A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head to discharge a liquid containing a solvent from a discharge port toward an object, a concentration detector to detect a vapor concentration of the solvent, and circuitry to causes the head to discharge the liquid from the discharge port while moving the discharge port of the head in a movement direction perpendicular to a discharge direction to discharge the liquid. When the vaper concentration is equal to or higher than a first threshold, the circuitry stops moving the head in the movement direction and causes the head to stop discharging the liquid from the discharge port. When the vaper concentration is less than a second threshold, the circuitry resumes moving the head in the movement direction from a stop position where the head stops moving in the movement direction and causes the head to resume discharging the liquid from the discharge port.

A marking system includes a valve body including an orifice plate including multiple orifices and multiple micro-valves. Each micro-valve includes an actuating beam movable from a closed position in which a corresponding one of the orifices is sealed by a portion of the actuating beam such that the micro-valve is closed, into a peak position in response to application of a control signal. A controller is configured to generate a control signal for each of the actuating beams, each control signal including a drive pulse having a predetermined voltage such that the actuating beam moves from the closed position into the peak position in which the corresponding orifice is open and returns to the closed position in a characteristic period, wherein the drive pulse has a duration that substantially corresponds to the characteristic period such that the actuating beam is in the closed position after the drive pulse is complete.

A liquid ejecting head including a nozzle configured to eject a liquid, a liquid flow path communicating with the nozzle, a communication chamber including a communication port configured to communicate with atmospheric air, a partitioning wall portion provided between the liquid flow path and the communication chamber, the partitioning wall portion including an opening portion that communicates the liquid flow path and the communication chamber to each other, and an elastic member closing the opening portion.

A device includes a nozzle including a discharge end for discharging a fluid, a shutter plate including an aperture, the shutter plate positioned at the discharge end of the nozzle, a plurality of tethers coupled to the shutter plate, and a plurality of electrostatic actuators. Each of the plurality of electrostatic actuators are coupled to one or more of the plurality of tethers. The plurality of electrostatic actuators are configured to move the shutter plate between an open position and a closed position relative the discharge end of the nozzle. In the open position, the aperture is in fluid communication with the discharge end of the nozzle to permit fluid from the discharge end of the nozzle to flow through the aperture. In the closed position, at least a portion of the shutter plate inhibits fluid from the discharge end of the nozzle from flowing through the aperture.

The disclosure concerns an applicator (e.g. print head) for applying a coating agent (e.g. paint) to a component (e.g. motor vehicle body component), having a nozzle chamber with a plurality of nozzles for dispensing the coating agent in the form of continuous jets or droplets, the coating agent flowing during operation through the nozzle chamber to the nozzles so that the nozzle chamber is filled with the coating agent during operation. The print head further comprises a plurality of slidable valve needles associated with the individual nozzles and selectively opening or closing the respective nozzle depending on the position of the valve needles. Furthermore, the print head according to the disclosure contains an actuator chamber for receiving actuators for displacing the valve needles. In addition, the applicator according to the disclosure has a sealing element which fluidically separates the actuator chamber from the nozzle chamber in order to avoid contamination of the actuator chamber with the coating agent in the nozzle chamber. The disclosure provides that the sealing element is designed such that the individual valve needles can be displaced independently of one another without a displacement of one of the valve needles impairing the opening and closing of the nozzles at the adjacent valve needle.

Provided is a sealing member to be used as a valve in a pressure adjustment mechanism. The sealing member includes a base member having high strength, and has high reliability. The sealing member includes an elastic member (valve portion) having an annular abutment portion (valve distal end portion) formed as an annular protrusion and the base member (lever portion). When a held portion having a tubular shape extending from the annular abutment portion is held in an annular groove formed in the base member, the elastic member is fixed to the base member. A holding length over which an annular groove holds the held portion along a depth direction of the base member is set longer than a width of the annular groove.

A micro-pneumatic control unit comprising a plurality of control channels for generating the control pressures in a pneumatically actuated multi-channel coating head for coating components with a coating agent, a control channel being characterized by a valve element comprising a valve bore in a valve plate and a diaphragm layer which is below the valve plate and is configured as a diaphragm closing element in the region of the valve bore, the shape of which diaphragm closing element defined by recesses positioned laterally with respect to the valve bore, by a micro-actuator having a plunger that actuates the diaphragm closing element through the valve bore such that the valve element opens, by a second micro-pneumatic element connected in series with the valve element, the control pressure developing and a cavity located at the connection node thereof, which cavity is connected to at least one pneumatically operated coating agent ejector, and by a pneumatic pressurization of the micro-pneumatic control unit, which is directed such that, with respect to the valve element, there is a pressure gradient from the diaphragm closing element to the valve bore in the valve plate.

A valve type nozzle controls discharge of liquid by opening and closing an discharge port by a valve element, the discharge port being configured to discharge the liquid, and the valve element being formed movably by applying a predetermined voltage to a piezoelectric element, whereby when the predetermined voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the valve element moves in a direction where the moving mechanism opens the discharge port when the piezoelectric element extends. This allows the liquid to be discharged. Further, when the application of the voltage to the piezoelectric element is released, the moving mechanism returns to an original shape, by which the valve element closes the discharge port is closed to prevent the discharge of the liquid.

A valve jet printer includes a solenoid coil and a plunger rod having a magnetically susceptible shank. A first end of the shank and at least a portion of the shank are received within a bore of the solenoid coil. The printer also includes a nozzle including an orifice extending therethrough and a spring biasing a second end of the shank toward the nozzle. The second end of the plunger rod includes a tip formed of perfluoroelastomer (FFKM). The second end of the shank includes a cup-shaped cavity having a convex bottom and a circular side. The tip includes a concave base and an annular flange. In an assembled state, the concave base of the tip contacts the convex bottom of the cup-shaped cavity, and the end of the circular side opposite the convex bottom is rolled over the annular flange thereby securing the tip in the cup-shaped cavity.

A droplet discharge head each includes a first liquid chamber formed on a flow path forming substrate, a nozzle communicating with the first liquid chamber, and a first inflow path for supplying a liquid to the first liquid chamber, and a first actuator that individually changes a pressure in the first liquid chamber, a second actuator that changes pressures in a plurality of first liquid chambers in common, in which an amount of expansion/contraction of the second actuator is larger than that of the first actuator.