Abstract: This specification discloses a recording apparatus for recording an image corresponding to image information on a sheet. More particularly, the specification discloses a recording apparatus for recording an image corresponding to image information on a sheet which apparatus has a head for effecting recording in the form of a dot matrix, a support device for movably supporting the head, a conveying device for conveying the sheet, and a drive source for imparting a drive force for causing the head to scan a plurality of times each time one line is recorded and a drive force for driving the conveying device.

Abstract: An optical recording medium for optically storing and retrieving information comprises a substrate, two recording layers supported on the substrate and a barrier layer provided between the two recording layers. The two recording layers comprise a thin metallic layer and a thin semiconductor layer which can form an alloy or mixture by applying an energy beam thereto. The barrier layer is employed to prevent the two recording layers from interdiffusing so long as the two recording layers are not exposed to the energy beam.

Abstract: A transfer ribbon feed arrangement for use in a transfer type recording apparatus which transfers onto a recording sheet by sequentially feeding the transfer ribbon includes a feed roller disposed on the feed side of the transfer ribbon for feeding the transfer ribbon from the feed roller, a take-up roller for winding up the transfer ribbon around it and a tension unit disposed on the feed side of the transfer ribbon for applying a constant load on the transfer ribbon to keep it under a constant tension.

Abstract: A thermal printer with a fault detection circuit for detecting faults in heating elements used in the printer includes a print head containing the heating elements and a heating circuit associated with each element, a power supply, and a switching circuit interposed between the power supply and the print head. The fault detection circuit includes a current supply circuit, preferably a constant current source, which is connected in parallel to the switching circuit. A control circuit selects either a normal printing mode or a print head fault detection mode. In the fault detection mode, the switching circuit is disabled enabling the fault detection circuit to pass a test current through each of the heating elements for detecting any faults therein.

Abstract: A gradation printer feeds heat-sensitive paper at a constant speed and varies the heating time and hence, the coloring area depending upon printing dots, thereby representing a shading pattern by a multiplicity of printing dots having different densities. If the number of density degradations is N, and the heating time for producing the coloring area of the maximum density gradation is T, the heating time for producing a coloring area which corresponds to each density gradation is obtained by multiplying T/(N-1) by an integer, and the heating times which correspond to the respective density gradations are arranged at substantially regular intervals with the time T/2 as the center, the time T/2 being the point at which T/2 has elapsed from the start of the heating time T.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device having a lower layer electrode and an upper layer electrode disposed by way of an inter-layer insulation layer on an insulation substrate, wherein the pattern for disposing the lower layer electrode and the pattern for disposing the upper layer electrode are partially or entirely made substantially identical with each other. A method of manufacturing a thermal head for use in heat-sensitive recording wherein a glaze layer is disposed on an insulation substrate, a lower layer electrode of a common electrode is deposited thereover, over the lower layer electrode an insulation layer made of silicon nitride and/or silicon oxide is coated by way of plasma reaction coating and a heat generating layer and an upper layer electrode faced with a gap to individual electrodes are deposited.

Abstract: A low-noise, small-sized and inexpensive thermal-head type recording device. The timing of the signal for commencing the driving of a paper feed motor is delayed by a predetermined period, e.g., 5 to 20 mS, after the signal for commencing one-line recording by the thermal head, thereby minimizing the force required for separating the sticking recording paper sheet from the thermal head.

Abstract: Heat accumulation in a thermal printhead is controlled by printing blocks of data along the print line in two passes when examination of the data shows the potential of excessive heating. The proportion of heat intensive or black parts in each block is determined by data processor 17 by examining the data for a line in memory 19. An accumulation is made assigning blocks having high heat density minus 2, blocks having intermediate heat density minus 1 and blocks having low heat density plus 1. When that figure is at minus two the next block is not printed until a second pass and the accumulation is set to zero. Where the accumulation is minus 1, print power is reduced for the next block, which is printed in the first pass. Excessive heat in the printhead results in machine damage and impaired print quality. A second pass is completely avoided where the data is such that this is unnecessary.

Abstract: A printer interface circuit is provided in a host system so as to allow a printer having its own clock signal for its printing operation to be directly connected to the host system. In the present invention, data to be printed is first stored in a data latch as supplied in association with the clock signal of the host system, and then the data stored in the data latch is transferred to the printer in association with the printer. Thus, even if use is made of a laser printer, which has its own clock signal, it can be directly connected to a host system, such as a personal computer. In the preferred embodiment, the printer interface circuit modifies the frequency of the clock signal of the printer and the data is transferred to the printer at this modified frequency, so that the data may be expanded when printed.

Abstract: A color ink jet system printer of the ink on demand type includes at least three orifices for different ink colors aligned in a lateral direction. A carriage is driven to shift in the lateral direction so that the ink droplets emitted from the respective orifices reach a desired picture element at different timings, thereby mixing colors to perform the multi-color printing.

Abstract: A thermal printer having a main shaft supporting a carriage mounted with printing mechanisms including a printing head and an ink ribbon peeling member for peeling an ink ribbon off the recording sheet as the carriage travels, and fixedly provided with sheet feeding rollers for feeding a recording sheet. The carriage is moved along the main shaft for printing operation to print information on the recording sheet on a line. Before beginning a new line, the carriage is returned to the starting position while the main shaft is rotated to feed the recording sheet. Thus, the main shaft functions as both a guide shaft for guiding the carriage and a sheet feeding shaft for feeding the recording sheet, and thereby the construction of the thermal printer is simplified and the number of the components is reduced.

Abstract: An electrothermal printer having a print head provided with a plurality of wire electrodes, an ink ribbon, and a heating ribbon separate from the ink ribbon. The heating ribbon is in the form of a layer of material which is a poor conductor of electricity and a layer of electrically conductive material. The current passing between one or several of the electrodes in the print head to the heating ribbon conductive layer which is in contact with an appropriate sliding contact or electrode heats a localized area, or localized areas, of the heating ribbon which in turn transfers heat to corresponding localized areas of the ink ribbon for transferring ink on a sheet of paper. The ink ribbon and the heating ribbon are displaced at the same speed past the print head. The printer of the invention permits high rate printing at a relatively low cost of supplies. With the ink ribbon omitted, printing can be effected directly on thermo-sensitive paper.

Abstract: There is described a printing head useful in an ink-jet printer to print on a recording medium, comprising jet forming means for forming spaced drops of ink, charging means adjacent the forming means for inducing an electric charge in selected some of the drops, the charging means being mounted on an electrically non-conductive plate, and drop-catcher means for catching the charged drops. The drop-catcher means is integral with the plate mounting the charging means, and is disposed downstream from the charging means.

Abstract: A desk-top and/or hand held thermal printer comprises a main unit having a guide path therein for a moving continuous label strip which includes a backing sheet and discrete labels detachably attached to the backing sheet. The printer has a flat bottom surface for resting on a flat surface; a retaining means for supporting a roll of backing sheet and labels and guiding the labels through a thermal printing device where a bar code or the like is thermally printed on the thermosensitive labels; a label peeling means for peeling the labels from the backing sheet; a label affixing means for affixing the peeled-off labels on objects; a data input means for example a keyboard or a computer input terminal; a data display means; and a controller for controlling the entire printer.

Abstract: A multi- and full-color thermosensitive recording method of recording multi- or full-color images on a multi-color thermosensitive recording sheet capable of forming 2 to 4 different colors by use of a thermal head is disclosed, with the improvement that the picture elements of a thermal head are grouped so as to be operative in the form of a matrix consisting of n picture elements in the main scanning direction and m picture elements in the sub-scanning direction, each matrix is assigned to 2 to 4 alternatively independent colorings and thermal recording is performed in such a manner that, of the n.times.m picture elements in each matrix, the number of the picture elements for each color formation is changed, whereby multi- and full-color recording with a multi-step pseudo density gradation is attained.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer of this invention is provided with recording paper carrier rollers disposed on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the thermal transfer head along the paper carrying direction and, further, with a sensor for detecting as to whether or not the recording paper is present on the downstream side lower than the carrier roller disposed on the downstream side along the paper carrying direction. In setting the recording paper for the first time, initial position setting of the recording paper depends on detection of the arrival of the foremost end of the paper at the carrier roller on the downstream side and, when the sensor detects the absence of the paper in the backward carrying thereof after completing the printing with one color, control for stopping backward carrying is performed.

Abstract: A two-dimensional position detecting apparatus for ink drops is disclosed including a light source and a pair of photodetectors disposed in a detecting region so that the pair of photodetectors respectively produce electrical signals in accordance with a flying position of the ink drops in the detecting region, and a signal processor for detecting a horizontal position of the ink drops on the basis of a difference in an output signal between the photodetectors and for detecting a vertical position of the same ink drops on the basis of the sum of the respective output signals of the pair of photodetectors.

Abstract: A resistance heater for performing heat treatment of the braze-affected area of a metallic sleeve attached by brazing within and to a metallic tube, comprises a metal tube (10) of which a portion (16) is formed with a spiral groove (11) which penetrates the wall thickness of the tube (10) and thereby defines a heating coil. The radial thickness of the convolutions of the coil varies lengthwise of the coil so that, when energized with electrical current, the coil develops a temperature profile which is determined by the variation in radial thickness. The temperature profile may be selected according to the needs of the brazed joint to be heat treated.

Abstract: A thermal printer using a single pulse motor is disclosed. This thermal printer comprises: a single pulse motor; a moving member which is moved in accordance with the drive of the pulse motor; a head raising and lowering mechanism and a sheet feed mechanism which are selectively actuated in correspondence with the movement of the moving member; and a carriage moving mechanism which is interlockingly driven by the pulse motor. These components are driven by the single pulse motor. Also, the moving member may be a rack.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heating resistor composed of tungsten of 35-45 at. %, aluminum of 25-35 at. %, nitrogen of 10-20 at. %, and oxygen of 5-20 at. %, and a thermal head comprising a heating resistor layer composed of tungsten of 35-45 at. %, aluminum of 25-35 at. %, nitrogen of 10-20 at. %, and oxygen of 5-20 at. %.