Abstract: A structure which includes a container for reserving a predetermined amount of ink to be supplied to a printing head and in which a supply system is configured such that ink is intermittently supplied to the container from an ink tank as an ink supply source makes it possible to reduce the time for charging the container with ink. A member for holding ink and generating a negative pressure originating from an elastic force is provided in the container. With connecting the tank and the member, the pressure in the container is reduced to cause the member to expand, thereby introducing ink into the same. This introduction is stopped by regulating the expansion with a displaceable unit. A negative pressure is generated in the member by canceling regulation by the unit to put it in equilibrium with an ink meniscus holding ability of the printing head.

Abstract: A feeding apparatus, a printing apparatus and a feeding control method can simplify control software significantly on a printing apparatus side and can provide freedom of design in the feeding apparatus. A communication port is provided for communication between the feeding apparatus and the printer. The feeding apparatus performs paper feeding operation after receiving a paper feeding command from the printer. When a sheet is fed in the printer, a feeding operation completion signal is transmitted to the printer. On the other hand, rotation of a feeding roller is resumed at a slightly earlier timing than a rotation start timing of a transporting roller. Therefore, back tension on the sheet by the feeding roller is minimized, and positioning the top of the sheet by the transporting roller is enhanced reliably.

Abstract: A carriage moving apparatus for transmitting a driving force to a carriage by a toothed timing belt, and reciprocally moving the carriage includes the projected portions of the belt protruding on the opposite sides of the timing belt. The projected portions of the belt have their central axes passing through substantially the center of the widthwise cross-section of the timing belt and are engaged with a carriage engaging portion formed on the carriage.

Abstract: An ink container for containing ink to be supplied to an ink jet head to which the ink container is detachably mountable, inclues 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: This specification discloses a recording apparatus comprising recording means for effecting recording on a recording medium, and conveying means for conveying the recording medium, the recording apparatus further comprising a power input terminal adapted to be switched ON/OFF by the ignition key switch of an automobile, and control means for executing the operation sequence of the recording apparatus in accordance with the ON/OFF state of the power input terminal. The specification also discloses a method of controlling the above-described recording apparatus, comprising 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 recording an image on a sheet material, includes an outer case having a box-shape, a convey path for conveying a sheet material within the outer case, a recording device disposed within the outer case and adapted to effect recording on the sheet material conveyed by the convey path. Opening portions formed in the outer case provide an inlet and an outlet of the convey path. A lid member closes at least one of the opening portions defining the inlet and the outlet, and wherein flexion of the outer case is reduced by closing the opening portion or portions by means of the lid member.

Abstract: A recording apparatus has a battery as a driving power source of the recording apparatus, a holding portion for holding the battery, and a connecting device for electrically connecting the recording apparatus and the battery to each other when the battery is held in the holding portion. A biasing device biases the battery on a side opposed to a mounting direction of the battery when the battery is held in the holding portion, and a fixing device fixes the battery held in the holding portion against the biasing force of the biasing device.

Abstract: An ink container for containing ink to be supplied to an ink jet head to which the ink container is detachably mountable, inclues 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 feeding apparatus, a printing apparatus and a feeding control method which can simplify control software significantly on a printing apparatus side and can provide freedom of design in the feeding apparatus. Communication port is provided for communication between a feeding apparatus and a printer. The feeding apparatus performs paper feeding operation receiving a paper feeding command from the printer. When a sheet is fed in the printer, feeding operation completion signal is transmitted to the printer. On the other hand, rotation of a feeding roller is resumed at slightly earlier timing than rotation start timing of a transporting roller. Therefore, back tension on the sheet by the feeding roller is minimized, and positioning top of the sheet by the transporting roller is enhanced reliability.

Abstract: An ink container for containing ink to be supplied to an ink jet head to which the ink container is detachably mountable, inclues an ink supply port for supplying the ink to the ink jet head; an 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: 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.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a movable carriage capable of moving as designed while carrying, hereon, a plurality of different recording heads for discharging ink to record characters and/or images and a plurality of different ink tanks for storing ink to be supplied to the recording heads, the recording heads and the ink tanks being changeable; a restoring unit capable of restoring the recording heads; a detection unit for determining the type of the recording head or the ink tank; and a control unit for causing the restoring unit to restore the recording head in a case where the detection unit has detected change of the recording head or the ink tank to the recording head or the ink tank of the same type, and inhibiting the restoring unit from restoring the recording head in a case where the detection unit has detected change to the recording head or the ink tank of a different type.

Abstract: An ink cartridge, removably mountable on a fixed mounting portion of an ink jet recording apparatus for supplying discharged ink to a recording head carried on a movable carriage of the apparatus, comprises a flag member mounted for protrusion and retraction, an arrangement for protruding the flag member toward a path along which the carriage is moved when the ink cartridge is mounted on the mounting portion, and a photosensor mounted on the carriage in a position where it will be shielded from light by the protruding flag member.

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprises a first gear, a second gear meshable with the first gear, a third gear meshable with the first gear and the second gear. The third gear has a peripheral surface on which a toothed portion meshable with the first gear and an untoothed portion not meshable with a toothed portion of the first gear are disposed opposable to the first gear, and a peripheral surface on which a toothed portion meshable with the second gear is disposed opposable to said second gear, a gear drive switching control unit controls switching such that when the toothed portion adjacent the untoothed portion of the third gear comes into contact with the first gear, the second gear and the third gear are meshed to rotate the third gear to oppose the untoothed portion of the third gear to the first gear, thereby releasing the contact between the first gear and the third gear.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus having a carriage, in which, even when a toothed belt having fine tooth pitch and low tooth height is used as driving transmitting means to the carriage, a jumping phenomenon of the toothed belt is positively prevented thereby to achieve stable scanning of the carriage without requiring a driving motor having a large capacity and additional carriage position detecting means. A member for preventing the jumping of the toothed belt is disposed to create a predetermined gap b with respect to a back surface of the toothed belt and is inclined with respect to the back surface by a predetermined angle &thgr; 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: A recording device comprises a drive mechanism section for effecting recording on a recording object material, and an exterior cover for covering the drive mechanism section, the exterior cover having a plurality of cover members separated by at least one partition surface, wherein for two cover members to be combined with each other out of the cover members, a partition surface of one cover member is provided with a projection which functions as a fulcrum when the other cover member pivots on an axis parallel to the partition surface, and partition surfaces of the two cover members are coupled to each other by an engagement structure which engages when the two cover members move away from each other, on one side with respect to the axis, while being coupled by fastening with a screw on the other side.

Abstract: A skew feed or damage in the sheet in automatic feeding is avoided. In an image forming apparatus provided with a printer for recording an image, the printer is provided with a feeding port for enabling manual insert sheet feeding and an automatic sheet feeder (ASF) is detachably mounted on the feeding port to enable automatic sheet feeding through the feeding port. As shown in the drawings, the printer is provided with a printer sheet guide for manual insert sheet feeding, while the ASF is provided with an ASF sheet guide for automatic sheet feeding, and the ASF sheet guide is displaced toward the inner side of the sheet by a predetermined amount with respect to the printer sheet guide. Thus, the sheet automatically fed utilizing the ASF sheet guide does not contact the printer sheet guide, whereby the skew feed of the sheet and the damage to the sheet end can be prevented.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus, in which excellent mounting ability is achieved and damage and dislodging of a recording apparatus can be prevented. A mounting opening for mounting the recording apparatus is formed in a side surface of an apparatus body comprised of an ASF upper case and an ASF base. When the recording apparatus is mounted, after the recording apparatus is rested on a recording apparatus supporting portions for supporting the recording apparatus for shifting movement in a mounting direction, the recording apparatus is guided along the recording apparatus supporting portions in the mounting direction. By providing an eaves portion substantially in parallel with the recording apparatus supporting portions, an upward movement of the recording apparatus is regulated when and after the recording apparatus is mounted.

Abstract: In the sheet conveying apparatus, convey force of a convey device is changed according to the load applied to a recording sheet in order to constantly convey the recording sheet reliably. A rotary sheet discharge body has convex and concave portions in order to reliably discharge the recording sheet regardless of resistance applied to the recording sheet. Highly frictional material is provided only around the end portions of the rotary sheet discharge body in order to reduce the manufacturing cost and improve the facility of assembly.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus includes a sheet supporter for supporting sheets, a supply rotary device for feeding out the sheets supported by the sheet supporter, a separation member for separating sheets fed by the supply rotary device one by one by elastically changing an inclination angle of the separation member when the sheets fed by the supply rotary means abut against and ride over the separation member, and a sheet guide member removably disposed above the sheet supporting means and adapted to guide the sheet in such a manner that the sheet is subjected to resistance of the separation member smaller than resistance from the separation member to the sheet when the sheets are supplied from the sheet supporter.