Seiko Epson Corporation

Toshio Arimura

Masatoshi Yonekubo

Takashi Takeda

Yoshihiro Kobayashi

Katsumi Enomoto

Hideya Seki

Taro Takekoshi

Osamu Yokoyama

Takayuki Kondo

Hidefumi Sakata

Manabu Yamada

Katsumi Mori

Masaaki Ando

Takeo Kaneko

Fumio Koyama

Shojiro Kitamura

Takao Miyazawa

Noritaka Mitsuo

Tomohiro Makigaki

Hirokazu Ito

Yuji Kanazawa

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion configured to eject a first liquid from a nozzle, a liquid receiving portion configured to receive, in a state where a second liquid is accommodated in the liquid receiving portion, for a purpose of maintenance of the liquid ejecting portion, the first liquid discharged from the nozzle, a maintenance portion that maintains a liquid surface of a liquid accommodated in the liquid receiving portion at an upper limit position, and a discharge portion configured to discharge, from a discharge port open to the liquid receiving portion, the liquid accommodated in the liquid receiving portion. The discharge port is positioned below the upper limit position.

Liquid ejecting apparatus and maintenance method for liquid ejecting apparatus

A liquid storage unit for collecting a liquid supplied to an ejecting head is provided. The liquid is supplied to a plurality of ejecting heads via a pressure regulating valve, and the liquid is suctioned from the plurality of ejecting heads by a circulation pump, and then is discharged to the liquid storage unit. In this way, since the liquid is suctioned from each of the ejecting heads, the passage resistance is decreased, so that the ink can be appropriately circulated. In addition, since the ejecting head is supplied with the liquid at an appropriate pressure from the liquid storage unit via the pressure adjusting valve, the liquid can be appropriately ejected.

Liquid ejecting apparatus

An ink cartridge prevents ink from leaking from a waste ink recovery chamber, and an inkjet printer in which ink does not leak from the ink supply needle of the ink cartridge holder. The ink cartridgehas an ink chamberand a waste ink inletin the top of the ink cartridge. Ink overflowing the capacity of the waste ink recovery chamberflows through an ink trapand into the ink cartridgefrom the waste ink inlet. The ink supply needleof the inkjet printerhas an ink path, valve member, and coil spring. The valve membermoves between a closed positionA and a open positionB according to whether or not an ink cartridgeis installed, and prevents ink from leaking from the ink supply needle

Ink cartridge and inkjet printer

A recording headincludes a nozzle plateprovided with nozzle openingsejecting ink, a heaterheating the ink, and a head coverprovided in contact with the nozzle plateand having a predetermined function of protecting the nozzle plate. The heaterheats the ink through the head coverand the nozzle plate

Fluid ejecting head, a fluid ejecting apparatus

Optical recording medium having a track pitch less than the wavelength

Optical pick-up and optical recording system

A plurality of inclined planes (1419) are formed in the same substrate (1406) and a polarizing optical thin film is provided on these inclined planes. These inclined planes are filled with a transparent material so as to form a small sized and complexed polarizer. This polarizer is excellent in transmission ratio and in extinction ratio. With this polarizer, it is possible to detect a magneto-optical signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio. This polarizer is used as a cover of a package (1408) of an optical head in which a light receiving device (1410, 1411) and a light emitting device (1409) are contained in the form of a single piece. There is also provided an optical element capable of adjusting optical paths so that the optical length of a returning optical beam may be different from the optical length of a forward optical beam. With this optical element, it becomes possible to delete the initial offset in a focusing error signal, and thus adjustment process becomes unnecessary. With these arrangements, it is possible to achieve the size reduction, simplification, and improvement of performance associated with an optical head for use in a magneto-optical recording/reproducing device.

Polarizer, including thin polarizing film, optical element with

A laser emission unit for use in an optical head performs a plurality of functions which are integrated. A laser beam from the laser emission unit mounted in a lens holder is emitted through an objective lens and is focused on an optical medium. A reflected beam from the optical medium returns through the objective lens and a diffraction grating to a signal detection circuit in the laser emission unit. Since the laser emission unit performs a plurality of functions, the space for various elements otherwise required in the optical head can be eliminated. The space for an additional light path for the reflected beam is also eliminated. Therefore, the size of the optical head is very small. Since the optical head can be assembled by using a small number of parts, the production costs can be reduced. Furthermore, the optical head can shield the noises by using the housing and/or the lens holder itself.

Laser emission unit, optical head and optical memory device

The focus detection mechanism of the invention diffracts the return light reflected off target surface by means of holographic element. The diffracted beams are both received by two long photodetection means as two astigmatic convergent beams that forms circles of least confusion on the same plane near focal plane of a lens. The focus detection signal is obtained from differential output of them. Since the mechanism can form two diffracted beams having circles of least confusion on the same plane, the photodetection means for detection can be disposed side by side, thus simplifying production with increased dimensional accuracy. Also, although a holographic element is used, wavelength fluctuation can be absorbed to provide extremely high reliability.

Focus detection mechanism and optical head and optical storage device

Optical head

Growing community of inventors

Shiojiri, Japan

Toshio Arimura