Abstract: A document-feeding roller mechanism includes a feeding roller assembly and a clamping-force adjusting module. The feeding roller includes a roller frame, a first roller unit, and a second roller unit. A document is conveyed by the first and second roller units through a printing module. The clamping-force adjusting module includes a cam unit and a resilient pressing unit. The resilient pressing unit is disposed between the roller frame and the cam unit. When the cam unit is rotated, the biasing force of the resilient pressing unit applied to the roller frame can be adjusted to change the document clamping force of the first and second roller units. Hence, just before a trailing end of the document is separated from the first and second roller units, the document clamping force can be reduced.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a guide part guiding transportation of a recording medium after recording by a liquid droplet ejection head at a recording position, the guide part carrying plural spurs for holding the medium on which recording has been made at the recording position, the guide part being movable between a guide position in which the spurs are engaged with the recording medium and a release position in which the spurs are disengaged from the recording medium, wherein there is provided a protective member to the guide part such that the protective member is movable between a protective position protecting the spurs and a retracted position retracted from the spurs.

Abstract: A recording medium conveying device that conveys a recording medium to a recording area, includes a pair of first conveyor rollers that are provided upstream of the recording area and convey a recording medium by nipping the recording medium therebetween, a detector that detects a position of the recording medium, a nipping force changing unit that changes the nipping force of the pair of first conveyor rollers, and a controller that controls an operation of the nipping force changing unit in accordance with the position of the recording medium detected by the detector.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a chassis, a feed roller, and a press roller. The chassis includes first and side surfaces, a bottom surface that connects the first and second side surfaces, and a curved part formed unitarily with the bottom surface. The curved part has a feed roller bearing support portion. The feed roller is rotatably supported between the first and second side surfaces via feed roller support bearings for conveying paper. The feed roller bearing support portion of the curved part supports one of the feed roller support bearings. The press roller is rotatably supported between the first and second side surfaces for pressing on the feed roller. The feed roller has a paper conveying portion that has a plurality of projecting portions. A widthwise center of the paper conveying portion substantially matches with a widthwise center between the pair of feed roller bearings.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a single transport roller (4), two first driven rollers (A: A1, A2), two first driven rollers (B: B1, B2), and a single first driven roller (C). The rollers (A1, A2, B1, B2, C) are rotatably held by holders (8a to 8e) at respective downstream ends thereof. The holders (8a to 8e) are aligned with one another along a fast scanning direction and are rotatably supported at upstream ends thereof by a support shaft (81). The holders (8a to 8e), the shaft (81), and a plurality of springs (9) are assembled into a holder assembly (8). The holder assembly (8) has the shaft (81) fixed to a main frame (1). The springs (9) are fixed at one end to respective middle portions of the holders (8a to 8e), and at the other end to the frame (1).

Abstract: In second transport means (12), nipping pressure of each of outermost star wheels (6a), (6e) located at opposite ends in the primary scanning direction is set higher than that of each of star wheels (6b) to (6d) within a range lower than nipping pressure of first transport means. If a leading edge of a recording medium (1) is in a downwardly deformed state when reaching the second transport means (12), such deformation acts to press the wheels (6a) to (6e) upwardly. However, the nipping pressure of each of the opposite end star wheels (6a), (6e) nipping angular portions of the medium (1) on the leading edge side is set high enough to rectify such deformation at the angular portions. Accordingly, the medium (1) is nipped between a second driving roller (5) and the wheels (6a) to (6e) with its deformed angular portions rectified, and hence is transported in an ideal condition.

Abstract: A document feeder includes a housing, a control lever and a sheet pick-up module. The housing includes a feeding path defined by a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The control lever is mounted on the first sidewall, and includes a pivotal part, a collar and a handle part. The collar is arranged between the pivotal portion and the handle part. The sheet pick-up module includes a driving shaft mounted on the collar and the second sidewall.

Abstract: A pinch control apparatus in a printer for controlling a pinch force exerted on a medium which is being fed into a printing zone is provided. The pinch control apparatus includes a camshaft rotatably mounted across a width of the medium, at least one cam attached to the camshaft, a plunger and a biasing rod. The cam has a predefined profile and is able to rotate with the camshaft. The plunger abuts the predefined profile of the at least one cam. The biasing rod extends from a pinch plate to the plunger to bias the pinch plate to a linefeed roller for exerting the pinch force on the medium therebetween. The pinch force exerted on the medium is controllable by the rotation of the camshaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a chassis; a print head unit pivotably supported by the chassis; a platen roller rotatably supported by the chassis to perform printing with the print head unit; a metal feed roller rotatably supported by the chassis to convey paper; a metal press roller rotatably supported to the chassis so as to be pressed against the feed roller to convey paper; and feed roller bearings mounted to the chassis for rotatably supporting the feed roller. The feed roller bearings have contact parts that project toward the print head unit, such that the contact parts are pressed into contact with the print head unit when the print head unit is pressed against the platen roller during printing. The precision with which paper is fed and printing is performed can be improved.

Abstract: An inkjet apparatus includes a media drive means for moving a medium through a print zone of the apparatus, and also includes a carriage, in which a printhead is mounted, for traversing the pint zone in a second direction. The apparatus also includes restraining means, co-operating with the drive means, to restrain the advance of a first portion of the medium through the print zone when moved by the drive means. A method for controlling undulation on media in a inkjet apparatus includes moving a medium through the print zone, and restraining the movement through the print zone of a first portion of the medium.

Abstract: A print media feed system for advancing a sheet of print media having a leading edge and a trailing edge in a sheet feed direction through a print zone in an imaging apparatus includes a rotating support positioned downstream of an exit roller in relation to a sheet feed direction. The rotating support provides a rotating support surface that engages a non-printed side of the sheet of print media downstream of the exit roller while the trailing edge of the sheet of print media is advanced through the print zone by the exit roller, the rotating support not contributing to advance the trailing edge of the sheet of print media through the print zone, but contributing to advance the sheet of print media after the sheet of print media is released by the exit roller.

Abstract: The drum has a balancer disposed at both ends of a drum body around which a printing plate is wound, and with a rotating shaft rotatably supported by a supporting plate via an elastic support member of a shaft receiving member. When the rotating drum is rotated in a state in which the rotating drum is out of balance, the elastic support member is elastically deformed so that the rotating shaft rotates integrally with the rotating drum. Balance of the drum is restored by eccentric revolution of the balancers, whereby the rotating drum is rotated around a center of the rotating shaft. A recording head is mounted at a bracket that moves integrally with the rotating drum. Thus, the recording head continually opposes a fixed position at the rotating drum, and an appropriate image can be formed on a printing plate.

Abstract: An apparatus for replacing a photosensitive belt of a printer, and a method of communicating belt-related information between a belt cartridge and the printer, are disclosed. The apparatus includes a belt cartridge adapted to receive a photosensitive belt so that the photosensitive belt can be installed at a belt unit of the printer, a first antenna installed on the belt cartridge, a second antenna installed on the printer and connected to a controller which controls the printer, and a component identifying module installed on the belt cartridge and connected to the first antenna so that the component-identifying module can transmit the information recorded therein to the second antenna connected to the controller the, and record information received from the controller via the second antenna.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for guiding recording media through a printer comprises a roller unit which is coupled to the printer and which comprises a plurality of roller wheels.

Abstract: A print feed mechanism for feeding print media to a printing zone of a printer in which the feed mechanism is adjustable to vary the position of a pinch roller against a drive roller so as to vary the angle at which print media is fed to the printing zone.

Abstract: A printer wherein a drive roller of a pair of sheet discharge rollers is made of rubber and a driven roller of the pair of sheet discharge rollers is made of synthetic resin; the leading end of a sheet is guided so as to be abutted against the drive roller earlier than the driven roller; the sheet that is in the course of being discharged is guided by a sheet discharge tray so as to come in slidable contact with an edge portion that is on a print head side of a sheet discharge opening. As a result, the printer can provide satisfactory printing conditions quickly with a simple structure and reduce noise leaking from the sheet discharge opening.

Abstract: A squeezing apparatus of a liquid electrophotographic printer includes a squeezing roller for squeezing out and removing the carrier from a developer which is applied on a photosensitive belt by its passive-rotational movement while being pressed into tight contact with the photosensitive belt at a certain pressure together with a squeezing backup roller, a squeezing brush selectively coming in contact with the outer circumference of the squeezing roller, for cleaning the squeezing roller by being rotated by a separate driving section, and a squeezing roller slip prevention mechanism disposed on both ends of a shaft of the squeezing roller to come in tight contact with the squeezing backup roller during the pressing of the squeezing roller, for preventing any occurrence of slip of the squeezing roller with respect to the photosensitive belt.

Abstract: A system for regulating the vacuum hold pressure in a printer based upon the stiffness of the print media that is directed through the printer. In one embodiment, the stiffness of a sheet of media is detected before or as the sheet reaches the carrier. The vacuum pressure level is thus regulated in response to the stiffness measurement of the sheet, thereby to have applied to that particular media a level of vacuum pressure that prevents problems that arise when pressure levels are too low (for example, inadvertent shifting of the paper) or too high (for example, paper deformations that reduce print quality). A sensing technique for alternatively sensing stiffness and paper thickness is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for guiding recording media through a printer comprises a roller unit which is coupled to the printer and which comprises a plurality of roller wheels.

Abstract: A printer for generating an image on a media sheet has a printer body with a media path extending from a media supply in a downstream direction to a media exit. An output tray and a media ejection mechanism are connected to the printer body adjacent the media exit. The ejection mechanism has a number of drive roller pairs, each of which includes a first roller and a second roller contacting each other at a nip defining a nip plane. The first rollers of the respective roller pairs are coaxial with each other, and the second rollers of the respective roller pairs are coaxial with each other. The nips of the drive roller pairs occupy a common plane, and the drive roller pairs are spaced apart from each other to define a gap. The ejection mechanism includes at least one corrugation roller positioned in the gap, rotatable on a corrugation roller axis, and having a curved surface portion displaced from the nip plane.