An ink jet printer ink circuit (10) has an ink feed (18), an ink return (20), a pump (22) and a print head (24), the print head having ink inlet (26) and outlet (28) ports and ink jetting nozzles (30). When printing at normal levels of ink demand, the pump (22) causes ink to flow from the ink feed (18) into the print head (24) through the ink inlet port (26), and out of the print head (24) through the ink outlet port (28) to the ink return (20). The ink circuit (10) has print head ink supply boost means (22. 23) operable, when printing at high levels of ink demand, to cause ink to flow into the print head (24) through the ink outlet port (28) at the same time as ink flows into the print head (24) through the ink inlet port (26). Also a printer including such an ink circuit and a method of boosting a print head ink supply in such an ink circuit.

A printer includes an ink channel including an upstream end connectable with a cartridge storing ink, a downstream end connected to the ink head, and a middle section located between the upstream end and the downstream end. The printer also includes an air inlet tube provided in the middle section and permitting air to be introduced into the ink channel.

The invention relates to a washing assistance device for the fluid circuit of an ink jet printer, including: a support (80) defining, between an access front face (80c) and a back face (80d), a substantially parallelepiped free volume (80a), support anchoring structure (88), 2 fluid connections, the support anchoring structure (88) and the 2 fluid connections being disposed on or against the back face, on the opposite side to the free volume (80a).

The invention relates to a washing assistance device for the fluid circuit of an ink jet printer, including: a support (80) defining, between an access front face (80c) and a back face (80d), a substantially parallelepiped free volume (80a), support anchoring structure (88), 2 fluid connections, the support anchoring structure (88) and the 2 fluid connections being disposed on or against the back face, on the opposite side to the free volume (80a).

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head including a substrate where a plurality of hollow portions are formed, a flexible plane that delimits a part of the hollow portion, and a piezoelectric element provided corresponding to the hollow portion, an inspection mechanism that inspects ejection of liquid from a nozzle based on an electromotive force of the piezoelectric element, and a signal generation circuit that generates a first drive signal and a second drive signal. The second drive signal maintains a state, where a second vibration portion including the second piezoelectric element and the flexible plane corresponding to the second piezoelectric element is deformed, during a detection period in which the inspection mechanism performs inspection based on vibration caused when a first vibration portion including the first piezoelectric element and the flexible plane corresponding to the first piezoelectric element is driven.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head including a substrate where a plurality of hollow portions are formed, a flexible plane that delimits a part of the hollow portion, and a piezoelectric element provided corresponding to the hollow portion, an inspection mechanism that inspects ejection of liquid from a nozzle based on an electromotive force of the piezoelectric element, and a signal generation circuit that generates a first drive signal and a second drive signal. The second drive signal maintains a state, where a second vibration portion including the second piezoelectric element and the flexible plane corresponding to the second piezoelectric element is deformed, during a detection period in which the inspection mechanism performs inspection based on vibration caused when a first vibration portion including the first piezoelectric element and the flexible plane corresponding to the first piezoelectric element is driven.

An inkjet printing method includes the steps of: a) printing a first print job by jetting a free radical UV curable white inkjet ink from a white ink print head and one or more free radical UV curable color inkjet inks from one or more other print heads in a UV curable inkjet printer; b) filling the white ink print head in the UV curable inkjet printer with a safeguard liquid including one or more free radical polymerizable monomers; c) printing a second print job employing only the one or more other print heads in the UV curable inkjet printer for jetting one or more free radical UV curable color inkjet inks; d) replacing the safeguard liquid of the white ink print head in the UV curable inkjet printer by UV curable white inkjet ink; and e) printing a third print job by jetting free radical UV curable white inkjet ink from the white ink print head and jetting one or more free radical UV curable color inkjet inks from one or more other print heads in the UV curable inkjet printer.

There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus including: a tank having a liquid storing chamber, an erected wall through which the liquid inside the liquid storage chamber is visible from outside of the tank, and an inlet which is formed to penetrate through the erected wall and via which the liquid is poured into the liquid storage chamber; a liquid consuming section which consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storing chamber; and a cover. A transmitting section and a checking section are formed in an upper surface, of the cover, under a condition that the cover is in the exposure position, the transmitting section configured to transmit information optically to a user of the liquid consuming apparatus and the checking section configured to prevent the liquid moving on a particular surface of the cover from arriving at the transmitting section.

There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus including: a tank having a liquid storing chamber, an erected wall through which the liquid inside the liquid storage chamber is visible from outside of the tank, and an inlet which is formed to penetrate through the erected wall and via which the liquid is poured into the liquid storage chamber; a liquid consuming section which consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storing chamber; and a cover. A transmitting section and a checking section are formed in an upper surface, of the cover, under a condition that the cover is in the exposure position, the transmitting section configured to transmit information optically to a user of the liquid consuming apparatus and the checking section configured to prevent the liquid moving on a particular surface of the cover from arriving at the transmitting section.

A head unit of an ink jet printer is formed with a mist removing space for removing an ink mist generated when an UV ink is discharged by an ink jet head from a gap between the head unit and a table, where the mist removing space is formed with a gas introducing port, arranged at a position between the ink jet head and the LED, for the gas to be introduced from the gap side between the head unit and the table to the mist removing space, an intake port for the gas to be suctioned from the mist removing space toward a sirocco fan side by an airflow generated by the sirocco fan, and a gas discharging port, arranged separately from the intake port, for the gas to be discharged from the mist removing space.