Abstract: A recording apparatus comprises a head for forming an image on a recording medium or for reading an image formed on a recording medium; a supporting member for holding the head; a first unit for electrical connection provided for the head; a second unit for electrical connection provided for the supporting member, which can be electrically connected to the first unit for electrical connection; and a member for deelectrifying static electricity, which is provided for the supporting member in the vicinity of the second unit for electrical connection. This deelectrifying member prevents static electricity from flowing into the signal lines provided for the second unit for electrical connection when the supporting member is actuated to hold the head.

Abstract: An ink refilling system includes an ink jet recording apparatus, in which a cartridge with an ink containing portion can be installed. The ink jet recording apparatus includes a driver for driving a conveyer for conveying a recording medium, and a first transmitter for transmitting the driving force from the driver out of the ink jet recording apparatus. Also provided is an ink filling apparatus for filling the ink into the cartridge, the ink filling apparatus including: an ink storing portion for storing the ink to be filled into the cartridge; a connector for injecting the ink from the ink storing portion to the cartridge; a pressure-feeding device for pressure-feeding the ink through the connector; and a second transmitter for transmitting the driving force to drive the pressure-feeding device. The driving force from the driver of the ink jet recording apparatus is transmitted to the pressure-feeding device through the first and second driving force transmitters.

Abstract: A reading unit provided with an optical system mounted on a recording apparatus to read a source document includes a housing having the optical system in it, a light transmitting portion arranged on the outer surface of the housing of the reading unit in order to guide the light outside the reading unit into the optical system of the reading unit, and a protection member to cover the outer side of the light transmitting portion for opening and closing such portion freely. With the structure thus arranged, the reading unit is protected from ink mist and other particles created by the recording apparatus that may contaminate the reading unit, hence preventing the accuracy of reading signals from being lowered when reading is performed by means of this reading unit.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus according to the present invention has a pawl separator for separating sheets one by one by regulating the tip ends and upper surfaces of tip end portions of the sheets, which pawl separator can be retarded from a sheet regulating position when it is urged by the sheet with a predetermined force. With this arrangement, sheets having small resiliency such as plain sheets are separated one by one by successively riding over the pawl separator, and sheets having great resiliency such as post cards and envelopes urge the pawl separator to a retracted position to pass through the pawl separator and are separated one by one by of another separation.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a carriage that relatively moves against a recording medium, on which a recording head for recording an image of input information on a recording region of the recording medium is mounted; and a driving device for driving the carriage. Furthermore, the recording apparatus includes: a control device for driving the carriage by the driving device in accordance with a driving process of: an acceleration step for accelerating the carriage by stepwise changing the carriage's velocity from a rest level to a predetermined level and a retaining step for keeping the carriage's velocity of the predetermined level as a predetermined velocity.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording by discharging plural kinds of ink from the recording head to a recording medium comprises detection device for detecting the decrease of ink remains of each ink of the plural kinds of ink, ink amount indication device arranged in a number smaller than the number of the plural kinds of ink, and signal outputting device for outputting signals which enables the decrease of ink remains having the least amount of ink remains to be displayed on the ink amount indication device in accordance with the results of plural detections by the detection device.

Abstract: A display unit is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to a main body of an electronic apparatus. An inlet for manually inserting a sheet is provided in the vicinity of the center of rotation of the display unit, and a sheet feeding device capable of continuously feeding sheets is provided so as to be detachable with respect to the inlet. It is thereby possible to supply a sheet from the front side of the electronic apparatus.

Abstract: A device for controlling the power supplied to windings of a stepping motor includes a pulse generator for splitting one step drive period of the motor into a plurality of sections, the number of sections and increasing or decreasing depending upon the drive frequency. The pulse generator, also sets the duty cycle of a pulse applied to the motor. The device also includes a stepping motor drive circuit for exciting each phase of the motor with a current determined by the duty cycle of pulse, and a duty changing device for changing the duty cycle for each of plural sections in one excitation phase of the stepping motor, wherein a current wave input into the motor can be maintained as a sinusoidal wave from low-speed rotation to high-speed rotation of the motor by changing the number of sections in excitation depending upon serial drive operations, thereby achieving motor control with less rotation inconsistencies and less noise.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette which is adapted to be demountably loaded on a recording apparatus having a recording head capable of recording information on a recording medium supported by a platen, the ink ribbon cassette has the following parts: a substantially box-shaped casing constituted by an upper case and a lower case which are connected to each other at their vertical walls, the casing having a first side wall facing the platen and a second side wall opposing the first side wall, a recessed portion formed in one end of the first side wall and capable of receiving the recording head, engaging portion provided on the second side wall and adapted for engagement with retaining member on the recording apparatus, a pair of through holes constituted by pairs of apertures formed in the portions of the upper and lower cases adjacent to the first side wall, the through holes being adapted for receiving locating members on the recording apparatus so as to locate the ink ribbon cassette, and a path of an ink ribbon ext

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium has a plurality of ink ribbon mounting portions on which a multicolor ink ribbon having inks of plural colors and a monochromatic ink ribbon having monochromatic ink can be mounted, a recording head for recording an image on the recording medium, an input circuit for designating the colors of the image to be recorded on the recording medium, and a control unit for controlling the image based on recording information to be recorded by the direction from said input means so that image recording is effected in a smaller number of the recording colors by the recording information. The unused amount of the color blocks on the ribbon is stored in memory to control efficient use of the ribbon.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette includes a cassette case for housing an ink ribbon and feeding it along a feed path, an ink ribbon guide for guiding the ribbon along the ink path and a cantilevered spring member disposed at an intermediate portion of the feed path of the ink ribbon. The cantilevered spring member includes a frictioning portion for imparting a smaller tension to the ink ribbon when the ink ribbon is fed from a supply end to a take-up end, while imparting a greater tension to the ink ribbon when the ink ribbon is fed from the take-up end to the supply end. The spring member is provided at a free end with the frictioning portion and is bent at an intermediate portion such that a supported end of the spring member and the free end thereof face each other.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus having a sheet support for supporting sheets, a rotary sheet supply roller for feeding out the sheets stacked on the sheet support, a rotary feed roller for feeding the sheet in normal and reverse directions with respect to a sheet feeding direction, and a load set control for prohibiting a reverse rotation of the rotary sheet supply roller is disclosed. A skew-feed of the sheet is corrected by the feeding of the sheet in the reverse direction by use of the rotary feed roller and the load set control.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus capable of image recording and image correction using a self-correction ribbon. In image recording the ribbon is lifted off from the recording sheet immediately after heating, while in correction the ribbon is lifted off with a delay from the sheet so that the ribbon develops sufficient adhesive force by cooling. The delay is caused by a lever member or the like, movable between a protruding position for correction and a retracted position for recording, and provided on an ink ribbon cassette or on the recording apparatus itself.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus capable of recording an image in different color tones and an ink sheet cassette suitable for use in such an image recording apparatus. The image recording apparatus, when used in combination with the ink sheet cassette, is capable of producing clear image in different recording color tones. The recording color tone can be changed by changing, in accordance with the color tone data, the condition of separation of the ink sheet from the recording medium.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette which is adapted to be demountably loaded on a recording apparatus having a recording head capable of recording information on a recording medium supported by a platen, the ink ribbon cassette has the following parts: a substantially box-shaped casing constituted by an upper case and a lower case which are connected to each other at their vertical walls, the casing having a first side wall facing the platen and a second side wall opposing the first side wall, a recessed portion formed in one end of the first side wall and capable of receiving the recording head, engaging portion provided on the second side wall and adapted for engagement with retaining member on the recording apparatus, a pair of through holes constituted by pairs of apertures formed in the portions of the upper and lower cases adjacent to the first side wall, the through holes being adapted for receiving locating members on the recording apparatus so as to locate the ink ribbon cassette, and a path of an ink ribbon ext

Abstract: A recording apparatus such as a printer for recording onto a recording medium by use of an ink sheet having an ink comprises: a thermal head to heat the ink sheet to thereby record onto the recording medium; a peeling device to peel off the ink sheet from the recording medium after the heating of the ink sheet by the thermal head on the basis of the recording information; and a controller to control the peeling condition of the peeling device on the basis of the recording information so as to initialize the peeling device at the time of the exchange of the ink sheet or the power-ON of the apparatus. With this apparatus, the high quality recording can be certainly performed by a desired color in response to the color information. This apparatus can mount either the uni-color ink ribbon or the two-color ink ribbon.