Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a rotation supporting unit for rotatably supporting the drum, a charger, an optical image forming unit, a development unit, a transfer unit and a cleaner, which are arranged along the outer circumferential surface of the drum in a rotational direction of the drum, and a rotation resistance adjusting unit for applying a rotation resistance on a region of the drum located outside of the image forming region, and being capable of adjusting a value of the rotation resistance applied on the drum. The development unit includes a development roller abutted to the image forming region of the circumferential surface of the drum and rotated in an opposite direction to the rotating direction of the drum.

Abstract: An optical code reader includes a reading window, a reading control circuit for sensing an image of a 2-dimensional code via the reading window and for converting the sensed image into image data, and a portable frame having an opening used as the reading window, for accommodating the reading control circuit.

Abstract: A printer comprises a process unit which includes a photoconductive drum, a developing device having a toner storage section, a replaceable toner cartridge for supplying toner to the toner storage section, a cleaner for clearing the photoconductive drum of the toner remaining thereon after transfer, and a waste toner storage section for receiving the toner removed by means of the cleaner. The developing device is provided with a locking member for locking the mounted toner cartridge lest it be replaceable, a sensor for detecting a reduction of the amount of the toner in the toner storage section in the developing device below a predetermined value, and an unlocking member for unlocking the toner cartridge locked by the locking member when the reduction of the toner amount below the predetermined value is detected by the sensor.

Abstract: An optical scanning device for leading a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser diode through a collimator lens, an imaging lens, and a cylindrical lens to a plurality of reflecting surfaces of a rotatable polygon mirror, and scanning a surface to be scanned movable in a vertical scanning direction with the laser beam reflected on the reflecting surfaces of the polygon mirror and transmitted through a correcting lens. The optical centers of the semiconductor laser diode, the collimator lens, the cylindrical lens, a return mirror, and the correcting lens are located in a plane containing an axis of rotation of the polygon mirror. The semiconductor laser diode, the collimator lens, and the cylindrical lens are located over an upper surface of the polygon mirror. Accordingly, an optical system can be formed in symmetry with respect to a center axis of an optical path of a horizontal scanning light beam from the polygon mirror without interference of the semiconductor laser diode, etc.

Abstract: A printer comprises a convey roller for withdrawing continuous paper from a roll of the paper and conveying the paper along a predetermined convey path. The convey roller is rotated at a predetermined peripheral speed and conveys the paper with a first convey force. Four printing portions are provided sequentially along the convey path. Each of the printing portion has a printing head, and a platen roller which is brought into contact with the paper while opposing the printing head and conveys the paper with a second convey force. A sum of second convey forces of the platen rollers is set to be smaller than the first convey force. The platen rollers are rotated at peripheral speeds higher than that of the convey roller, and such that the peripheral speeds thereof are sequentially increased in an order of a platen roller adjacent to the convey roller toward a platen roller separated from the convey roller.

Abstract: An article information printer is composed of a printing head having a row of dot printing elements, for performing a printing on paper by the dot printing elements. Particularly, the print controller has a mode setting section for setting one of a page selection mode and a line selection mode, a first image producing section for performing in the page selection mode a process of converting print data for one page supplied from an external device as article information into dot images and storing the dot images in the memory as the print image data, and a second image producing section for performing in the line selection mode a process of converting print data for one line supplied from the external device as article information into dot images and storing the dot images as the print image data. The second image producing section includes a printing height changing section for changing the number of dot lines for the print image data according to the maximum height of the dot images obtained for one line.

Abstract: A transfer printer comprises a printer body having first and second support frames separated from and opposing to each other. A printing portion includes a platen roller supported by the first and second support frame, and a line thermal head having one end portion supported by the first support frame and a free end located near the second support frame. A ribbon magazine having an ink ribbon is detachably fitted in the printer body from a free end side of the thermal head. The first support frame has first magazine positioning pins for engaging the support body of the fitted ribbon magazine to position and support the ribbon magazine. The second support frame has second magazine positioning pins for engaging the support body of the fitted ribbon magazine to position and support the ribbon magazine. The support body of the ribbon magazine has head positioning pins for engaging the free end of the thermal head to position and support the free end.

Abstract: An article file control system includes a host computer for controlling a master article file (which includes article data of various department articles including data items of article codes and unit prices), and a plurality of terminal groups provided for respective article departments. Each terminal group includes a first-type electronic weighing and pricing device (EWPD) for radio communication with the host computer and a second-type EWPD for wire communication with the first-type EWPD. The host computer includes a CPU for reading out article data of each department from the master article file and transmitting the article data to the first-type EWPD of a corresponding one of the terminal groups. The first-type EWPD of each of the terminal groups includes a CPU for receiving article data transmitted from the host computer, transmitting the article data to all of the second-type EWPDs of the same terminal group and controlling a department article file comprised of the received article data.

Abstract: An ink jet print head comprises a piezoelectric plate (2) formed of a piezoelectric material, a base plate (1) formed of a nonconductive, nonelectrostrictive material having rigidity lower than that of the piezoelectric material and joined to the piezoelectric plate (2), electrodes (8) formed by depositing a metal by electroless plating over the entire bottom surfaces of a plurality of parallel grooves (3) formed through the piezoelectric plate (2) into the base plate (1) and the entire side surfaces of side walls (4) each consisting of an upper side wall (4a) formed in the piezoelectric plate (2) and lower side wall (4b) formed in the base plate (2) between the grooves (3), a top plate (10) joined to the upper surface of the piezoelectric plate (2) so as to close the upper open ends of the grooves (3) to form pressure chambers (14), and a nozzle plate (12) provided with ink jets (11) and joined to one end of the assembly of the base plate (1), the piezoelectric plate (2) and the top plate (10) so that the in

Abstract: A printing mode setting portion outputs energizing time data corresponding to a selected printing mode when selecting the printing mode according to operation of the operation unit. Based on the energizing time data, the energizing time period of a head energizing signal which is output from a head driving portion to a driving coil of a dot printer head is controlled by the energizing time control portion 6. When printing mode having a high dot density is selected, printing energy is reduced and the energizing time period is refined for the driving coil 8, thus making it made possible to lower the noise level.

Abstract: A binded carbon brush includes a brush main portion formed mainly of carbon, and an electric conductor formed by a material, such as a copper powder, having an electric resistivity lower than that of the brush main portion and extending along a main current direction of the brush. In the cross section of the brush perpendicular to the main current direction, the diameter or the vertical and horizontal sizes of the conductor is so set as to be smaller than both the vertical and horizontal sizes of the brush main portion.

Abstract: An article information printer is composed of a feeding mechanism for feeding continuous paper in which a series of label regions are provided, a SRAM for storing size data regarding a length of the label region, a printing head section for printing article information on the continuous paper fed by the feeding mechanism, and a control circuit for controlling the feeding mechanism on the basis of the size data stored in the SRAM to print the article information in the label region. Particularly, the control circuit has a feed sensing section for sensing ends of the label region from the continuous paper fed by the feeding mechanism, and a processing unit, responsive to start of power supply, for driving the feeding mechanism, measuring the length of the label region on the basis of a sensing signal from the sensing section which is obtained each time the continuous paper is fed by a preset distance, and setting a result of measurement in the SRAM as the size data.

Abstract: A history recording apparatus comprises an EEPROM for storing operation history data regarding a predetermined operation performed by a label printer, and an IC socket provided on a circuit board of the label printer and detachably connectable to the EEPROM. In particular, the history recording apparatus further comprises a CPU for updating the operation history data stored in the nonvolatile memory connected to the IC socket, upon detection of the predetermined operation having been performed a preset number of times which is determined on the basis of a writing tolerance limit of the EEPROM.

Abstract: In forming a desired print gap between a sheet of paper fed on a platen and a print head by driving a moving mechanism for changing a space between the platen and the print head, a condition where the space between the platen and the print head becomes smaller than a predetermined value is detected, and in this case the space between the platen and the print head is increased by a driving portion for driving the moving mechanism. Accordingly, when a thin paper is used as the sheet of paper, cutting, wrinkling, etc. of the thin paper can be prevented.

Abstract: An ink jet printer in which an ink cartridge is used. The cartridge includes an ink tank and a head base plate which has an ink jet head including a plurality of ink discharging nozzles. A carriage for mounting an ink cartridge thereon has at least three projections for individually contacting with at least three portions of the head base plate. The head base plate is pressed against the projections to fix the ink cartridge to the carriage thereby to position ink discharging nozzles of the ink jet head accurately at predetermined positions with respect to a recording medium so that ink may be jetted in a predetermined direction with certainty from the ink jet head to the recording medium.