Systems and methods for industrial printing, e.g., using drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet print heads, include, in at least one aspect, a printing device including: a print head configured to selectively eject liquid through nozzles to form an image on a moving substrate; and a printhead enclosure configured to contain a pressurized airspace at least in front of the nozzles; wherein the printhead enclosure includes a slot that aligns with the nozzles to allow the selectively ejected liquid to pass through the slot when the selectively ejected liquid is ejected toward the moving substrate; and wherein the printhead enclosure is configured to contain the pressurized airspace and cause airflow through the slot at a flow rate that prevents dust and debris from entering the slot while the selectively ejected liquid passes through the slot and the airflow without a direction of the selectively ejected liquid being impeded by the airflow.

A fluid ejection device includes a fluid slot, at least one fluid ejection chamber communicated with the fluid slot, a drop ejecting element within the at least one fluid ejection chamber, a fluid circulation channel communicated with the fluid slot and the at least one fluid ejection chamber, and a fluid circulating element communicated with the fluid circulation channel. The fluid circulating element is to provide on-demand circulation of fluid from the fluid slot through the fluid circulation channel and the at least one fluid ejection chamber.

A liquid ejection head includes an ejection orifice forming surface provided with an ejection orifice from which a liquid is ejected. The ejection orifice forming surface includes a first region in a vicinity of the ejection orifice, a second region that is further spaced apart from the ejection orifice than the first region and protrudes from the first region in a liquid ejection direction and a third region that connects the first region and the second region. When a contact angle of pure water in the first region is a first contact angle θ1 and a contact angle of pure water in the third region is a third contact angle θ3, θ1 is larger than θ3 by 10 degrees or more.

A method of operating an inkjet printer operates solvent vapor generators that direct two flows of solvent vapor towards media on each side of each printhead in the process direction. The solvent vapor attenuates the evaporation of ink solvent from ink drops on the nozzle plates or from the ink in the nozzles of the printheads. Thus, the ink on the nozzle plates and in the nozzles does not dry out and the operational status of the inkjets is preserved.

Provided are a head maintenance system, a printing system, and a head maintenance method with which preferable washing of a nozzle surface can be realized and a damage to the nozzle surface can be suppressed. The head maintenance system includes: a wiping device (3) including a wiping sheet (10) for wiping a nozzle surface (52) of an ink jet head (50); a relative movement device (2, 3) that relatively moves the ink jet head and the wiping sheet; and a pressing device (18, 56) that presses the wiping sheet against the nozzle surface, in which the wiping device includes the wiping sheet having a value of linearity of compression in a range of 0.3 or more and less than 0.6, the linearity of compression being measured using a compression tester.

There are provided an inkjet head, an inkjet image forming apparatus, a nozzle plate manufacturing method, and an inkjet head manufacturing method capable of improving durability against wiping on an ink discharge surface. The inkjet head includes a nozzle substrate including nozzle holes from which ink is discharged. The nozzle substrate has an irregularity structure formed on an ink discharge surface such that neither ink particles contained in the ink nor a wiping member that wipes the ink discharge surface get caught by the irregularity structure.

A casing for a printing apparatus can include a body having a printing opening, and a cover member having an aperture, wherein the cover member is moveable relative to the body between an open position in which the aperture of the cover member is substantially aligned with the printing opening of the body, and a closed position in which at least a part of the cover member substantially closes the printing opening of the body. Further, a printing assembly can include a printing apparatus and a casing, the casing providing ingress protection for the printing apparatus. Finally, a control system for such a printing assembly, and a method of operation of such a printing assembly are provided.

An inkjet printer includes solvent vapor generators that direct two flows of solvent vapor on each side of each printhead in the process direction toward media passing the printheads in the printer. The solvent vapor attenuates the evaporation of ink solvent from ink drops on the nozzle plates or from the ink in the nozzles of the printheads. Thus, the ink on the nozzle plates and in the nozzles does not dry out and the operational status of the inkjets is preserved.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting head having a nozzle plate, a case head disposed in a second-direction opposite to a first-direction with respect to the nozzle plate, and a lid member; and a carriage having an outer wall surrounding a periphery of the nozzle plate, in which the lid member has a first-surface, a second-surface, and a third-surface, the first-surface is disposed in the first direction with respect to the nozzle plate, the second-surface is coupled to the first-surface and is disposed to cover a part of a side surface of the case head in a third-direction orthogonal to the first-direction, the third-surface is coupled to the second-surface to extend in the third-direction, and is disposed so as not to abut on the outer wall, and an end portion of the third-surface in the third-direction overlaps the outer wall when viewed in the second-direction.

A maintenance device configured to maintain a head configured to discharge a first liquid, the maintenance device includes a cap configured to contact a nozzle surface of the head, a storage configured to store a second liquid to be supplied into the cap, a supply device configured to supply the second liquid into the cap, a receptacle configured to receive the second liquid supplied into and overflown from the cap, and a collection device configured to collect the second liquid received by the receptacle.