d

Surface mountable over-current protection device

A surface-mountable over-current protection device comprises a PTC material layer, first and second conductive layers, first and second electrodes, first and second electrically conductive connecting members. The PTC material layer has a resistivity less than 0.18 Ω-cm. The conductive layers are in contact with opposite surfaces of the PTC material layer. The first electrode comprises pair of first metal foils and is insulated from the second conductive layer. The second electrode comprises a pair of second metal foils and is insulated from the first conductive layer. The first electrically conductive connecting member connects to the first metal foils and conductive layer. The second electrically conductive connecting member connects to the second metal foils and conductive layer. The first electrically conductive connecting member comprises 40%-100% by area of the first lateral surface, and the second electrically conductive connecting member comprises 40%-100% by area of the second lateral surface.




d

Electronic switching module for a power tool

An electronic power apparatus is provided, including a circuit board having a conductive pads and a sense pad coupled to an output signal, and an actuator having a wiper portion accommodating a conductive wiper. The wiper includes a first end arranged to engage the sense pad and a second end arranged to slidably engage at least one of the conductive pads on the circuit board. The conductive pads are arranged in a first row of conductive pads and a second row of conductive pads in parallel with and at a distance to the first row of conductive pads. An alignment of the second row of conductive pads is offset with respect to the first row of conductive pads.




d

Substrate device or package using embedded layer of voltage switchable dielectric material in a vertical switching configuration

A substrate device includes an embedded layer of VSD material that overlays a conductive element or layer to provide a ground. An electrode, connected to circuit elements that are to be protected, extends into the thickness of the substrate to make contact with the VSD layer. When the circuit elements are operated under normal voltages, the VSD layer is dielectric and not connected to ground. When a transient electrical event occurs on the circuit elements, the VSD layer switches instantly to a conductive state, so that the first electrode is connected to ground.




d

Over-current protection device

An over-current protection device comprises a PTC material layer, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. The PTC material layer has opposite first and second surfaces and opposite first and second lateral surfaces. The first electrode layer is in physical contact with the first surface of the PTC material layer and extends to the first lateral surface. The second electrode layer is in physical contact with the first surface of the PTC material layer and extends to the second lateral surface. The second electrode layer is insulated from the first electrode layer by a first separation. The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are substantially laterally symmetrical, and serve as interfaces for current flowing in and out of the device when the over-current protection device is in use.




d

Touch panel and method for manufacturing a touch sensor layer of the touch panel

A touch panel includes a touch sensor layer including a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode, wherein an arrangement direction of the first transparent electrode can be perpendicular to that of the second transparent electrode, and both of the first and second transparent electrodes include two transparent metallic patterns which are stacked and electrically connected to each other.




d

Aresistive device with flexible substrate and method for manufacturing the same

A resistive device includes a resistive layer, a flexible substrate arranged on the resistive layer, and an electrode layer. The electrode layer includes two electrode sections arranged below the resistive layer and separate to each other. Moreover, a method for manufacturing the resistive device with flexible substrate is also disclosed.




d

Elastomeric particle having an electrically conducting surface, a pressure sensor comprising said particles, a method for producing said sensor and a sensor system comprising said sensors

An elastomeric particle (1, 1, 1″) comprises a non-conducting elastomeric body (2) having an electrically conducting surface (4a, 4b, 6). Pressure sensor elements (20, 20', 20″; 30, 30', 30″, 30'″) comprising such elastomeric particles are disclosed, as well as sensor clusters (50″, 50'″, 50IV, 50V, 50VI, 50VII, 70) comprising such sensor elements. There is also disclosed a pressure sensor element (40, 40', 40″, 40'″, 40IV, 40V, 40VI, 40VII), comprising a resistive element (44, 44', 44″) providing a conduction path, a first electrode (42a, 42a-1, 42a-2, 42a-3, 42a-4, 42a-5, 42a-6), connected to the resistive element, a second electrode (42b, 42b'), which in a quiescent state is spaced from said first electrode, wherein the second electrode, when the pressure sensor element is subjected to a pressure, is arranged to contact said first electrode or said resistive element. Systems comprising such sensor elements and sensor clusters are disclosed, as well as methods of their fabrication.




d

Semiconductor ceramic and resistive element

Provided is a resistive element which is excellent in inrush current resistance even in the case of having a surface-mountable small chip shape. The resistive element has an element main body composed of a semiconductor ceramic in which a main constituent thereof is composed of a Mn compound represented by the general formula (Nd1-xMx)yBazMn2O6 (M is at least one rare-earth element selected from Sm, Gd, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Y), and x, y, and z respectively meet the conditions of: 0.05≦x≦0.4; 0.80≦y≦1.2; and 0.80≦z≦1.2 in the chemical formula.




d

Movable contact and contact structure including the same

The invention provides a movable contact movable on a fixed contact or a resistor. The movable contact includes first and second sliders. The first and second sliders are arranged in such a manner as to slide along different sliding tracks from each other on the fixed contact or the resistor in accordance with movement of the movable contact.




d

Surface mountable over-current protection device

A surface mountable over-current protection device comprises one PTC material layer, first and second conductive layers, first and second electrodes, and an insulating layer. The PTC material layer comprises crystalline polymer and conductive filler dispersed therein. The first and second conductive layers are disposed on first and second planar surfaces of the PTC material layer, respectively. The first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second conductive layers. The insulating layer is disposed between the first and the second electrodes for insulation. At the melting point of the crystalline polymer, the CTE of the crystalline polymer is greater than 100 times the CTE of the first or second conductive layer, and the first and/or second conductive layers has a thickness which is large enough to obtain a resistance jump value R3/Ri less than 1.4.




d

Articulated work holder for a remote controlled vehicle and the like

An articulated work holder for a fractional dimensioned, performance vehicle including a base member and first, second and third, support arms having multiple degrees of rotational movement and a vise member carrying vehicle engagement pads for supporting a fractional dimensioned, performance vehicle between the vise engagement pads.




d

Fixing device

A fixing device for fixing a workpiece includes a base, a first pressing block pressing the workpiece to the base, a second pressing block, a first support member, a second support member, and a side pressing block. The workpiece includes a preprocessing portion to be machined, which has an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner and outer surfaces of the preprocessing portion are sandwiched between non-rigid materials during a machining process to avoid the generating of swarfs.




d

Clamping mechanism with detachable positioning member

A clamping mechanism includes a positioning member, a support plate, a frame, a fastening assembly, and an operating assembly. The support plate defines a through hole. The fastening assembly is fixed to the frame. The fastening assembly includes a fastening member and an elastic member. The positioning member extends through the through hole of the support plate, and is fastened by the fastening member under an elastic force of the elastic member. The operating assembly resists the fastening member, thereby driving the fastening member away from the positioning member.




d

Machine vise parallel with angled edges

A work orienting plate or angled vise parallel for use with a machine vise and which angled plate has first, second and third reference edges with the second and third reference edges being spaced apart side edges that are perpendicular to the first edge. Angled work piece support edges join the second and third reference edges, respectively. The angled work piece support edges are at different angles from one another so that a work piece can be supported on any one of the edges relative to a reference surface of a vise on which the work orienting plate is mounted to position the work piece at selected angles for machining angled surfaces.




d

Welding workbench assembly with wraparound dual stage barriers

A welding workbench assembly comprises a base. The welding workbench assembly further comprises a first wraparound barrier comprising at least three panels, including a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel. The second panel is adjacent to the first panel at a first end of the first panel and the third panel is adjacent to the first panel at a second end of the first panel. The welding workbench assembly further comprises a second wraparound barrier comprising at least three panels, including a fourth panel, a fifth panel, and a sixth panel. The fifth panel is adjacent to the fourth panel at a first end of the fourth panel and the sixth panel is adjacent to the fourth panel at a second end of the fourth panel.




d

Apparatus for holding a ski or snowboard during repair and maintenance

A ski tip hold down assembly for holding the tip end of the ski. The ski tip hold down assembly having a base attached to a work bench and an upright stand affixed to the base. The upright stand having a ski rest on a top surface thereof and a ski tip hold down bar secured to the upright stand in spaced apart relation to the ski rest defining an opening adapted to receive a ski tip, with the ski oriented in a base-up configuration, with the ski tip extending underneath the ski tip hold down bar. The apparatus further including a tail rest assembly having a base adapted to be used on the work bench in spaced apart relation to the ski tip hold down assembly and further including an upright stand affixed to the base with a ski rest provided on a top surface thereof.




d

Method for the surface treatment of large parts, gripper of parts suitable for implementing such a method, use of said gripper and treatment cubicle

A system and method of painting parts of large dimensions that present a certain amount of flexibility that makes their shape geometrically unstable in the event of being moved. The surface of a part is moved in front of a paint spray device by an arm of a robot, while the spray device remains stationary relative to the robot and while the part is being deformed. Other elements include a gripper for gripping parts of large dimensions, the gripper being adapted to implement the method; an installation; and a booth for performing surface treatment of parts.




d

Rotary jig of battery cell and process of welding for battery cell using the same

Disclosed herein is a rotary jig for battery cells to successively manufacture battery cells having different sizes including a main body configured to have a hexahedral structure having a rotary rod mounted at a lower end thereof, the main body being provided at sides thereof with mounting frames having sizes corresponding to sizes of battery cells so that the battery cells can be uprightly mounted in the mounting frames in a state in which electrode terminals of the battery cells are exposed upward, a die disposed at a lower end of the main body, the die connected to the rotary rod so that the die can be rotated manually or by a rotary motor, and support members formed at the die to support the mounting frames of the main body and the battery cells mounted in the mounting frames, wherein the rotary rod is rotated so that resistance welding is performed with respect to a portion of one of battery cells to be welded using a welding rod located above the battery cell in a state in which the battery cells are mounted to the corresponding sides of the main body.




d

Part fixturing systems having expanding clamping devices

A part fixturing system for securing a workpiece includes an expanding clamping device and a work holding device. The expanding clamping device includes a clamp base portion, first and second traversing wedge blocks, an actuation screw, and a clamp plate portion. The clamp base portion comprises a longitudinal recess, and the traversing wedge blocks are located inside the longitudinal recess, each block including an inclined contact surface and a threaded aperture. The actuation screw passes through the longitudinal recess of the clamp base portion and the threaded apertures of the traversing wedge blocks. The clamp plate portion comprises first and second declined contact surfaces. The work holding device comprises first and second support columns that define a longitudinal loading envelope. The expanding clamping device is positioned inside the longitudinal loading envelope of the work holding device and couples the workpiece to the first and second support columns.




d

Support disk fixing apparatus, manufacturing method for a semiconductor device using this apparatus, and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

A support disk fixing apparatus which includes an upper surface to which a wafer is bonded, a lower surface, a cylindrical side surface between the upper surface and the lower surface, and a chamfered portion between the upper surface and the side surface, includes a base upon which the support disk is placed; and a fixture that is provided on the base, and that has a first surface that abuts against the side surface of the support disk and covers the side surface of the support disk, and a second surface that abuts against the chamfered portion of the support disk and covers the chamfered portion of the support disk.




d

Bonding apparatus and bonding method

The bonding apparatus is capable of effectively increasing temperature of a substrate and reducing occurrence of position gaps and poor connection in a process of flip-chip-bonding semiconductor devices to the substrate. The bonding apparatus comprises: a supporting unit for supporting the substrate, on which the semiconductor devices have been adhered by a non-conductive; and a heating/pressing unit for heating and pressing the substrate, the heating/pressing unit having a built-in heat source and a clamping face, onto which the substrate supported by the supporting unit is pressed. The substrate supported by the supporting unit is moved toward the clamping face of the heating/pressing unit so as to preheat the substrate and the semiconductor devices by radiation heat. Then, the semiconductor devices are pressed onto the clamping face of the heating/pressing unit so as to cure the non-conductive adhesive and bond bumps of the semiconductor devices to terminal sections of the substrate.




d

Apparatus and method for supporting a workpiece during processing

An apparatus for supporting a workpiece during processing of the workpiece is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a chassis having a vacuum chamber that is connectable to a vacuum source; a supporting device rotatable relative to the chassis, the supporting device having a hollow compartment and a supporting surface for holding the workpiece; and at least one sealing device arranged between the chassis and the supporting device, to provide an air-tight seal between the chassis and the supporting device while allowing for rotation of the supporting device with respect to the chassis, so as to form a vacuum passage extending from the supporting surface of the supporting device through the hollow compartment of the supporting device and the vacuum chamber of the chassis to the vacuum source, to thereby hold the workpiece to the supporting surface of the supporting device during processing of the workpiece.




d

Adjusting device of wafer machine

The present invention relates to an adjusting device of wafer machine, which includes a rotary adjustment assembly that is rotatable to cause the rotation of a rod so as to displace a support block thereby elevating or lowering a support post. A balance board is thus caused to move a wafer substrate so as to realize balancing of wafer through the support post, whereby efficient adjustment of the wafer machine to a balanced position can be achieved without extra expense of time in adjustment operation and thus accelerating the time of manufacturing process and providing extremely high precision and further effectively reducing the potential risk of damage caused by over-adjustment.




d

Loading container for a washing machine

A loading container (10) for a washing machine (60) comprises a containing body (12) to support and position objects to be washed inside the washing machine (60) or washing devices (20, 22) containing the objects to be washed. The container (10) also comprises a base body (14), located below the containing body (12), and a rotation unit (45) to connect rotatably the base body (14) and the containing body (12) so as to allow a selective reciprocal angular positioning of the containing body (12) and the base body (14).




d

Dual-toggle-type mobile platform structure

A dual-toggle-type mobile platform structure comprises a base, a motor, a ball screw, a linear slide, a first toggle link rod, a second toggle link rod, a guide rail and a work platform. The second toggle link rod has an end coupled to the first toggle link rod and the other end coupled to the work platform. A connecting position of the second toggle link rod and the first toggle link rod is designed with an optimal configuration to provide a smaller footprint than the conventional dual-toggle-type mobile platform structure, and the advantages of a larger stroke of the work platform and a smaller feed resolution difference, and the structure serves as a reference of an optimal manufacturing area.




d

Repair alignment method and apparatus for turbine components

A turbine component repair apparatus includes: a first die having male and female halves for clamping a first section of a turbine blade with a platform and a root portion of an airfoil, the first die having a recess shaped to receive the root portion and retain a faying surface thereof in predetermined alignment; and a second die having male and female halves for clamping a repair section which defines a tip portion of the airfoil, the second die having a second recess shaped to receive the tip portion and retain a faying surface of the tip portion in predetermined alignment. The first and second dies have mating front faces configured to align their bottom surfaces in a common plane. A alignment device is removably attached to the second die to temporarily align the repair section in the absence of the male half of the second die.




d

Automated storage accessories

Kit of improved accessories suitable for automated storage structures (20) comprising an automatic clamping system adapted to lock in position workpieces stored during transport on a truck, plant conveyor or any other vehicle and supporting elements (11) for the workpieces stored each formed by bending of iron wire according to the workpiece profile.




d

Adjustable c-clamp system

A c-shaped clamp tool system preferably includes slider arms, one or more slider arm supports, pads, one or more threaded rods, and turning knobs. The clamping system preferably includes multiple slider arms and slider arm supports of different lengths. In a preferred embodiment, the slider arms are made of unidirectional pultruded carbon fiber and the slider arm support is made of woven carbon fiber.




d

Hand tool for inserting a variety of connectors into plastic irrigation piping

A hand tool for inserting a large variety of connector components into narrow plastic irrigation piping is disclosed. This tool is an improved and progressive development of my previous Israeli patent no: 152089 in that it is designed to work with a large variety of connector components and is designed to accommodate both sizes of narrow spaghetti piping, whereas the previous patent could accommodate only a single size of narrow piping. The tool as shown in FIG. 2 has a body onto which all the elements are connected and the body is configured to sit comfortably in the palm of the hand. When pressing down on the handle, the grips secure the narrow piping and cause a connector component, deployed in appropriate recess provided in the tool to be easily inserted into the narrow piping.




d

Clamp device

A clamp device includes a clamp main body, an engagement assembly, a clamp rod, a drive mechanism, and a support mechanism. The engagement assembly can be changed over between a diameter-expanded state in which it engages with an inner circumferential surface of an aperture in a workpiece, and a diameter-reduced state in which it does not so engage. The clamp rod is engaged with an interior of the engagement assembly. The drive mechanism drives the clamp rod to and from the clamp main body. The support mechanism supports the engagement assembly with a pneumatic force of pressurized air. At least a part of the pneumatic force is released after the engagement assembly has been expanded in diameter.




d

Rotating cylinder

A rotating cylinder includes and a main body, a piston head, a piston rod and a guide assembly. The piston head slidably is received within the main body. The piston rod partially received within the main body, the piston head is fixed to the piston head, the piston rod defines one or more guiding groove adjacent to the piston head, the guiding groove includes a straight portion, a first helix portion and a second helix portion, the straight portion extends axially toward the piston head, the first helix portion curvedly extends away from the straight portion toward the piston head, the second helix portion curvedly extends from an end of the first helix portion toward a direction away from the piston head and the straight portion. The guide assembly is mounted on the main body and includes one or more guiding member slidably engaged with the guiding groove.




d

Interlocking and removable grid system for floral arranging

An interlocking and removable tool for floral arranging, consisting of two interlocking pieces which form a sturdy grid when assembled. This grid is placed on top of a vase, jar, bowl, or other vessel used for housing arranged flowers. This grid keeps flowers in place while being arranged, without falling over, and allows the user to construct floral arrangements with ease. When the desired arrangement is complete, the interlocking components slide apart and are removed without disrupting the floral arrangement.




d

Adjustment mechanism

An adjustment mechanism includes a first adjustment assembly and a second adjustment assembly. The first adjustment assembly includes a first regulating member and a second regulating member. The first regulating member includes a bearing plate and a first supporting portion protruding from the bearing plate. The first supporting portion includes an arcuate first supporting surface. The second regulating member includes a base body and a second supporting portion protruding from the base body away from the first supporting portion. The second supporting portion includes an arcuate second supporting surface. The second adjustment assembly includes a mounting member latched with the base body. First supporting surface resists the base body, to enable the bearing plate to rock along a curvature relative to the base body. Second supporting surface resists the mounting member, to enable the bearing plate and the base body to rock relative to the mounting member.




d

Support structures and clamping systems for semiconductor devices during wire and ribbon bonding operations

A support structure for supporting a semiconductor device during a bonding operation is provided. The support structure comprises a body portion defining an upper surface configured to support a semiconductor device during a bonding operation. The upper surface defines a constraining feature for constraining at least a portion of the semiconductor device during the bonding operation.




d

Device for cleaning baking trays

A device for cleaning trays comprises a tub that has a bottom and a wall. The tub is dimensioned such that a baking tray can be placed therein. The device further comprises a dish drain that can be placed in the tub. Said device for cleaning a baking tray uses only a small amount of space in a kitchen and is easy to handle. In fact, in a typical kitchen that already has a dish drain, the device requires no additional space.




d

Device for re-contouring a gas turbine blade

A device for recontouring a gas turbine blade includes at least one support configured to rest on an edge of the gas turbine blade during the recontouring, at least one side bearing configured to rest on an intake side or an outlet side of the gas turbine blade during the recontouring and a machining unit for machining the gas turbine blade. The machining unit is configured to fuse at least one partial area of the edge of the gas turbine blade using a beam of energy that is targeted such that material of the blade solidifies into a new contour, substantially without the addition of supplementary material.




d

Image forming apparatus, aspirator device, and method for aspirate dust in an image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a conveyer configured to convey a recording medium along a conveying path in a conveying direction, an image forming unit configured to form an image on the recording medium being conveyed, a supporting member arranged in a position to face the image forming unit and configured to support the recording medium, and an aspirator configured to aspirate dust through an aspiration inlet, which is formed in a downstream position along the conveying direction with respect to the image forming unit and in proximity to a downstream end of the supporting member.




d

Tire printing device and method for printing onto tire surface

The present invention aims to provide a technique that prints characters and patterns clearly onto a tire surface without complicated operations. A tire printing device of the present invention includes a printer head that ejects and applies a coating material onto a tire surface, a widthwise moving unit that moves the printer head along the width direction of the tire, a radial moving unit that moves the printer head along the radical direction of the tire, and a swinging unit that swings the printer head around the axis along the circumferential direction of the tire.




d

Inkjet recording method and recording apparatus

The present invention addresses the problem of improving the quality of recorded images in ink jet recording technologies in which a plurality of nozzle lines that discharge ink of the same color are used. As a solution, nozzle lines (10) of n columns (where n is a natural number of three or more) each record a recording pixel column (2) on a recording medium by discharging ink of the same color while scanning over the recording medium (1); and when the nozzle lines (10) of n columns each extract a recording pixel column (2), which is recorded in a single scan, for each n columns in the scanning direction, ink is discharged in such a manner that there are at least two permutation patterns for the nozzle columns (10) that record each column of the extracted recording pixel columns (3).




d

Fluidic structure that allows removal of air bubbles from print heads without generating waste ink

A fluidic structure has a first chamber having a connection to a fluid reservoir and a connection to an array of apertures, the chamber forming a flow path between the fluid reservoir and the array of apertures, a second chamber having a connection to at least one vent connected to an atmosphere external to the fluidic structure, and at least one path between the first chamber and the second chamber.




d

Ink-jet printing module

An ink-jet printing module is used for a page-width array ink-jet printer. The ink jet printing module includes a page-width array platen and a plurality of ink-jet cartridges. The page-width array platen has a plurality of receiving cavities arranged as an array. Each of the ink-jet cartridges is detachably and independently embedded into one of the receiving cavities, and includes a body for storing ink, an ink-jet chip to be driven for ejecting the ink, a plurality of nozzles disposed on the ink-jet chip, and a control node for receiving signal to drive the ink-jet chip. The ink-jet chip is disposed on a bottom of the page-width array platen and is driven to eject the ink through the nozzles onto a printing medium.




d

Ink jet recording head and method for manufacturing the same

An ink jet recording head includes a substrate having a plurality of discharge energy generation elements and having an ink supply port, a protective film provided on the substrate and configured to protect wiring connected to the discharge energy generation elements, and an ink discharge port forming member, wherein the protective film has a protruding portion, wherein the ink discharge port forming member has a beam-like protrusion, wherein the beam-like protrusion has a reinforcing rib, and wherein a separation film containing gold is formed at a portion where the protruding portion and the reinforcing rib are held in close contact with each other.




d

Base, full-line printhead, and printing apparatus

A full-line printhead includes a base in which a plurality of substrates each including arrayed print elements are arranged in the arrayed direction has the following arrangement. The base includes a terminal for inputting a first differential signal, a first pair of lines for transferring the first differential signal from the terminal to the substrates, a terminal for inputting a second differential signal, and a second pair of lines for transferring the second differential signal from the terminal to the substrates. Each substrate includes a first amplifier for amplifying the first differential signal transferred via the first pair of lines, and a second amplifier for amplifying the second differential signal transferred via the second pair of lines. Control is performed to change the gain of the first amplifier based on a control signal from outside.




d

Liquid ejecting apparatus

A liquid ejecting head includes: a nozzle plate formed with a plurality of nozzle orifices; a drive unit configured to apply pressure vibration to pressure generating chambers communicating to the plurality of nozzle orifices; and a head casing including the drive unit and having a surface opposed to the nozzle plate. The plurality of nozzle orifices defines a first nozzle array group and a second nozzle array group which are staggered, and the surface has a first recess and a second recess which are staggered.




d

Material deposition system and method for depositing materials on a substrate

A material deposition system includes a frame, a support coupled to the frame to support an electronic substrate during a deposit operation, a gantry coupled to the frame, and a deposition head coupled to the gantry. The deposition head is movable over the support by movement of the gantry. The deposition head includes a chamber to hold material, an actuator to push a volume of material out of the chamber, a needle extending from the chamber and terminating in a needle orifice, and at least two air jets located on opposite sides of the needle orifice. A desired volume of material is formed at the needle orifice in response to the actuator, and each of the at least two air jets produce a timed pulse of air to create a micro-droplet from the desired volume and to accelerate the micro-droplet to high velocity.




d

Liquid feed valve unit and liquid ejection device

A liquid feed valve unit is configured to switch between a releasing mode for forcibly opening a valve and a blocking mode for closing the valve, and the valve can therefore be opened and closed in a short time as needed. Since the releasing mode is implemented by pushing the peripheral part and the pressure-receiving part of the flexible member, the flexible member can be prevented from flexing toward the outside of the liquid accommodating chamber even in the case that the pressure-receiving part is pushed. In this case, since a residual pressure can be prevented from forming in the liquid accommodating chamber, there is no need to suspend operation, and it is possible to immediately proceed to the next operation. A fast-operating liquid feed valve unit can thereby be obtained.




d

Liquid feeding device and method of determining time of exchange of gas control element

Ink in an ink tank is fed through a dissolved gas control filter to a printer head. A gas pressure changing mechanism reduces pressure in a gas pressure control tank. In response, the dissolved gas control filter removes gas dissolved in the ink. The gas pressure control tank is placed under pressure corresponding to a sum of the pressure reduced by the gas pressure changing mechanism and the pressure of the gas having been removed from the liquid. A gas pressure measuring part measures the sum of these pressures as pressure in the gas pressure control tank. Then, a controller determines when time of exchange of the dissolved gas control filter has come based on the magnitude of a gradient of gas pressure variation in the gas pressure control tank.




d

Liquid container and liquid ejecting apparatus

A liquid container includes a liquid which generates gases over time due to a chemical change in components; a liquid storage chamber in which the liquid is stored; a liquid flow port which communicates with the liquid storage chamber, via which the liquid inside the storage chamber flows out; and an information holding portion which holds time information on manufacturing of the liquid container.




d

Liquid ejection apparatus

A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a head including: a reservoir tank; an inlet opening; and ejection openings; an air-discharge passage for discharging air from the reservoir tank to an outside; a first sucking device for sucking air from the reservoir tank via the air-discharge passage; a semipermeable membrane dividing a space in the reservoir tank and the air-discharge passage, into a reservoir-tank-side space and a first-sucking-device-side space and allowing communication of the air and inhibiting communication of liquid between the reservoir-tank-side space and the first-sucking-device-side space; and a first valve mechanism dividing the reservoir-tank-side space into a first space on a semipermeable-membrane side and a second space on an inlet-opening side, inhibiting fluid from flowing from the first space to the second space, and allowing fluid to flow from the second space to the first space. The first space is located above the ejection openings.




d

Liquid cartridge and image forming apparatus incorporation same

A liquid cartridge is detachably attachable to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus. The liquid cartridge includes a cartridge case, an information memory element, and a holding unit. The cartridge case includes at least two dividable case parts. The at least two dividable case parts form a front face of the cartridge case to face the apparatus body when the liquid cartridge is attached to the apparatus body. An information memory element is held at the front face of the cartridge case. The holding unit is provided in one of the at least two dividable case parts to hold the information memory element with only the one of the at least two dividable case parts. The holding unit includes a groove to receive the information memory element and a displaceable claw to hold the information memory element between the groove and the claw.