Abstract: A drive mechanism for rotating a drive roller includes an input transmission mechanism for transmitting a drive force from a motor, an output transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to the drive roller, an intermediate transmission mechanism for selectively transmitting the drive force from the input transmission mechanism to the output transmission mechanism in either a first direction or a second direction, and a switching mechanism for moving the intermediate transmission mechanism to a first position to drive the output transmission mechanism in the first direction or a second position to drive the output transmission mechanism in the second direction.

Abstract: A multi-function peripheral device and method for printing from a multi-function peripheral device are presented. When a facsimile function is executed, half of an empty area of a flex memory and a FAX transmission/reception memory are set as a FAX transmission/reception memory. When a printer function is executed, half of an empty area of the flex memory and a printer memory are set as a printer memory. When a printer priority function is executed, all the empty area of the flex memory and the printer memory are set as a printer memory.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a substrate of an ink ejecting device in which an electrode formed at the bottom surface of an air chamber is removed with a diamond disk, without erroneously removing an electrode formed at an actuator forming the internal surface of the air chamber, by forming the air chamber with a width not smaller than that of an ink channel. The diamond disk for removing the bottom surface of the electrode of the air chamber may be the same as or have the same dimensions (width) as the ink channel.

Abstract: A communication system 1 includes interrogators 10, 11 and transponders 20, 21, 22. The interrogator 10 transmits a carrier wave, FC1, to the transponders 20, 21, 22, and the transponders 20, 21, 22 return respective reflected waves, f1, f2, and f3, to the interrogator 10. The transponders 20, 21, 22 modulate the received carrier waves FC1 using respective subcarrier waves that have been modulated using respective information signals, and return the thus modulated carrier waves as the reflected waves f1, f2, and f3 to the interrogator 10.

Abstract: A communication device is connected with a wide area network (WAN) and a local area network (LAN) and includes a recording unit that performs predetermined processing in accordance with a request, that comes in through the WAN or the LAN. A controller of a communication module of the communication device determines whether a request came in through the WAN or the LAN. When the request comes in through the WAN, the controller demands an acceptance/rejection determination as to the performance of the request from a user of the communication device. When the performance of the requested operation is accepted, the controller performs the processing according to the request that came in through the WAN.

Abstract: An information output system includes a plurality of electronic devices and an information output device, which are capable of communicating with each other through a network system. The information output device is provided with a detecting system that detects the plurality of electronic devices connected to the network system, and a selecting system operable by a user to select at least one device from among the plurality of electronic devices. Each of the plurality of electronic devices transmits the link information indicative of a location of the data to be output when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The information output device receives the link information from the at least one device selected by the selecting system, and obtains and outputs the data to be output in accordance with the link information.

Abstract: According to a hue conversion, hue angles of C, M, and Y are always set to hue angles HC, HM, and HY of C, M, and Y of a printer, hue angles of R and G are always set to hue angles HR and HG of R and G of a monitor, and the hue angle of B is always set to a value HB desired by a user. The gradation from black through a full color to white is made linear in each color of R, G, B, C, M, and Y according to the hue conversion. The user sets the hue angle HB for B. Therefore, the user can obtain blue color B which provides the user's favorite hue and gradation. Every hue can be reproduced excellently and gradations can be reproduced without color shifts.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a metal feed roller driven by a drive source and a plastic pinch roller pressed against the feed roller. A sheet is held between the feed roller and the pinch roller, to convey the sheet to a recording unit. An elastic ring having a high wear resistance is fitted over a part of an outer surface of the pinch roller in a width direction of the pinch roller. Accordingly, the elastic deformation of the elastic ring reduces or absorbs load (impact) that causes a rear end of the sheet to flick or spring and the improper sheet feeding, when the rear end of the sheet passes through a nip portion between the feed roller and the pinch roller. Thus, variances in the sheet feeding amounts and the poor image formation are prevented.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator is formed by laminating a piezoelectric sheet having individual electrodes and a piezoelectric sheet having a common electrode alternately. Through-holes are formed in the laminated piezoelectric sheets and coated with a conductive material to electrically connect the individual electrodes as well as the common electrodes in the laminating direction of the piezoelectric sheets. The maximum diameter (&phgr;) of each through-hole is not less than about 20 &mgr;m and not more than about 200 &mgr;m (20 &mgr;m≦&phgr;≦200 &mgr;m). In addition, the through-holes are provided in a staggered configuration in the laminating direction. In this arrangement, the piezoelectric actuator is less prone to warpage or waving and remains flat enough to offer high performance.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an ink-jet head including forming a first photosensitive resin layer on one face of a metal flat plate, forming a second photosensitive resin layer on the other face of the metal flat plate, selectively exposing the first photosensitive resin layer by using a mask formed with a pattern corresponding to a first passage partially constituting the ink passage, removing an exposed portion or an unexposed portion of the first photosensitive resin layer, forming the first passage by etching the metal flat plate to form a shape corresponding to a removed portion of the first photosensitive resin layer, selectively exposing the second photosensitive resin layer by using a mask formed with a pattern corresponding to a second passage partially constituting the ink passage and a filter, forming the second passage connected to the first passage and the filter by removing an exposed portion or an unexposed portion of the second photosensitive resin layer, and laminating the flat plate processed by

Abstract: An information generating apparatus of the invention generates disk information by a playback control information generating device based on scenario information input by a scenario information input device and stores the disk information on a storage device. The information generating apparatus also generates video file management information based on information that is found from the scenario information and stores the video file management information on the storage device. On the other hand, video or audio data that are input by a video data input device or an audio data input device are encoded by a video data encoding device or an audio data encoding device and are multiplexed by a multiplexing device. By doing so, a system stream is generated and stored on the storage device. Every one system stream is generated, the rest of the video file management information is generated and stored on the storage device.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming unit and a thermal fixing unit. The image forming unit uses a plurality of different color developing agents to form a color image on a recording medium. The plurality of different color developing agents are configured from binding resins with the same thermal properties. The plurality of different color developing agents include at least a high-resistance developing agent and a low-resistance developing agent. The high-resistance developing agent has a higher electrical resistance than the low-resistance developing agent and a lower charge-to-mass ratio than the low-resistance developing agent. The thermal fixing unit thermally fixes the color image onto the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which corrects a transfer amount of a recording material without a scanner is provided. A paper is transferred to a position in which the transfer amount is adjusted by an LF roller, and a test pattern image in which a first pattern image and a second pattern image are printed in different transfer positions. Then, the paper is transferred to a position in which the transfer amount is adjusted by an exit roller, and the aforementioned test pattern image is printed. The test pattern images printed as above are used to visually observe and determine a degree of error in the amount transferred by the respective rollers. Accordingly, by receiving an input based on the printed test pattern images, it is possible to correct the transfer amount of the respective rollers.

Abstract: An ink jet recording device providing a stable fluid coupling from an ink accumulation tank to a head unit. A joint portion is provided at which a plurality of primary side ink paths and a plurality of secondary side ink paths are coupled together at one to one correspondence. The joint portion includes a main frame fixed to the head unit. Primary side first and second connecting portions those connected to the primary side ink paths are provided integrally with the main frame. Secondary side first and second connecting portions those connected to the secondary side ink paths are joined to the primary side first and second connecting portions, respectively by ultrasonic melt-bonding. The secondary side first and second connecting portions are separated from each other.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cartridge has a belt shaped sheet body, and is wound around a pair of tubes. Spools are detachably mounted at each end of the tube bodies. An ink ribbon cartridge has a supply side and takeup side covers, each cover having a side segment at each end. A pair of connection ribs, a connection rib of the pair of connection ribs extends between the side segment on corresponding ends of each of the supply side and takeup side covers. A projection extends from a lower side of each connection rib proximate the joining of the connection rib and the side segment at each end of the supply cover.

Abstract: An ink jet print head includes a cavity plate having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the respective nozzles, and a plate-like piezoelectric actuator, in which piezoelectric sheets having a plurality of electrodes formed at positions with respect to the pressure chambers are stacked one after another. The piezoelectric actuator is bonded to the cavity plate so as to close the pressure chambers in the cavity plate. Each of the piezoelectric sheets has a thickness of between 5-40 &mgr;m, preferably between 15-30 &mgr;m. Surface electrodes, which electrically connect one of the electrodes, are provided at both end portions of a surface of the piezoelectric actuator, which is opposed to a surface to be bonded to the cavity plate. Protrusions having a thickness of the surface electrodes are provided between the surface electrodes on the surface of the piezoelectric actuator.

Abstract: A sheet feeder including a hopper that holds a sheet in a stack, a sheet feed roller that touches the sheet on the hopper and feeds the sheet in a sheet feed direction, a face provided on a front end of the hopper with respect to the sheet feed direction so that a leading edge of the sheet being fed bumps into the face, and a plurality of protrusions that are disposed on the face and that bumps into the leading edge of the sheet when the sheet is fed, wherein protrusions are placed on a plurality of lines parallel to the sheet feed direction, only one of the protrusions is placed on each on of the lines, and each one of the protrusions is separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feed direction.

Abstract: A reference or standard pulse number, i.e., a standard number of pulses to be applied to a feeding motor to rotate a feeding roller and thereby feed a recording sheet, is set at Step S21. Subsequently, a feeding amount, A, needed by a recording head is calculated at Step S22, and a feeding amount, B, corresponding to an effective diameter of the feeding roller and the standard pulse number, is calculated at Step S23. Then, a differential pulse number to compensate for the difference between the feeding amounts A, B is determined at Step S24, and a unit error, R, between the feeding amount A and the sum of the feeding amount B (<A) and a feeding amount, C, corresponding to the differential pulse number is determined at Step S26. Subsequently, each time the feeding roller is driven, an accumulated error of the unit errors R is calculated at Step S27, and a number of drive pulses to be applied to the feeding motor is calculated, at Step S34, so that the accumulated error falls in a reference range.

Abstract: A tray and a method thereof that uses the tray including a surface with a first end and a second end opposite to the first end a projection extending away from the surface and from the second end of the surface and a recess formed below the surface and from the projection toward the first end.

Abstract: An mage forming device and image forming method capable of performing selective data compression. Printing data transmitted from a host computer are stored in RAM and developed into image data by CPU. The CPU determines whether or not the greatest raster length in the image data of each page exceeds a reference value that represents the data transfer ability of the laser printer (and corresponds to the value of 80% of the largest printing width of the laser printer) on a page by pages. If the greatest raster length exceeds the reference value, the image data of the page are compressed by the CPU and stored in the RAM. If the greatest raster length do not exceed the value, the image data of the page are stored in the RAM without being compressed. Then, the image data stored in the RAM are sent to an ASIC on a raster by raster basis. Only compressed image data are decompressed and the decompressed data then are transferred to a laser unit. Non-compressed image data per se are transferred to the laser unit.