Abstract: An ink-supply system for a dot matrix printer including an ink-supply tank having an ink-supply delivery port, an ink impregnated member formed of a porous material within the ink-supply tank, and ink impregnated in the ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles within the ink impregnated member.

Abstract: A switch substrate for a switching device that includes an electrical contact brush, the substrate formed with alternating conductive and insulating portions on its surface and having a groove formed between the conductive and insulating portions to eliminate insulating abrasion powder from the surface of the contact brush. The top of the conducting portions is higher than the bottom of the groove but can be above or below the surface of the insulating portions. To form such a substrate, a conductive layer having projections is formed and is engaged with a mold so that the projections are compressed. After the substrate is removed from the mold, the compressed projections extend to their actual height.

Abstract: A non-metallic coreless twist-tie is formed by melting polymeric material, extruding the material in an elongated form, cooling the material, than drawing the material at a rate of more than about 2.5 times. The tie can include glass beads. The polymer is preferably formed from polymeric resin having a degree of crystallization of about 10% to 60% at a crystallized temperature range of about 100.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. and can also include a quantity of fine glass beads. The resulting tie can be twisted and untwisted many times without breakage, is suitable for use in microwave ovens and is simpler to construct than multicomponent ties.

Abstract: A fastener group device includes a feeding gear for meshing with connecting elements of a fastener group, a feeding pawl for intermittent rotation of the feeding gear, a stopper for preventing reverse rotation of the feeding gear and a feeding cam for raising and lowering the feeding pawl. The feeding pawl includes a ratchet and spring, the spring for biasing the ratchet toward the feeding gear. An escape space into which the spring enters following rotation of the feeding gear is provided rearwardly of the feeding pawl. When the spring is received by the escape space, the spring is substantially inoperable for biasing the ratchet toward the feeding gear.

Abstract: A miniature printer is provided which can print characters in additional different character sets of fonts by combining several character sets which are included in the printer on a type drum or type belt. The printer includes a mechanism for selecting particular character sets and impacting a selected character from a selected character set on a printing medium. After a character is printed, the user may select a character from another character set which is present on the drum or belt and overprints the first character. This combination of character sets allows the printer to produce characters which distinguishable fonts without utilizing different color inks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for driving a liquid crystal panel is disclosed, wherein the scanning electrodes are formed on one of two substrates between which a liquid crystal layer is interposed. Signal electrodes are formed on the other substrate. Scanning electrode voltage driving waveforms consisting of selective and non-selective voltages are applied to the scanning electrodes of the liquid crystal panel. Lighting and non-lighting voltage waveforms are applied to the signal electrodes of the liquid crystal panel. The polarity of the lighting and non-lighting voltages and selective and non-selective voltages of the scanning electrodes are inverted at predetermined periods to avoid any DC effect. A period is provided for in which the selective voltage is not applied to any scanning electrodes.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece provides continuous rotation for a hand in response to a discrete driving rotation. An energy storage mechanism is coupled to the discrete driving rotation and converts the discrete driving rotation into stored energy. A control mechanism continuously releases the stored rotational energy as continuous rotation. A linkage coupled between the energy storage mechanism and control mechanism transmits continuous rotation therebetween and drives the hand in a continuous sweeping manner.

Abstract: A print wire driving apparatus for use in a printer having a stabilized power source, a print wire, an urging coil for driving said print wire and a power source including a smoothing capacitor for energizing the urging coil is provided. An accumulating circuit accumulates electro-magnetic energy generated in the urging coil once the current supplied to the urging coil has been turned OFF. A feedback circuit feeds back energy from the accumulating circuit to the smoothing capacitor when the voltage of the accumulating circuit reaches a predetermined level. A regulating circuit maintains the voltage of the accumulating circuit so that the voltage does not fall below the predetermined level, thereby obtaining high power source efficiency and high speed operation of the print wire.

Abstract: A character pattern signal generator for generating a signal corresponding to a character being formed as a plurality of dots forming an outline body includes an outline memory for storing character code data corresponding to an outline of a standard size character. An outline data calculating circuit receives the outline data and a magnification signal and calculates character outline data in response thereto. A dot pattern generating circuit converts said character outline data into dot pattern data representing the character outline. A dot pattern compensating circuit detects a number of dots separated by a space from the body of the character outline and compensates the dot pattern data by a number of dots to be added to the dot pattern data at the space when the magnification factor is less than one and the number of dots is less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A thermal ink jet recording apparatus includes a plurality of heating elements which serve as pressure generating members spaced apart from a plurality of nozzles. A reservoir, which stores ink prior to ejection through the nozzles, is formed between a nozzle plate and the pressure generating members and has a first cross-sectional area. A gap formed between a pair of substrates upon which the pressure generating members are disposed has a second cross-sectional area. An additional reservoir for storing ink is in fluid communication with the gap and has a third cross-sectional area. The first cross-sectional area is smaller than the second cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area is smaller than the third cross-sectional area for promoting capillary action in ejecting droplets of ink through the plurality of nozzles.

Abstract: In a sanitary water valve having a control member which consists of three disk cams arranged above one another and which is enclosed by a casing, whereby the lower and the upper disk cam are stationary and the middle disk cam is moveable relative to the stationery disk cams by an actuator which engages in it, whereby the actuator, which is arranged in two planes to tilt and to swivel, passes through the casing lid and the upper stationery disk cam, the bearing of the actuator is to be improved. To this end, the actuator 23 is seated on bearings (30) which are arranged on casing 12, which encloses the control member 11, in such a manner that the fulcrum of the actuator (23) is situated in the plane of the casing lid (15).

Abstract: A memory device for a page printer utilizing a one port random access memory in connection with a central processing unit to process print data is provided. A first memory circuit is provided to receive head address data from the CPU. A second memory circuit receives tail address data from the CPU. The first memory circuit and second circuit store these input values. A first comparator compares the head address data stored in the first memory circuit with address data produced by the CPU, while a second comparator compares the tail address data stored in the second memory circuit with address data produced by the CPU. The memory is divided into a first region defined by the head address and the tail address and an other region. A memory control circuit receives the outputs from the second comparator and the first comparator and accesses one of the first region or the other region in response to the outputs of the comparators.