At step S115, a printer control unit refers to a table using an average print duty as an input, and determines a saturation temperature and a drum preliminary heating temperature. In this example, since the saturation temperature and the preliminary heating temperature with respect to the print duty are stored as a table, the printer control unit refers to the table using the average print duty as the input, and determines the saturation temperature and the drum preliminary heating temperature. At step S120, the printer control unit investigates a current drum temperature based on a measurement result of a temperature sensor. Subsequently, at step S125, the drum is heated or cooled until it reaches, of the saturation temperature and the drum preliminary heating temperature, the temperature for which the difference with the current drum temperature is smaller.

A thermal printer includes a thermal head, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The thermal head includes heat generation elements configured to generate heat to perform printing. The temperature sensor is disposed in the thermal printer. The controller is configured to alternately turns on and off the heat generation elements during an idle state of the thermal printer for a number of cycles with a predetermined on-time period in each cycle. The controller determines the number of cycles and the predetermined on-time period based on temperature data obtained by the temperature sensor, such that heat energy generated by the heat generation elements during each of the cycles in the idle state is lower than heat energy generated by the heat generation elements during printing of one line.

A fluid dispensing method, the method comprising steps of: providing a system comprising a reservoir, a micro-fluidic thermal inkjet print head in fluid communication with the reservoir, a controller and a power source in electrical communication with the controller and the print head, the reservoir containing a fluid, the micro-fluidic thermal inkjet print head comprising nozzles; heating the fluid in the microfluidic device to a temperature of about 40 C to 75 C in less than about 1000 ms; activating the print head to fire the nozzles about 200 fires/nozzle at a first frequency; subsequent to step c, activating the print head to fire the nozzles at a second frequency, the second frequency substantially less than the first frequency; and subsequent to step d, activating the print head to fire the nozzles at a third frequency substantially greater than the first frequency.

In one example, an apparatus includes a sensor including an emitter and a detector that define a line of sight therebetween. A mechanical arm has a fixed end and a free end. An axis of rotation passing through the fixed end of the mechanical arm is parallel to the line of sight. A mechanical flag mounted to the fixed end of the mechanical arm includes at least a first protrusion that defines at least three positions of the mechanical arm relative to the line of sight.

A three-dimensional integrated circuit includes a first layer including at least one sensing element configured to output at least one temperature-dependent voltage; and a second layer disposed vertically with respect to the first layer and coupled to the first layer by at least one via. The second layer includes: a compare circuit configured to generate at least one intermediate voltage in response to comparing the at least one temperature-dependent voltage to a feedback voltage; a control circuit configured to generate at least one control signal in response to the intermediate voltage; and a switching circuit configured to couple a capacitor coupled to a feedback node to one of a first voltage supply and a second voltage supply in response to the at least one control signal to generate an output signal that is based on a temperature sensed by the sensing element.

An ink jet recording method by using an ink jet recording apparatus equipped with a line head, wherein the line head includes a plurality of recording element substrates each having a nozzle array comprised of a plurality of nozzles, which eject an aqueous ink, arranged in a predetermined direction, the recording element substrates are arranged in the predetermined direction such that the recording element substrate constitutes an overlapping portion at which the terminal portion of the recording element substrates is overlapped with the terminal portion of adjacent recording element substrate in the predetermined direction, and the average temperature To ( C.) of an ink ejected from overlapping-portion nozzles included in the overlapping portion of the nozzle array and the average temperature Tc ( C.) of an ink ejected from the center-portion nozzle included in the center portion of the nozzle array satisfy the relationship Tc>To.

A control device includes: a print data acquisition unit configured to acquire print data, which is formed of a plurality of lines and indicates a coloration state of each pixel included in the plurality of lines; a head drive unit configured to supply, to a thermal head formed of a plurality of heating elements each corresponding to the pixel, an electric current for heating the thermal head for each pixel; a motor drive unit configured to supply, to a motor configured to move heat-sensitive paper relative to the thermal head, a drive current for step driving the motor for each line; a speed control unit configured to control, based on the number of colored pixels of a determination subject line among yet-to-be-printed lines of the print data, a relative moving speed of the heat-sensitive paper moved by the motor; and a preheating control unit configured to cause the head drive unit to output, when the determination subject line is a specific line being a line in which the number of colored pixels of the determination subject line exceeds a predetermined value, a preheating current being an electric current for heating the thermal head to such a degree as to prevent coloring of the heat-sensitive paper by a time the specific line is printed.

A control device includes: a print data acquisition unit configured to acquire print data, which is formed of a plurality of lines and indicates a coloration state of each pixel included in the plurality of lines; a head drive unit configured to supply, to a thermal head formed of a plurality of heating elements each corresponding to the pixel, an electric current for heating the thermal head for each pixel; a motor drive unit configured to supply, to a motor configured to move heat-sensitive paper relative to the thermal head, a drive current for step driving the motor for each line; a speed control unit configured to control, based on the number of colored pixels of a determination subject line among yet-to-be-printed lines of the print data, a relative moving speed of the heat-sensitive paper moved by the motor; and a preheating control unit configured to cause the head drive unit to output, when the determination subject line is a specific line being a line in which the number of colored pixels of the determination subject line exceeds a predetermined value, a preheating current being an electric current for heating the thermal head to such a degree as to prevent coloring of the heat-sensitive paper by a time the specific line is printed.

An image-forming apparatus includes a condensation determiner that determines whether there is a possibility of condensation occurring inside the image-forming apparatus using condensation determination information including a measured apparatus temperature inside the apparatus, a preparation processor that performs a preparation process for executing a print function, and a preparation waiting time setter that sets a preparation waiting time indicating a period of time for performing the preparation process. When the image-forming apparatus is powered and it is determined that there is a possibility of condensation occurring inside the image-forming apparatus, a preparation waiting time is set using the condensation determination information and the preparation process is started. After counting of the preparation waiting time is started, it is determined that a periodically-measured fusing temperature reached a predetermined target temperature, and thereafter, the counted preparation waiting time elapsed, the preparation process is canceled.

An image-forming apparatus includes a condensation determiner that determines whether there is a possibility of condensation occurring inside the image-forming apparatus using condensation determination information including a measured apparatus temperature inside the apparatus, a preparation processor that performs a preparation process for executing a print function, and a preparation waiting time setter that sets a preparation waiting time indicating a period of time for performing the preparation process. When the image-forming apparatus is powered and it is determined that there is a possibility of condensation occurring inside the image-forming apparatus, a preparation waiting time is set using the condensation determination information and the preparation process is started. After counting of the preparation waiting time is started, it is determined that a periodically-measured fusing temperature reached a predetermined target temperature, and thereafter, the counted preparation waiting time elapsed, the preparation process is canceled.