Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a pressure sensor and a determining unit. The pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure in an ink supply path for use in supplying ink from an ink tank to a recording head. The determining unit determines whether the ink supply path is anomalous based on a result of detection of the pressure in the ink supply path by the pressure sensor performed in response to application of a fluctuating pressure to the ink in the ink tank.

Abstract: A fail-safe capability is realized that not only forestalls the execution by the user of the head replacement operation in an erroneous sequence while the printing apparatus is in operation but also prevents the splashing of ink even if the user attempts to inadvertently replace the print head. For this purpose, the ink supply and the opening and closing of the print head replacement cover are performed by a predetermined rotation of one drive source.

Abstract: Activation/deactivation of a pump 50 is executed with a delay of a predetermined time from a forward/reverse switching of rotation of a conveying roller 2, while an activation/deactivation of lock means 20 is executed simultaneous with a forward/reverse switching of rotation of the conveying roller 2, and, at the switching of the driving direction of the conveying roller, a difference in timing is provided in the drive transmission so as not to transmit the driving power to the pump for a time necessary for the activation/deactivation switching of the lock means. By separating the cap from the recording head while retaining a negative pressure in the cap after the ink suction operation, thereby reducing the ink amount remaining on the discharge port face or in the cap after the ink suction operation.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a carriage for mounting therein a recording head which executes a recording operation by discharging ink onto a recording material, a conveying roller for conveying a recording material, and a cap for covering a discharge port of the recording head. In addition, a pump generates a negative pressure in an interior of the cap, a lock member, adapted to be rotated in synchronism with the rotation of the conveying roller, locks movement of the carriage, and a drive transmission mechanism transmits a driving power of the conveying roller to the pump. The drive transmitting mechanism is equipped with a delay mechanism for delaying transmission of the driving power to the pump until the conveying roller has been rotated by an amount corresponding to an amount of rotation of the lock member for shifting the carriage from a locked state to an unlocked state.

Abstract: A rotatable locking lever is provided in a slider and is movable in a direction intersecting a moving direction of a carriage, and the slider is made to stop in a wiping position by the locking lever being locked by an apparatus main body side when the slider moves to a wiping position. It is possible to regulate an approach amount of a wiper to a recording head with a high degree of accuracy even if horizontal portions are not provided on cam surfaces for restricting a position of the slider mounting the wiper.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a driving force transmitting member for transmitting a rotational driving force to a sheet feeding roller, first and second roller supporting members for supporting the sheet feeding roller. The sheet feeding apparatus further includes supporting portions for swingably supporting the first and second roller supporting members. The first and second roller supporting members are integrally movable with respect to a motion about the supporting portions and are independently movable with respect to a motion, at the supporting portions, about an axis normal to a sheet stacking surface.

Abstract: A recording apparatus which can prevent a drop of a recording head upon attachment of the recording head to a carriage is provided. When a head cartridge is attached/removed to/from a carriage, the carriage is moved to an overlapping position with a head supporting base and stopped there. Projection supporting portions to guide and support rough guide projections on both side surfaces of the head cartridge so as to be properly received to guides provided for the carriage are provided for the head supporting base.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for effecting recording using a head cartridge includes a carriage to which the head cartridge is mountable, the carriage being movable while carrying the head cartridge; an encoder for detecting movement of the carriage; a detecting portion for detecting whether or not the carriage and the head cartridge are electrically connected with each other; and a discriminating section for discriminating that the head cartridge is not properly mounted to the carriage, when the encoder, after an operation of mounting the head cartridge to the carriage, does not detect the movement of the carriage, and the detecting portion, after the operation of mounting the head cartridge to the carriage, does not detect electrical connection between the carriage and the head cartridge.

Abstract: A recording apparatus which can prevent a dropping of a recording head upon attachment of the recording head to a carriage is provided. When a head cartridge is attached/removed to/from a carriage, the carriage is moved to an overlapping position with a head supporting base and stopped there. Projection supporting portions to guide and support rough guide projections on both side surfaces of the head cartridge so as to be properly received by guides provided for the carriage are provided for the head supporting base.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a driving force transmitting member for transmitting a rotational driving force to a sheet feeding roller, first and second roller supporting members for supporting the sheet feeding roller. The sheet feeding apparatus further includes supporting portions for swingably supporting the first and second roller supporting members. The first and second roller supporting members are integrally movable with respect to a motion about the supporting portions and are independently movable with respect to a motion, at the supporting portions, about an axis normal to a sheet stacking surface.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording unit for effecting recording on a recording medium, and a conveying unit for conveying the recording medium. The recording apparatus further includes a power input terminal adapted to be switched ON/OFF by the ignition key switch of an automobile, and a controller for executing the operation sequence of the recording apparatus in accordance with the ON/OFF state of the power input terminal. In addition, a method of controlling the above-described recording apparatus includes executing the operation sequence of the recording apparatus in accordance with the ON/OFF state of the power input terminal switched ON/OFF by the ignition key switch of an automobile.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for effecting recording using a head cartridge includes a carriage to which the head cartridge is mountable, the carriage being movable while carrying the head cartridge; first detecting means for detecting movement of the carriage; second detecting means for detecting whether or not the carriage and the head cartridge are electrically connected with each other; and discriminating means for discriminating that the head cartridge is not properly mounted to the carriage, when the first detecting means, after an operation of mounting the head cartridge to the carriage, does not detect the movement of the carriage, and the second detecting means, after the operation of mounting the head cartridge to the carriage, does not detect electrical connection between the carriage and the head cartridge, either.

Abstract: Activation/deactivation of a pump 50 is executed with a delay of a predetermined time from a forward/reverse switching of rotation of a conveying roller 2, while an activation/deactivation of lock means 20 is executed simultaneous with a forward/reverse switching of rotation of the conveying roller 2, and, at the switching of the driving direction of the conveying roller, a difference in timing is provided in the drive transmission so as not to transmit the driving power to the pump for a time necessary for the activation/deactivation switching of the lock means. By separating the cap from the recording head while retaining a negative pressure in the cap after the ink suction operation, thereby reducing the ink amount remaining on the discharge port face or in the cap after the ink suction operation.

Abstract: A rotatable locking lever is provided in a slider in a direction of intersecting a moving direction of a carriage, and the slider is made to stop in a wiping position by making the locking lever locked by an apparatus main body side when the slider moves to a wiping position. It is possible to regulate an approach amount of a wiper to a recording head with high degree of accuracy even if horizontal portions are not provided on cam surfaces for restricting a position of the slider mounting the wiper.

Abstract: A recording apparatus which can prevent a drop of a recording head upon attachment of the recording head to a carriage is provided. When a head cartridge is attached/removed to/from a carriage, the carriage is moved to an overlapping position with a head supporting base and stopped there. Projection supporting portions to guide and support rough guide projections on both side surfaces of the head cartridge so as to be properly received to guides provided for the carriage are provided for the head supporting base.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus having a carriage, in which, even when a toothed belt having a fine tooth pitch and low tooth height is used to drive the carriage, a jumping phenomenon of the toothed belt is positively prevented to thereby achieve stable scanning of the carriage without requiring a driving motor having a large capacity and an additional carriage position detecting device. A member for preventing the jumping of the toothed belt is disposed to create a predetermined gap with respect to a back surface of the toothed belt and is inclined with respect to the back surface by a predetermined angle at a position where the member is opposed to the back surface of a portion of the toothed belt to which the carriage is connected, in the vicinity of the driving pulley for the toothed belt connected to the carriage on which a head is mounted.

Abstract: An ink container for containing ink to be supplied to an ink jet head to which the ink container is detachably mountable, includes an ink supply port for supplying the ink to the ink jet head; a air vent for fluid communication with ambience; a claw-like projection provided on a first side of the ink container; a latching lever provided on a second side opposite from the ink container, the latching lever being resiliently supported on the ink container and having a latching claw.

Abstract: A recording apparatus with a relatively simple structure for easily, reliably, and stably transporting a recording medium includes a recording head performing a recording operation by discharging ink; a platen for guiding the recording medium, disposed so as to face the recording head; a discharge roller for discharging the recording medium, disposed in the downstream region of the platen and comprising at least two first roll portions and at least one second roll portion having a smaller diameter than the first roll portions; and at least two discharge guides for guiding the recording medium from the platen to the discharge roller. One end of each of the discharge guides is rotatably supported by the platen, and the other end thereof abuts against the second roll portion of the discharge roller.

Abstract: For eliminating waste of ink and achieving high charging efficiency with a reduced charging time where a printing head is equipped with a second tank for reserving a predetermined amount of ink and a supply system is configured to supply ink from a first tank to the second tank intermittently, the second tank is provided with a variable internal volume. The internal volume is varied to cause the second tank itself to function as an actuator for charging ink and performing a venting process. Specifically, the internal volume is forcibly reduced to cause a reverse flow of a gas residing in the second tank along with ink into the first tank, which makes it possible to generate of waste ink that is released to the outside. A normal charging operation can be completed simply by causing a change in the opposite direction (the direction of increasing the internal volume). Relatedly, the second tank may be provided with a member for holding ink and generating a negative pressure originating from an elastic force.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a scale for detecting conveyance rotation angle of a conveying roller, wherein the part tolerances of an encoder for use in the conveying roller, the offset at the time of assembly, etc. are canceled to thereby perform high accuracy detection. The conveyance outer peripheral portion of the conveying roller is chucked (held), and the conveying roller is rotated by a motor. The rotation angle is detected by a reference encoder, and rotation angle allotment is effected through magnetization on the basis of the output of the reference encoder to arrange N- and S-poles by varying current direction of a magnetizing head.