the vertical direction, to be parallel mutually, and the ink cartridge is connected to the nozzle row via a tube. There is provided a vertically long and a stylish liquid jetting apparatus which can be installed vertically even in a narrow area.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Shingo Hattori