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: Disclosed is a cell having a variable volume chamber and a fluid supply circuit for an ink jet printing head which is equipped therewith, the cell including a variable volume chamber (1) connected to a pressure sensor (5) and to at least a pair of valves (7, 9) each associated with a restriction (8, 10); the variation of volume being obtained by a piston actuated by an eccentric (3) secured to the rotor of a motor (4).

Abstract: In an electrically excited transfer recording device which transfers an image or images formed in a recording film onto a recording chart, a recording head is comprised of a head base of resin having insulating properties and a plurality of electrode needles formed on the head base. During the printing, a resistance layer formed in the recording film is electrically charged by the electrode needles and ink contained in the recording film is fused upon generation of heat in the resistance layer to be transferred onto the recording chart.

Abstract: An apparatus which records an image, such as text, onto printable media, such as paper, has a removably closable lid, a paper cutting blade mounted on an pivoting arm having an equilibrium position in which the blade is withdrawn in a safe position, and a rod actuator cooperative with the lid for rotating the pivoting arm whenever the lid is closed so as to move the blade from the safe position to an operative position adjacent a cutting block suitable for severing the media. The pivoting arm is rotatable about a pivot pin, the blade being attached at one end of the arm and the other end of the arm being lighter, so that the blade tends to fall toward the safe position under a front cover of the apparatus whenever the lid is opened.

Abstract: A thermal print head comprising a sequential laminated arrangement of an insulating substrate, a heating resistance layer, an electrode layer formed in a predetermined pattern, and a protective layer. The protective layer is formed of a mixture of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 as a principal component, and SiO.sub.2. The protective layer has satisfactory heat resistance, abrasion resistance, crack resistance, moisture resistance and chemical stability.

Abstract: Ink jet printing head and replacement of bevel sticks in industrial tracers by an ink jet printing head provided with a set of deflection plates (3, 4, 5) so arranged and polarized that the electric field of deflection of droplets is orientable according to an angle which may vary from 0.degree. to 180.degree.. The applications cover particularly the field of industrial tracing techniques.

Abstract: A coincidence-preventing circuit prevents the graininess of image which results form coincidental arrival of a clock pulse and a load pulse at a circuit, such as a down counter, the output from which controls the timing and density of the image produced on a recording medium by an ink jet.

Abstract: This invention relates to a time clock device, which contains a hinged time card shelf, which is adapted to be pressed down by the user of the time clock when he inserts his time card into the time clock. Upon pressing down on the time card and time card shelf, which the operator can do with one hand, the time, date, and other desired information, is printed onto the time card by a thermal printer which is actuated by a switch activated by the movement of the time card shelf to its lower or pushed down position.

Abstract: A thermal printer comprising first and second supply means for supplying first and second recording mediums, an image processing portion having a memory means for storing black-and-white image and color image informations, an inked sheet having color portions, a recording means for recording images on the first and second recording mediums, and a control means for controlling movements of the first or second supply means and of the inked sheet, in accordance with conditions whether a black-and-white image or a color image is to be recorded.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink jet printer in which an ink is continuously spouted through a nozzle and divided into ink droplet. The ink droplets are selectively charged by supplied pulse voltages. After the supply of a prescribed charging voltage to a charging electrode is stopped, a voltage lower than the charging voltage is supplied to the electrode. Consequently, the ink droplets destined to land on a recording medium is prevented from making any deflected movement and from ginving rise to secondary dots. During the intitial period of the supply of the charging voltage to the charging electrode, a voltage higher that the normal charging voltage is supplied to preclude the occurrence of ink droplets of an intermediate potential due to a time lag between the time the voltage is supplied to the charging electrode and the time the ink droplets are electrically charged. Any attempt at heightening the operating speed of the printer entails no occurrence of secondary dots.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer includes a head holding member for holding a printing head and for applying an urging force for urging the printing head against a platen and separating the printing head from the platen. An elastic member biases the head holding member to urge the printing head against the platen. A regulating member regulates displacement of the elastic member to change the urging force of the printing head against the platen. A driving unit drives the regulating member. A detecting unit detects either one or both of the type of ink ribbon or the surface roughness of recording paper. A control unit controls the driving unit in accordance with the result of the detecting unit. The urging force of the printing head is thus changed in accordance with either one or both of the type of ink ribbon or the surface roughness of the recording paper.

Abstract: A method of adjusting stimulation amplitude in continuous ink jet printers to provide satellite-free printing includes the steps varying the stimulation amplitude between the underdrive and overdrive stimulation conditions, charging the resulting ink jet filaments at their break off points with sawtooth voltage of period equal to the stimulation period, detecting and storing the resultant drop charging events and setting the operating stimulation amplitude based on the inception point inflection in the resulting stimulation amplitude versus detected charge relation.

Abstract: In a low resolution color printer having a color set, a set of shaded colors is generated thereby expanding the color set of the printer. The method for generating the shaded colors determines if a critical line is to be printed. Then a check is made to determine if a shaded color is to be printed. If a pattern of a shaded color is to be printed, including a non-critical line, a first algorithm is used to generate a print buffer by interspersing a dark (quasi-black) colored pixel among the colored pixels, the blending effect resulting in a shaded color. If a critical line of a shaded color is to be printed, a second algorithm is utilized (to overcome a deficiency of the first algorithm) to insure an interspersing of the dark pixels with colored pixels. Otherwise, the pattern is printed in the designated color.

Abstract: A variable orientation ink catcher for use with ink jet printing equipment receives unused ink drops. The drops are returned to the printing system for reuse. The catcher includes an arcuate receiving portion offset from an outlet port. Caught ink flows by gravity from the receiving portion via a reservoir to the outlet port through a wide range of angular orientations.

Abstract: A halftone image printing device represents an image using a pixel matrix, prints each pixel as a dot pattern constituted by predetermined dots in a dot matrix, and controls the dot pattern and the printing density (multilevel density) of each dot included in the dot pattern in accordance with the density (multilevel) of the pixel. An overall printing density range is divided into four density ranges, i.e., from the lowest to the highest density ranges, and each pixel is defined by a 3.times.3 dot matrix.

Abstract: A multi-nozzle ink jet printer having an ink liquid supply system which is made up of a plurality of constant flow rate pumps. Each individual nozzle of the printer is connected to an associated pump. The pumps may be coupled to a common actuating mechanism such as a cam so that the flow rates of ink liquid through the different nozzles are kept at equal values irrespective of differences in the effective cross section of the nozzles.

Abstract: In a prior art thermal printing method, the heating elements of a thermal printing head are driven in such fashion that the temperature of each and every individual heating element is first measured individually and successively before this heating element is charged with a current pulse whose intensity of current is dimensioned dependent on the measured temperature. In order to increase the printing speed, the temperatures of all heating elements (R1 . . . Rn) are first successively measured in the novel method fo the present invention in every drive cycle and are extrapolated to isochronic cooling temperature values dependent on the cooling characteristic of the heating elements (R1 . . . Rn). The heating elements (R1 . . . Rn) are then charged with current pulses whose pulse durations are individually dimensioned for every heating element (R1 . . . Rn) dependent on the cooling temperature value calculated for this heating element (R1 . . . Rn).

Abstract: A color image printing apparatus prints one pixel by superposing a predetermined dots of three colors within a 3.times.3 dot matrix in accordance with a density of the pixel. The positions of the printed dots within the dot matrix are stored as a dot pattern for each color. One dot pattern is used for each of a plurality of densities included in one density range. The printing energy for each of the dots included in the dot pattern is controlled in accordance with the density level of the pixel. The dot pattern is different for each color and three dot patterns are stored for each color and for each density range. These three dot patterns are repeatedly used for every three pixels which are continuous in the horizontal direction. These three dot patterns have two or three texture directions. The texture direction other than the vertical direction is different for each color.

Abstract: Image recording is indirectly achieved on a recording sheet via an intermediate transferring medium. First, the circumferential surface of a rotatable transferring medium having heat-transferable ink contained therein is fused or softened in response to image information by means of a recording electrode which is disposed at the position opposite to the transferring medium while the intermediate transferring medium is interposed therebetween. After completion of the first transferring step the ink image which has been transferred onto the intermediate transferring medium is transported to the position where a second transferring step is achieved while the ink image is kept in the fused or softened state. The second transferring step is achieved in such a manner that the ink image is transferred onto the recording sheet under the effect of pressure which is imparted by a pressure roller. The intermediate transferring medium may be made of electric conductive material.

Abstract: A manually operated cleaning tool for use in a liquid jet printing apparatus of the type having a manifold assembly with an interior cavity and which generates a linear array of droplet streams under pressure through an orifice plate in fluid communication with the interior cavity. The preferred embodiment of the cleaning tool comprises a vacuum head for contacting the surface of the orifice plate, an adjustable handle operatively connected to the vacuum head for rotatably positioning the vacuum head to contact the orifice plate along a corridor defined by the orifice plate mounting structure, a fluid conduit operatively connected to the vacuum head, and a vacuum apparatus for continuously removing excess printing fluid from the orifice plate.