Abstract: A modular print head system for continuous ink jet printer apparatus includes a droplet stream generator, a droplet charger and a droplet catcher constructed as a module that includes ink supply and return line coupling devices, each having engagement openable valves, resonator and charge plate connectors, and index surfaces for accurately positioning of the module. A nest assembly of the system includes ink supply and return ports, droplet generator and charging power terminals, structure for supporting and accurately positioning a print head module. The nest assembly further includes a camming device which is movable to engage a supported module into an operative relation with the ink lines coupled to the ports, the valves open, the droplet generator and charger connected and to nest power terminals and the module index surfaces in contact with the positioning structure of the nest assembly.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer has a platen and a thermal head between which are pinched a transfer paper sheet and an ink film, so that the ink is transferred from the ink film to the transfer paper sheet as heat is applied to the transfer paper sheet by the thermal head. The film is supplied by a supply roll and is taken-up by a take-up roll. The thermal head is swingable between a position where it contracts the platen and a position away from the platen. When the thermal head is in the position away from the platen, the distance therebetween is greater than the maximum diameter of the supply roll. A film drum can hold a plurality of films each being constituted by the supply roll and the take-up roll. Swing arms are provided for demounting the supply roll of a selected film from the film drum and for bringing the same to a position away from the film drum, and also for returning the same from this position to the film drum.

Abstract: A thermal printer for printing an output dye image in a receiver including a memory circuit for storing a matrix printing pattern of pixels. The thermal printer comprises a detector for detecting the level of pixels data read out sequentially from the memory circuit to determine if a pixel of a line in the output image is to be printed has adjacent pixels that are not to be printed. Circuitry is provided to receive a printing pattern from the memory and to be responsive to the detector and to cause the heating elements corresponding to such image pixel to be printed to be energized above a predetermined dye transfer threshold level and the heating elements corresponding to pixels not be printed to be energized below the threshold level.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for electrodepositing a metallic layer (such as, an amorphous nickel-phosphorus alloy) onto a surface of a substrate includes forming the substrate into a cylindrical configuration and immersing it in a liquid electrodeposition bath containing the metallic substance to be deposited onto the substrate surface. During the electrodeposition of the metallic substance onto the substrate surface, the substrate is rotated within the bath so as to expose the substrate surface uniformly to the bath liquid and to the electric field which, on average, is substantially constant. The process finds particular utility in the production of orifice plates for use in fluid jet printing devices.

Abstract: A charge to deflect ink jet printer employs a correction signal to ink droplets to afford more accurate placement on a medium. Assessing the deviation of charged ink droplets from intended and actual impact locations, a control unit then determines an adjustable bias voltage for application to each charged droplet to compensate for the deviation and thus achieve improved image enhancement. This system is well suited for multiple nozzles which may be multicolor such as in computer printers. Both a method of operation and an apparatus are attendant to this system.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes an ink-jet head assembly which has a modular structure. The head assembly includes a generally bathtub-shaped bottom case in which an ink head for ejecting a series of charged ink droplets is mounted and a pair of top and bottom deflection electrodes is also mounted. The head assembly also includes a similarly bathtub-shaped top case which is mounted on the bottom case upside down to define a substantially enclosed space therebetween. The ink head is supported so as to be adjustable in orientation. And, one end of the ink head is supported as a pivotal point so that the other free end may be oriented in any desired direction. In another structure, a print head assembly is detachably mounted on a carriage and the print head assembly includes an inner ink mist absorbing member formed with a slit and formed from a metal. A carriage cover is detachably mounted on the carriage to cover the print head assembly set in position.

Abstract: A hybrid fluid jet apparatus is disclosed which is particularly useful in uniformly applying liquid dye to a fabric substrate. The applicator is controlled in an electrostatic control mode while operating below the practical limit of speed for electrostatic operation to achieve uniform fabric coverage. When fluid is being supplied to the substrate at its maximum flow rate in the electrostatic control mode, the applicator senses that the "full flow" condition has been reached. The applicator is then controlled to operate in a non-electrostatic control mode to control the fluid flow rate by modulating the fluid pressure received at the orifice array in accordance with the required fluid flow rate needed to achieve a uniform application of fluid to the substrate.

Abstract: A multi-nozzle ink-jet printer includes a printhead for ejecting a plurality of ink droplets substantially at the same time in parallel, a charging electrode for charging ink droplets selectively, a pair of deflector electrodes for forming a deflecting electric field therebetween and a gutter for collecting those ink droplets which have not been sufficiently deflected to be used for printing. The gutter may be used as a detector electrode, in which case the gutter is connected to a velocity measuring circuit for measuring an average velocity of ink droplets. One or more separate detector electrodes may be provided for detecting charge carried by the ink droplets for measuring an average velocity of the ink droplets.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printing apparatus comprises a recording sheet conveying passageway of a chuckless type which does not require a chuck mechanism for affixing a recording sheet to a platen roller. The recording sheet conveying passageway is constituted in loop form by at least one guide member and at least one roller for conveying the recording sheet and has at one end a recording sheet ejector for ejecting the recording sheet to outside from the conveying passageway. The recording sheet is moved through the conveying passageway repeatedly for a number of times required to perform superimposing printing by means of a thermal head. Upon completion of printing, the recording sheet is ejected from the apparatus to outside via the recording sheet ejector.

Abstract: In a line scan fiber optic cathode ray graphic recorder a continuous sheet of light sensitive paper is drawn perpendicularly before a regularly timed intensity modulated beam from the cathode ray tube. Due to gearing inaccuracies and anomalies, the velocity at which the paper is drawn past the beam varies cyclically resulting in a variation in the spacing between each recorded data line on the paper. For higher paper velocities, the recorded lines are closer together, and for lower paper velocities, the recorded lines are farther apart. The closer lines create a darker image band on the paper and the more distant lines create a lighter image band on the paper. The present invention includes paper velocity monitoring means which provides an input signal to a compensation circuit for inversely varying the intensity information of each pixel dot as a function of the paper velocity.

Abstract: A thermal printing head is supported on a member which is independent of a carriage supporting an ink ribbon cassette and which is slidably supported on a shaft extending in parallel to a platen. The carriage is also slidably supported on the shaft. The head supporting member is rotatable about the shaft for moving the head between its printing and non-printing positions. A rack is connected to the head supporting member and is rotatable by a solenoid or like device for rotating the head supporting member about the shaft. A wire extending about a pulley mechanism and along the shaft is fastened at both ends to the head supporting member for moving it and thereby the head along the platen.

Abstract: A thermal head in which a glazed layer, an improved undercoat layer, a heat generating resistor layer, an electrical power supply conductor layer and a protection layer are successively laminated to the surface of an insulating substrate, in which the undercoat layer is composed of an aluminum nitride (AlN) film. The method of manufacturing the thermal head comprises forming the aluminum nitride (AlN) film by sputtering an Al target in a gas mixture of argon and nitrogen and forming the heat generating resistor layer and the electrical power supply conductor layer, that is, three layers in total successively formed by sputtering. Because of the good heat conductivity of aluminum nitride film, the temperature distribution in the heat generating portion is made uniform and localized heat generation can be avoided, as it also prevents the destruction of the heat generating resistor layer or the protection layer due to the temperature difference upon heat generation.

Abstract: A recording apparatus such as a laser beam printer has a laser beam unit for forming an image, a cassette for automatically feeding paper sheets, a manual insertion port for allowing manual insertion of paper sheets, a switch to allow selection of the cassette sheet feed or manual insertion sheet feed at the side of the printer, a timer to count a predetermined period of time, and a CPU for switching from the manual insertion sheet feed mode to the cassette sheet feed mode when no paper sheet is manually inserted in the manual insertion sheet feed mode after the time in the timer has elapsed. Undesired accumulation of data designating printing in the cassette sheet feed mode is prevented.

Abstract: A liquid ejection recording apparatus has a carriage, a liquid ejection recording unit, a lever biased by a spring for mounting the unit on the carriage, and a communication hole portion formed in an ink tank in the unit. When the unit is fixed on the carriage for printing, a projection presses the communication hole portion to provide a communication hole for communicating the interior of the ink tank with the outer atmosphere. Stable ink ejection is guaranteed without clogging of a nozzle or the like and regardless of the amount of ink remaining in the ink tank.

Abstract: A thermal printing apparatus comprises a thermal printing head comprising heating elements which are applied with a constant current depending on printing data. One picture element is printed by use of at least two heating elements. Time periods in which heating times of the heating elements are controlled are time divisionally assigned depending on the gradation so that a time period in which the heating time of a certain heating element is controlled partly overlaps a time period in which the heating time of another heating element is controlled.

Abstract: A heating element made of carbon, comprising a heating member including carbon powder and an insulating resin, the powder being kneaded with the resin, and a core member formed of an insulating material and having a higher fusing point than the heating member, the core member being disposed substantially centrally of the heating member.

Abstract: In a thermal or a thermal transfer printer using a thermal head which has heating elements arranged in one line in a main scanning direction, a thermal head drive system for printing out dots by multi-step modulation is disclosed. The heating elements are divided into an odd and an even dot groups and driven group by group on a time division basis. One line of data are recorded such that the odd dots and the even dots which neighbor each other in the main scanning direction are offset in a subscanning direction. When the elements which are next to a particular one of the elements are of the maximum drive level, they are driven at the same time. Further, those heating elements which are of the same level are driven at a time.

Abstract: A recording apparatus with plural recording units, such as an ink jet printer with plural ink jet recording heads, in which the number of flexible cables and the number of signal lines for driving the plural recording units are reduced by the common use of said signal lines for plural recording units.

Abstract: A non-impact printer has a movable printhead carriage for traversing a print medium and has a bracket, also serving as a heat sink, pivotally connected to the printhead carriage. A non-impact printhead is secured to the bracket and positioned to contact the print medium. A spring is positioned between the bracket and the printhead carriage to move the bracket and consequently the attached printhead into contact with the print medium. A printhead adjusting eccentric, causing relative motion between the printhead carriage and the bracket, enables vertical positioning of the printhead with respect to the print medium.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus such as an ink-jet color printer has a head selection controller, a dither processor, and a selection switch for selecting the head selection controller or the dither processor. Dither processing or analog processing can be selected to reproduce any type of image with excellent quality.