Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an interlayer dielectric film, a plurality of pad parts, a wiring layer, and a surface protection film. The semiconductor substrate includes a semiconductor element on a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The interlayer dielectric film is disposed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The wiring layer is disposed in the interlayer dielectric film. The hard film is disposed opposite to the semiconductor substrate with respect to the interlayer dielectric film, and is harder than the interlayer dielectric film. The pad parts are disposed opposite to the interlayer dielectric film with respect to the hard film. The surface protection film is disposed in at least an opposing region where the pad parts oppose to each other. The surface protection film is a silicon nitride film or a silicon oxide film.

Abstract: A printer includes a first cam that is configured to change a distance between a pair of rollers, i.e. a drive roller and a pinch roller, wherein the pair of rollers are disposed opposite to each other with a paper therebetween and at least one of the rollers is configured to feed the paper along a transfer path by its rotation, a second cam that is configured to change a distance between a head for printing on the paper and a platen roller, wherein the head and the platen roller are disposed opposite to each other with the paper therebetween, and a third cam that is configured to switch the transfer path for the paper to a discharging transfer path or a decurl transfer path that are formed as different transfer paths. The first cam, the second cam, and the third cam are connected to a same rotation axis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dot matrix printer (10) which comprises a printing unit (12) for printing a printing material and a feed area (20) for feeding the printing material to the printing unit (12). In the feed area (20) a gap (26) is formed through which the printing material is transported. In a print mode, the printing unit (12) prints the printing material, whereas in a feed mode the printing material can be fed from the feed area (20) to the printing unit (12) and the printing material is not printed. Further, the dot matrix printer (10) comprises a closing unit (32) which at least partially closes the gap (26) in the print mode.

Abstract: A printer according to an embodiment of the present invention is a printer which transports a recording medium, provided with a plurality of laminated sheets, along a predetermined transport path including a curved portion. The printer is provided with a dot head for printing the recording medium, a platen roller which faces the dot head with the recording medium therebetween, and a feed guide which is located on the downstream side of the dot head and the platen roller with respect to the direction of transport and guides the recording medium in a manner such that the recording medium is bent in a direction opposite to that in which the curved portion is bent.

Abstract: A device (1) suitable for marking a laboratory sample cassette (2) has a platen (6) with an aperture (7) and a cassette (2) is positioned so that a marking surface (3) of the cassette is aligned with the aperture (7). The device (1) also has a plurality of wires (9) with each wire (9) connected to a solenoid (11). An end (10) of each of the wires (9) is heated by a ceramic guide (12a) and selected ones of the heated wires (9) are oscillated once in a first direction (25) by their respective solenoids (11) to and from the aperture (7) to mark the marking surface (3). All the wires are then moved in a second direction transversely relative to the first direction (25) and selected wires are then oscillated once to mark the marking surface (3). This process is repeated until the required marking of the cassette marking surface (3) is completed.

Abstract: A printer according to an embodiment of the present invention is a printer which transports a recording medium, provided with a plurality of laminated sheets, along a predetermined transport path including a curved portion. The printer is provided with a dot head for printing the recording medium, a platen roller which faces the dot head with the recording medium therebetween, and a feed guide which is located on the downstream side of the dot head and the platen roller with respect to the direction of transport and guides the recording medium in a manner such that the recording medium is bent in a direction opposite to that in which the curved portion is bent.

Abstract: An armature damper according to the present invention acts to abut against the arm of an armature to stop the arm at a predetermined backward position. The armature damper is formed in a manner that the surface thereof abutting against the arm is formed by a rigid body member and an elastic member is integrally joined to the rear surface of the rigid body member, and the elastic member is formed to protrude from the outer side of the rigid body member at least at the engaging portion between a positioning armature stopper and the armature damper. The protruded portion is used as a buffer at the engaging portion between the armature stopper and the armature damper.

Abstract: In order to realize a weight saving and prevent a concentration of stress to thereby obtain durability endurable for high-speed printing, an armature of the present invention has an arm that is formed into a long-sized plate-like shape and holds a printing wire at its end section and a magnetic circuit forming member that is positioned at the other end at the side of the printing wire and has a projecting section projecting from the arm toward the direction in which the printing wire extends, wherein a first inclined surface that gradually inclines toward the projecting section in the direction in which the printing wire extends and a concave-shaped first curved surface that communicates with the first inclined surface and bends inward with a predetermined curvature to reach the projecting section are formed at a first end face of the arm at the side of the projecting section.

Abstract: A marking device for encoding metallic workpieces with two-dimensional matrix codes includes a striking tool for forming the code recesses, driven by an electromagnetic device. The driving movement is performed against the force of a return device. A positioning device displaceable on two axes (x, y) of a plane perpendicular to the striking direction (z) is used for positioning the striking tool in the desired code positions. An electronic control device for controlling movement of the striking tool includes means for presetting a higher current for the electromagnet device during a first acceleration phase of the striking tool and a lower current during a subsequent moving phase until the workpiece is impinged. In this manner, the precision of the code recesses in the workpiece can be exactly set or maintained, so that readability of the coding is substantially improved.

Abstract: A needle guide (5) is composed of a first guide wall (5a) and a second guide wall (5b) arranged at a distance x from each other. Each of these guide walls is formed with through holes through which needles penetrate and which extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of a needle bunch, the through holes of the first guide wall and the second guide wall for one needle is shifted from each other in the convergence direction of the needles with a shift amount ?n determined by the distance x and a convergence angle ?n of the needle.

Abstract: In order to realize stable rocking operation of the armature and further obtain magnetic characteristics required for high-speed printing, the magnetic circuit forming member formed of magnetic material like a plate and having the through hole in the direction of thickness thereof is stacked in two or more layers in the direction of thickness, pressure is applied to the two or more stacked magnetic circuit forming members in the stacking direction to make the magnetic circuit forming members adhere to each other, and the two or more magnetic circuit forming members put in the adhering state are subjected to nitriding.

Abstract: An impact printing apparatus is also disclosed with printing pin actuation timing correction dependent upon scanning speed or platen shape, striking duration timing dependent upon scanning rate, or printing pin actuation timing dependent upon stored shift amounts.

Abstract: A prescription drug printing machine is used by a physician in connection with prescribing one or more prescription drugs to a patient. The printing machine has a memory unit that contains a database of information on all known available prescription drugs, including a colored pictorial representation of each of the available drugs. Each of the colored pictorial representations is a substantially similar replica of the drug it depicts. Preferably, the colored pictorial representation is an exact replica of the actual drug, containing the drug's exact color, shape and size. The printing device includes a first and second printing means for printing a prescription drug form and a patient receipt, respectively. Both of the prescription drug form and the patient receipt include the name of the drug, a colored pictorial representation, and other information. The prescribing physician inspects each of these documents for accuracy before handing them both over to the patient.

Abstract: A marking device (10) comprises a housing (12) having a handle (16). A frame (20) is pivotally mounted in the housing aout a first axis (22). A marking head (40) mounted on the frame for translational movement in the frame by a first motor (84) in a first direction (x) parallel said first axis and spaced therefrom. A second motor (100) is arranged to pivot the frame with respect to the housing about said first axis in a second, substantially orthogonal direction (y). The pin moves in a third orthogonal direction (z). The motors (84, 100) are disposed within the confines of the frame (20) and move on fixed screws (84, 104).

Abstract: An ink density closed loop control system for an ink ribbon of an impact printer having a reservoir roller formed of an ink absorbent material with at least one or more channels within the reservoir roller fluidly connected to a pump and ink supply. A transfer roller can contact the reservoir roller for imparting ink to the ink ribbon. A sensor senses the relative amount of ink on the print ribbon and an electrical drive responsive to the sensor drives the pump for a flow of ink to the one or more channels. The sensor can sense ink on different segments of the ribbon and, with two or more channels in the reservoir roller can distribute ink to two or more segments of the reservoir roller depending upon the ink sensed at a particular segment of the ribbon. A further enhancement of this invention provides a multi-viscosity ink to compensate for changes in ambient temperature conditions.

Abstract: An impact printing apparatus is also disclosed with printing pin actuation timing correction dependent upon scanning speed or platen shape, striking duration timing dependent upon scanning rate, or printing pin actuation timing dependent upon stored shift amounts.

Abstract: With an impact dot printing head control apparatus according to the invention, the drive control of respective wires is implemented on the basis of a normal fire and a pre-fire by generating the normal fire for driving the respective wires of the impact dot printing head so as to reach a printing position on the basis of printing data and a driving frequency of the impact dot printing head, and by generating, prior to the normal fire, the pre-fire for driving the respective wires so as not to reach the printing position. As a result, since the respective wires are caused to move by the pre-fire before actual printing operation by the normal fire even without preparing a large power source so as to meet requirements for driving the respective wires at the time of low temperature, the performance of the impact dot printing head can be ensured even at the time of low temperature, and in addition, reduction in product cost and downsizing of a product can be implemented.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for adaptively controlling printer functions of a dot matrix printer in response to sensing the type of printer ink cartridge being used. An identifying resistive value is applied to surface of the cartridge and installed within the printer. The printer includes contacts that include sensors and sensor circuitry useful to detect a presence of the resistive indicator and the resistive value thereof. The sensed resistive value is used to directly control printer functions, and/or to access stored data or printer control routines specific to the type of cartridge, or desired performance characteristics. Stored information, which may be appended by other sensed information such as printer usage data, is used to selectively regulate printer operation to achieve maximum efficiency and performance from the particular ink cartridge.

Abstract: An ink density closed loop control system for an ink ribbon of an impact printer having a reservoir roller formed of an ink absorbent material with at least one or more channels within the reservoir roller fluidly connected to a pump and ink supply. A transfer roller can contact the reservoir roller for imparting ink to the ink ribbon. A sensor senses the relative amount of ink on the print ribbon and an electrical drive responsive to the sensor drives the pump for a flow of ink to the one or more channels. The sensor can sense ink on different segments of the ribbon and, with two or more channels in the reservoir roller can distribute ink to two or more segments of the reservoir roller depending upon the ink sensed at a particular segment of the ribbon. A further enhancement of this invention provides a multi-viscosity ink to compensate for changes in ambient temperature conditions.

Abstract: A pin holder for a microarraying apparatus comprising at least one group of bodies of circular cross-section packed together to form a network of pathways in gaps between the bodies; and an array of pins slidably arranged in the pathways. The pins are held in parallel to each other automatically as a result of the self organized packing of the circular cross-section bodies, which may be spheres, for example ball bearings, or cylindrical, for example needle roller bearings. The pin holder provides for very accurate parallel alignment of the pins, low pin friction, as well as low cost and complexity of manufacture.

Abstract: A printing head which outputs an output from a sensor device provided for monitoring various condition of a printing head as-digital data, and a printing apparatus using the printing head. The output from the device for detecting condition of the printing head, e.g., information indicative of a substrate temperature, a resistance value of an electrothermal transducer, an ON resistance value of a power transistor which drives the electrothermal transducer and the like is digitized on the substrate, and outputted as digital information to the outside. Further, the digital information is outputted by utilizing a clock signal and a latch signal used for transferring print data to the printing head. This does not increase the number of wires and the area of the substrate.

Abstract: In a head drive circuit for an impact dot printer which performs printing by driving a print wire, a DC power source supplies a power source voltage. A switching element is on/off controlled to apply the power source voltage to a head coil for a predetermined time period. A voltage regulator converts an input voltage having a value higher than the power source voltage into an output voltage having a value as substantially same as the power source voltage. A voltage introducer inputs an inductive voltage, generated in the head coil when the switching element is turned off, into the voltage regulator as the input voltage. A voltage returner feeds back the output voltage of the voltage regulator to the DC power source.

Abstract: A positive piece engagement indicator for marking tool is provided in which a metal workpiece is contacted with a workpiece contact probe for providing physical contact with, as well as electrical communication with the metal surface of a workpiece. A test voltage and indicator means are placed in series between the workpiece and marking tool. Upon physical contact of the marking tool engagement surface with the surface of the metal workpiece, a circuit is completed by the electrical communication there between, thereby engaging the indicator means. This allows positive verification of actual engagement of worktool to workpiece.

Abstract: In the wire dot printer head of the present invention, there is provided an armature stopper against which an armature having pivoted from a printing position to a stand-by position comes into abutment, the armature stopper being formed by bonding an elastic plate and a hard plate with each other into an integral combination and thereafter punching the integral combination from the hard plate side. By this punching work the armature stopper is warped so that the hard plate side is convex in shape. With this warp, when the armature having pivoted to the stand-by position comes into abutment against the armature stopper, the armature stopper deflects in a direction to eliminate the warp. With this deflecting motion, an impact force induced upon mutual abutment of the armature and the armature stopper is diminished and deformation or chipping of the hard plate are suppressed, further, the durability of the armature stopper is improved and the printing accuracy is kept high over a long period.

Abstract: In the wire dot printer head of the present invention, an armature adapted to move pivotally between a printing position and a stand-by position is provided with a pivot shaft serving as a fulcrum, and the pivot shaft is pinched and supported by a pair of support members from both sides in the pivoting direction of the pivot shaft. In at least one support member is formed a concave support groove into which an outer periphery surface of the pivot shaft is inserted in a state of surface contact with the groove. When the armature moves pivotally in a printing operation, the surface of contact increases because the pivot shaft and the pivot groove are in surface contact with each other, thus preventing the occurrence of a local concentration of a strong force on the contact portion between the pivot shaft and the support groove.

Abstract: A control circuit generates two sorts of printing timing signals on the basis of the position of the printing mechanism module detected by a detector, and sends the generated signals to respective drive circuits. Herein, the printing mechanism module is configured of two printing element assemblies each of which includes a plurality of printing elements, and both of which are mechanically coupled. The two drive circuits taking charge of the two printing element assemblies send printing input signals to the respective printing elements which are to be driven according to the two sorts of printing timing signals received by the drive circuits. The relative positions between the print dots of the two printing element assemblies can be adjusted for each direction of printing on a sheet by changing the difference between the times of the two sorts of printing timing signals.

Abstract: A maskable drive signal generator selectively generates one of n types of maskable drive signals for each main scan pass, and a drive signal masking section generates a drive signal to be supplied to ink-expulsion drive elements of a print head by masking the maskable drive signal according to a print signal. The printing of ink dots on each raster line is completed in n×m main scan passes while employing each of the n types of maskable drive signals m times on each raster line.

Abstract: An ink density closed loop control system for an ink ribbon of an impact printer having a reservoir roller formed of an ink absorbent material with at least one or more channels within the reservoir roller fluidly connected to a pump and ink supply. A transfer roller can contact the reservoir roller for imparting ink to the ink ribbon. A sensor senses the relative amount of ink on the print ribbon and an electrical drive responsive to the sensor drives the pump for a flow of ink to the one or more channels. The sensor can sense ink on different segments of the ribbon and, with two or more channels in the reservoir roller can distribute ink to two or more segments of the reservoir roller depending upon the ink sensed at a particular segment of the ribbon. A further enhancement of this invention provides a multi-viscosity ink to compensate for changes in ambient temperature conditions.

Abstract: A dot printer not using any type, nor requiring any ink ribbon has an ink roller 1, a platen 2 having an outer surface coated with ink by contacting the ink roller 1, and a printing head 3 facing the platen 2 in an appropriately spaced apart relation thereto. The printing head 3 is a dot impact type printing head having a plurality of printing wires caused to project selectively to form letters, and a recording medium 6 is conveyed between the platen 2 and the printing head 3 to have printing made thereon by the printing head 3. A protective film 8 is employed between the printing head 3 and the recording medium 6.

Abstract: A dot-matrix printer for printing on a printing medium comprises a dot-forming section for forming dots on the printing medium; and a referenced data section to be referred to during movement of the dot-forming section, a character string to be printed being indicated as data having a predetermined resolution. Where M dots per a unit length are formable on the printing medium in a moving direction of the dot-forming section, and upon printing an N-character string per the unit length, M and N both being natural numbers, if (M÷N) is not a natural number, the resolution in the moving direction is made to be L per N-character string, L being a least common multiple of M and N, and while the dot-forming section moves across the unit length, the dot-matrix printer prints while referring to the referenced data section for L times.

Abstract: For a print head in an impact dot printer, a drive transistor 33 is connected in series to a head coil 59 that drives a print wire, and a pulse 32 is used to turn the drive transistor 33 on and off. Thus, the drive current i is supplied to the head coil 59 to drive the print wire. The input end of a DC/DC converter 2 is connected to the juncture of the head coil 59 and the drive transistor 33, and the output end of the DC/DC converter 2 is connected to the juncture of a power source 34 and the head coil 59. The DC/DC converter 2 clamps, at a constant level, e.g., 90V, the inductive electromotive force of a high voltage that is generated by the head coil 59 when the drive transistor 33 is rendered off. Then, the DC/DC converter 2 transforms the clamped voltage to a voltage equivalent to the voltage level of the power source 34, e.g., 35V.

Abstract: A pin-in-capillary apparatus for depositing droplets of fluid onto a surface is described. The apparatus has an off-axis channel for supplying fluid to the capillary. In the capillary the fluid wets the tip of the pin and is delivered to the surface when the pin is extended from the capillary. The capillaries and pins are flexible, allowing spatial reformatting for fluid delivery. Methods of delivering fluid to a surface are also described.

Abstract: In a wire dot printer head of the present invention, an armature is formed by coupling a magnetic circuit formation member having a supported piece with one end inserted into a cavity formed on a surface of a yoke to an arm coupled to a wire. The supported piece of the armature is rotatably supported by a support point, thereby a side surface of the cavity and a side surface of the supported piece, and a bottom surface of the cavity and an end surface of the supported piece can be set in the proximity. Accordingly, magnetic resistance between the magnetic circuit formation member and the yoke can be reduced.

Abstract: In a wire dot printer of the present invention, an armature stopper against which an armature rocking from a printing position to a standby position collides is provided, and the armature stopper is formed by integrating an elastic plate and a hard plate with each other. The hard plate is made of surface-hardened titanium having excellent abrasion resistance. As the hard plate is made of surface-hardened titanium having excellent abrasion resistance, even when the armature rocking to the standby position collides against the armature stopper, the hard plate is not scraped, broken or deformed. As the elastic plate and the hard plate are integrated with each other, a shock upon collision between the armature and the hard plate is efficiently absorbed by the elastic plate, and vibration of the hard plate due to the collision between the armature and the hard plate can be suppressed.

Abstract: A dot-matrix printer for printing on a printing medium comprises a dot-forming section for forming dots on the printing medium; and a referenced data section to be referred to during movement of the dot-forming section, a character string to be printed being indicated as data having a predetermined resolution. Where M dots per a unit length are formable on the printing medium in a moving direction of the dot-forming section, and upon printing an N-character string per the unit length, M and N both being natural numbers, if (M÷N) is not a natural number, the resolution in the moving direction is made to be L per N-character string, L being a least common multiple of M and N, and while the dot-forming section moves across the unit length, the dot-matrix printer prints while referring to the referenced data section for L times.

Abstract: A wire dot printer head including a yoke, cores arranged in an annular form on the yoke, coils combined with the cores so as to fit the cores, armatures supported so as to be raised or lowered in respect to the cores, wires supported at the free ends of the armatures in such a way that they may be driven and displaced, and an extremity end guide having guide holes for independently and slidably supporting the extremity ends of the wires to arrange them. When the moving direction of the wire dot printer head is as a main scanning direction, the guide holes of the extremity end guide are arranged along an arc curved only in direction of the sub-scanning direction so as to cause the arrangement positions in the main scanning direction to be made different.

Abstract: An impact printer having one or multiple lines of hammers on a hammerbank for impacting a print ribbon against a print media after release by one or more electrically energized coils in a magnetic circuit with one or more pole pieces retaining the hammers prior to impact. One or more of the coils has a spaced winding thereby allowing filling of the spaced winding during return winding. Another embodiment utilizes a longitudinal return from an initial winding which can be formed with multiple layers or multiple overlappings of the longitudinal return. The foregoing minimizes a first dimension while having controlled wire crossing resulting in expansion in a second dimension, thereby allowing compaction of magnetic circuits in the first dimension.

Abstract: A maskable drive signal generator selectively generates one of n types of maskable drive signals for each main scan pass, and a drive signal masking section generates a drive signal to be supplied to ink-expulsion drive elements of a print head by masking the maskable drive signal according to a print signal. The printing of ink dots on each raster line is completed in n×m main scan passes while employing each of the n types of maskable drive signals m times on each raster line.

Abstract: The present invention is a wire dot printer head wherein a spacer is inserted between a yoke block and a head holder. The yoke block has yokes opposed to plural armatures, coils wound respectively round plural cores whose one ends are opposed to the armatures, and fulcrum portions which hold the armatures so that the armatures can rise and fall with respect to end faces of the cores. The spacer is adapted to move under the action of an external force, thereby changing the spacing between the yoke block and the head holder.

Abstract: A structure for supporting wires driven by armatures displaced under electrical excitation for coils and applying an impact force for a printing operation of a sheet. Extremity ends of the wires are supported independently and slidably by guide holes arranged at extremity end guides which are set such that wires having rear ends adjacent to each other within a certain range are applied as one sub-group, the extremity ends of the wires being arranged on a straight line in the sub-scanning direction, and the arrangement positions of the extremity ends of the wires in the main scanning direction are different in response to a difference in the arrangement positions of the rear ends of the wires for every sub-group different in that the bending stress of the corresponding is low as compared with that where the extremity ends of all the wires are arranged on the straight line.

Abstract: A moving direction of the wire dot printer head is defined as a main scanning direction. The guide holes in the extremity end guide supporting the extremity ends of the wires of the present invention are arranged along an arc curved only in one direction of the sub-scanning direction in such a way that the arrangement positions in the main scanning direction are made different. With such an arrangement as above, all the wires are not driven at once and accordingly, it is possible to reduce the capacitance of power supply and noise. Further, since the extremity ends of the wires are arranged along an arc curved only in one direction in response to the arrangement state of the guide holes of the extremity end guide, the extremity ends of the wires can easily fed to the guide holes of the extremity end guide by a method for holding the plurality of wires at a plane of arcuate surface formed at the tool such as a wrench.

Abstract: An impact dot printer head having one or plural heat conductive members. The heat conductive member, with a part in the proximity of armature stopper of the impact dot printer head while another part guided to the outside a housing of the impact dot printer head, conducts heat inside the housing to the outside. Accordingly, as the heat conductive member first conducts heat of the armature stopper to a heat radiation unit outside the housing, degradation of hardness of the armature stopper due to heat can be prevented, and a return position of the armature can be determined in a stable manner.

Abstract: A marking device includes a marking mechanism, a marking portion moving mechanism, and a pressure adjusting circuit. The marking mechanism marks a surface to be processed, of an object to be marked, by reciprocating a marking portion. The marking portion moving mechanism moves the marking portion in two-dimensional directions along the surface to be processed. The pressure adjusting circuit keeps a constant pressure which the marking portion applies to the surface to be processed. The marking mechanism includes a cam mechanism for linearly reciprocating the marking portion by following a cam which is rotated by a driving member.

Abstract: An apparatus for impact marking comprises a marking unit (2) able to be gripped manually, an electronic control unit (3) mounted directly on the marking unit (2) and a power supply unit (4) situated in a transportable auxiliary containment structure (4a) and connected to the marking unit by means of an extensible cable (25) and an extensible hose (26). The marking unit (2) presents elements (7) for bearing onto a piece to be marked, and a punch (15) movable on two axes by means of motors (10, 13) controlled by the electronic control unit (3). The punch (15) can be actuated with vibratory motion by means of a solenoid valve (21) controlled by the electronic control unit (3), mounted directly on the punch head (14).

Abstract: In a technique for correcting printing errors in a shuttle type multifunctional apparatus, a preset reference pattern is printed and the printed reference pattern is scanned. Then, the number of dots are detected as errors between the original reference pattern and the scanned reference pattern. After calculating a correcting value by adding and subtracting the numbers of dots corresponding to the errors to and from numbers of printing nozzles according to a resolution of the multifunctional apparatus, the multifunctional apparatus controls a moving distance of an electric line feeding motor. Accordingly, a simple operation enables the printing errors to be corrected, thereby improving the efficiency of operations in the multifunctional apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to a structure for supporting a plurality of wires driven by the armatures displaced under electrical excitation for the coils and applying an impact force for a printing operation to a sheet. Each of the wires is set such that each of the extremity ends is supported independently and slidably by a plurality of guide holes arranged at the extremity end guides and arranged.

Abstract: A needle printing head comprising a support (11) able to axially guide a plurality of printing needles (15), each of which has one end attached to a mobile armature (16) of a corresponding actuation electromagnet (17) having a ferromagnetic core (18) provided with polar extensions. A separation element (30) is interposed between the mobile armatures (16) and the corresponding polar extensions. The separation element (30) is made of a metal material and comprises elements (33, 34) able to reduce the effects of the eddy currents which are generated by the energizing of every electromagnet (17).

Abstract: A dot printer not using any type, nor requiring any ink ribbon has an ink roller 1, a platen 2 having an outer surface coated with ink by contacting the ink roller 1, and a printing head 3 facing the platen 2 in an appropriately spaced apart relation thereto. The printing head 3 is a dot impact type printing head having a plurality of printing wires caused to project selectively to form letters, and a recording medium 6 is conveyed between the platen 2 and the printing head 3 to have printing made thereon by the printing head 3. A protective film 8 is employed between the printing head 3 and the recording medium 6.

Abstract: A printing head control apparatus 10 is used for a dot-impact printer in which a dot is formed on a paper set on a platen via an ink ribbon 16 with an impact force applied by a pin 18. The printing head control apparatus 10 comprises: a dot classifier for classifying into a normal dot b1 and a final dot b2 the dots constituting a print data “a” supplied from an upper-node apparatus 20; and a printing head drive controller 26 for supplying to the printing head 24 a normal dot print drive signal c1 and a final dot print drive signal c2 for the normal dot b1 and the final dot b2, respectively.

Abstract: Image quality is improved by correcting printing position deviation arising between forward and reverse passes in the main scanning direction during bidirectional printing. An adjustment value is prepared with respect to at least one type of specific target dots other than those dots having the highest density out of the plural types of dots. Printing positions during forward and reverse main scanning passes are adjusted with the adjustment value to reduce printing positional deviation between forward and reverse main scanning passes.