A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge unit and a contact detection unit. The liquid discharge unit has a liquid discharge port from which a liquid is discharged toward an object. The liquid discharge unit is movable along at least one of a first axis and a second axis intersecting the first axis and movable along a third axis intersecting the first axis and the second axis. The third axis is parallel to a direction in which the liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge port toward the object. The contact detection unit detects contact of the liquid discharge unit with the object. The contact detection unit is detachably attached to the liquid discharge unit.

A method of operating a printer compares print job parameters for a current print job to be printed by the printer to a database of print job parameters for previously performed print jobs to identify media issues that may be caused by printing the current print job at a nominal printhead/media transport path distance. The gap between the printheads and the media transport is adjusted for identified media issues. Additionally, the method evaluates the image data content of the current print job to identify media issues that may arise from the printing of each sheet in the print job. If media issues are identified from the image data content, then the gap between the printheads and the media transport is further adjusted for sheets corresponding to the identified media issues caused by the image data content. An inkjet printer capable of being operated in this manner is also disclosed.

Printing machine, for printing a laminar web, comprising a feeding unit (10) defining a printing area (A); an inkjet printing station (20) comprising a plurality of inkjet printing modules (21) slidably arranged along a transverse guide (22); a positioning device (30) adapted to precisely slide the inkjet printing modules (21) along the transverse guide (22); wherein each inkjet printing module (21) includes a first coupling (31) and is independent from other inkjet printing modules (21) allowing an independent movement of each inkjet printing module (21) along the transverse guide (22); and the positioning device (30) includes a second coupling (32) complementary to each first coupling (31), the second coupling (32) being releasably engageable to each first coupling (31) in an automatic manner, the positioning device (30) being configured to precisely slide each inkjet printing module (21) engaged thereto, along the transverse guide (22).

An example printing apparatus is illustrated. The printing apparatus includes a print engine assembly. The print engine assembly further includes a bottom chassis portion. The print engine assembly also includes a top chassis portion. The print engine assembly also includes a print head positioned within the top chassis portion. The print engine assembly also includes a plurality of offset pins coupled to the print head, where the plurality of offset pins abuts the bottom chassis portion, and where the plurality of offset pins enables the print head to be positioned at a predetermined distance from the bottom chassis portion.

A printer includes a supporting table to support a recording medium, a recording head located above the supporting table to eject ink toward the supporting table, a first contact detector located above the supporting table and lower than the recording head, an oscillator to vibrate the first contact detector, and a vibration detector to detect vibration of the first contact detector and transmit a signal corresponding to the detected vibration. The printer stores a threshold related to the vibration of the first contact detector and determines that an object has come into contact with the first contact detector when an amount of the vibration detected by the vibration detector is equal to the threshold or less.

Fluid printing apparatus including substrate, print head, pneumatic system, and print head positioning system. The print head ejects fluid in a continuous stream with a micro-structural fluid ejector consisting of output, elongate input, and tapering portions between the output and elongate input portions. The output portion consists of an exit orifice of an inner diameter ranging between 0.1 μm and 5 μm and an end face having a surface roughness of less than 0.1 μm. The print head is positioned above the substrate with the output portion of the micro-structural fluid ejector pointing downward. During printing, the print head positioning system maintains a vertical distance between the end face and the printable surface of the substrate within a range of 0 μm to 5 μm, and the pneumatic system applies pressure to the fluid in the micro-structural fluid ejector in the range of −50,000 Pa to 1,000,000 Pa.

An inkjet print module includes: a printhead having first and second rows of print chips, the printhead having 180 degree rotational symmetry about a print axis parallel to a direction of droplet ejection; a fixed printhead keying feature which is rotationally asymmetric about the print axis notwithstanding the rotational symmetry of the printhead; a cradle for removably receiving the printhead, the cradle having a key assembly for complementary engagement with the fixed printhead keying feature. The key assembly is selectively configurable in either one of first and second cradle configurations so as to receive the printhead either in a first printhead orientation or a second printhead orientation, the second printhead orientation being rotated 180 degrees about the print axis relative to the first printhead orientation.

There is provided a recording device including a transport section that transports paper along a support surface; a recording section; a determination region setting section; a liquid volume ratio calculation section; a determination section; and a recording position adjustment section that, when the determination section determines that the average value is larger than the threshold, adjusts a distance of the recording section from the support surface to a distance which is longer than a case in which the average value is not larger than the threshold.

A device for use in OVJP and similar arrangements includes a print head movable in more than one degree of freedom with sufficient thermal insulation that there is little to no movement in the Z direction. One or more sensors may be used to monitor and adjust the distance between the substrate and the print head.

A medium transport apparatus includes a body portion, an inversion unit, and an extension unit. The body portion has a second manual feed path for a sheet material. The inversion unit is configured to be mounted on and separated from the body portion, covers the second manual feed path when the attachment/detachment portion is mounted the body portion, and exposes a portion of the second manual feed path when the attachment/detachment portion is separated from the body portion. The extension unit is configured to be attached to and detached from the attachment/detachment portion. The extension unit extends, in a state in which the inversion unit is separated, the second manual feed path in a transport direction of the sheet material by being detached from the inversion unit and attached to the body portion.