Abstract: Programmable signal processing apparatus for multiplying a sampled analog signal by a multiple bit digital word coefficient. All signal processing operations are accomplished by the splitting, routing and combining of charge packets formed in a charge domain device.

Abstract: A color ink jet printing mechanism provides either continuous stream or drop on demand color ink jet printing utilizing a single stream flow of ink. A flow of colored ink is produced, pumped, and synchronized to the operation of a ink jet printer head drop producing mechanism. The ink is produced by mixture of an optional carrier fluid which flows past an injection port chamber, together with dyes which are synchronously injected, mixed with the carrier fluid, to form the colored ink. The ink is then ejected as a dot stream which is impacted upon a paper or other sheet material, forming a continuous flow of colored image. The mechanism uses a single flow of material; it is capable of a wider range of color tonalities, due to the premixing capabilities, than is possible using dithering techniques with three colored inks.

Abstract: A multi-pen type plotter printer is disclosed in which a desired character or graphic pattern is produced on the monitor paper by a selected one out of plural pens arranged in the carriage in accordance with an information signal, comprising a hammer slidably and pivotally disposed on the carriage for actuating the selected pen into contact with the surface of the paper for plotting while the carriage and the platen are moved. A blade member is pivotally disposed which has a dimension wider than the width of the effective plotting range and is rotated in either direction to rotate the pusher in the same direction so as to cause the pusher to move toward and away from the pen.

Abstract: A pen-recording apparatus for writing on a sheet of recording medium on a rotatable platen, with plural pens movable with a carriage along the platen. The apparatus comprises a pen-holding head which is supported by the carriage rotatably about an axis perpendicular to a line of movement of the carriage, and which holds the plural pens such that axes of the pens are evenly spaced from each other circumferentially of the head, and such that the pens are axially movable toward and away from the platen. The carriage rotatably supports a pinion coupled to the pen-holding head to transmit a rotary motion to the pen-holding head. The apparatus further comprises a rack member including a rack which is disposed parallel to the platen and engageable with the pinion to rotate the pinion when the carriage is moved in one of opposite directions along the platen.

Abstract: Hot melt ink is maintained in a solid state at a fixed location along with a smaller quantity of liquid ink in a buffer reservoir at the same location. When ink is called for in the reservoir of a scanning imaging head, the head is moved to a position coupled to the buffer reservoir whereupon the previously melted ink from the solid state supply may be coupled into the reservoir of the imaging head.

Abstract: In a pen type plotting apparatus, a pen type X-Y recording mechanism is provided for driving a carriage supporting a pen, a recording paper and the pen to their operative positions. The driving operation of the X-Y recording mechanism is controlled by a recording control portion comprising a recording control means which provides a first operational mode for carrying out an ordinary recording operation and a second operational mode for reprinting a predetermined amount of initially recorded patterns for a predetermined number of times, and means for selecting the second operational mode when a recording operation is initiated by turning a power source for the apparatus to on.

Abstract: A recorder including an A/D converter for converting analog measured input signals into digital input sampling data for a predetermined sampling period, for processing the converted data by a microprocessor, and for subsequently driving a recording head to make a recording on a recording paper. A paper end detecting sensor is carried on the head, and the microprocessor is caused to compute a recording position signal according to the measured input signals on the basis of the sampling data; to correct the recording position signal on the basis of both a reference width for the recording paper and the paper width, which is measured as a result of detecting the 0% and 100% ends of the recording paper by the sensor, thereby to produce a recording position correcting signal according to the extension or contraction of the recording paper; to control the position of the recording head in accordance with the recording position correcting signal; and to make a recording on the recording paper by the recording head.

Abstract: Compensation circuitry for a laser printer using a self-resonant scanner wherein a clock generator (VCO) and an address counter operated between start of scan (SOS) and end of scan (EOS) signals are used in the generation of data clock signals. A flip-flop circuit is connected to receive the EOS signal and the output from a higher order bit output of the address counter to provide logic circuitry with an indication of whether the clock generator (VCO) frequency should be raised or lowered. The logic circuitry provides an input to a digital to analog means which is connected to the control input of the clock generator (VCO).

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus of the ink-on demand type, the recording ink is forcibly sent from a pressure chamber in the recording head to nozzles which jet the recording ink onto a recording medium. An ink cartridge is a closed-up rigid body having an opening therein which permits gas to flow in and out of the rigid body. The rigid cartridge body contains a flexible ink container bag which contains recording ink. A pressurized gas supply is connected to the ink cartridge body in communication with the opening thereof for increasing the pressure inside the ink cartridge body and for thereby increasing the pressure of the ink in the flexible container bag due to flexing of the bag under increased pressure.

Abstract: An ink reconstitution system and method for ink drop printers in which an essentially closed delivery system supplies ink under pressure to a printing bar, and a catcher collects unprinted ink. The unprinted ink is delivered to a temporary holding or reconstitution tank having high and low level sensing means, and a pump is operated in response to the fluid level reaching the high level sensing means to deliver a quantity of collected fluid from the holding tank back to the supply system. Reconstitution is accomplished by metering into the holding tank a predetermined quantity of reconstitution or replenisher fluid, each time the low level sensing means is operated, so that the quantity of replenisher is always related to the quantity of ink returned by the catcher and therefore subject to evaporation.

Abstract: The present ink-jet printer produces ink droplets successively ejected toward a recording medium wherein those ink droplets to be used for printing are charged and deflected through an electric field to be deposited on the recording medium and those ink droplets not to be used for printing are usually not charged and collected in a gutter. However, the last ink droplet of a first series of ink droplets not to be used for printing is charged by a small amount when followed by a second series of ink droplets to be used for printing thereby preventing the first ink droplet of the second series from catching up with the last ink droplet of the first series.

Abstract: An electro-optic printer of the type having a laser, a modulator for modulating the laser beam in accordance with image signals; an optical system including a rotating polygon for sweeping the modulated beam across the photosensitive drum of a xerographic system to expose the drum and create images thereon, the modulator having a plurality of separately controlled electrode groups effective to modulate portions of the laser beam in accordance with individual lines of image signals to enable multiple image lines to be exposed at once on the photosensitive drum; and a step drive to synchronously step the photosensitive drum in increments equal to the combined width of the lines being processed.In a first alternate embodiment, the modulator is based on a wave guide, and in a second alternate embodiment, the modulator is composed of a series of flexible reflective fingers.

Abstract: Apparatus for compensating for a quantity of light includes an acoustooptic modulator which modulates light incident thereon in response to a first signal to produce output light. A photoelectric converter is provided for detecting a level of the output light of the acoustooptic modulator to generate a second signal associated with the detected light level. The first signal is compensated for by a compensation circuit in response to the second signal. The compensation circuit has input-to-output characteristics corresponding to linear function which is given by approximating the characteristic of the acoustooptic modulator on the output light relative to the first signal. The compensator compensates for the first signal in accordance with the input-to-output characteristics.

Abstract: A mechanism for driving a pen recorder includes a carriage movable with respect to a recording sheet, a pen holder rotatably mounted on the carriage and carrying a plurality of pens, the pen holder having a writing position in which one of the pens at a time can be located, the pen holder including a rotatable pen selector mechanism, a hammer swingably mounted on the carriage for pressing one of the pens in the writing position toward the recording sheet, a motor, a cam rotatably by the motor, a lever for actuating the hammer, the lever having a portion held in sliding contact with the cam, so that the hammer can be driven by the cam, an intermittent gear rotatable in unison with the cam, and a driven gear held in mesh with the intermittent gear and having a shaft coupled with the rotatable pen selector mechanism.

Abstract: A pen recorder has two movable bases adapted to be movable in directions along a platen, one of the bases being driven in directions along the platen. A plurality of pens are mounted in parallel on one of the bases, and a hammer is mounted on the other base for pressing any one of the pens toward the platen. The base which is not driven has a lock lever adapted to engage with a plurality of portions of the base which is driven. The base which is not driven further has an urging lever for driving the lock lever. The urging lever is slidably mounted on a pen changeover shaft rotated by a driving mechanism. The pen recorder further has a spring for urging the lock lever in the locking direction, as well as forcing the urging lever to abut against the lock lever in the unlocking direction. Also disclosed is a method of setting the initial position of the pen recorder.

Abstract: An ink jet printing head which includes a head body provided with an ink filling port (18), a plurality of rows of nozzles (32A.sub.1 through 32A.sub.5, 40B.sub.1 through 40B.sub.5) arrayed in a staggered formation, pressure chambers (21A.sub.1, 21A.sub.2, . . . , 21B.sub.1, 21B.sub.2, . . . ), one for each of the nozzles, and ink passages (28A.sub.1, . . . , 33A.sub.1, . . . , 38B.sub.1, . . . , 41B.sub.1, . . . ) connecting the ink filling port with the nozzles via corresponding pressure chambers. (19A.sub.1 through 19A.sub.5, 19B.sub.1 though 19B.sub.5). The pressure chambers are formed inside the head body and adjacent to the surface of at least one side of the head body. Piezoelectric elements are mounted on the outside of the head body at positions corresponding to the pressure chambers.

Abstract: A novel structure which reduces stress due to cavitation in a thermal ink jet head is disclosed. A jetting resistor is formed on a thin membrane and suspended in contact with an acoustic absorber such as silicon oil on its back surface. The pressure wave created by the collapsing bubble which occurs in the ink on the membranes front surface each time the resistor is fired is thus absorbed by the silicon oil. The failure rate of such a jetting resistor is thus substantially reduced.

Abstract: A joystick is disclosed comprising a swtich holder having four side walls and an opening at its top. Each side wall has a switch opening. Four panel-mounted type switches having depressible activator buttons are mounted in the switch openings with the activator buttons extending into the interior of the switch holder. The joystick comprising an actuator arm having a handle, a ball, and a switch engaging member. The ball is rotatably mounted above the switches. The handle extends upwardly from the ball and the switch engaging member extends downwardly into the switch holder to a position between all of the activator buttons of the switches.

Abstract: A turret head for use in a graphics plotter for holding a plurality of liquid ink pens adjacent the point of writing and for selectively changing the pens to be the writing pen. Automatic pen tip capping and uncapping is included. A plurality of spaced radial arms are mounted on a turret driven by a stepping motor between main positions. A pen holder assembly is mounted for vertical movement between raised and lowered positions and carries a pen gripping arm thereon. The pen gripping arm is adapted to move vertically between the radial arms of the turret and beneath them as the turret is rotated. The arms are provided with facing releasable gripping fingers for exchanging pens between arms upon contact.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive recording head, comprising:two heat generating resistors which are obtained by dividing a conventional heat generating resistor, the resistors being arranged substantially in parallel with each other on a substrate; andfirst and second groups of lead electrodes which are coupled to the two heat generating resistors, respectively, in such a manner that the first and second groups of lead electrodes are shifted by half a pitch from each other.