Abstract: A thermal recording device scans a laser beam over a thermosensitive recording medium which comprises a support coated with a coloring agent, a color developer, and a light absorbing dye and produces a color having a density commensurate with the lever of a thermal energy applied thereto, thereby to record an image thereon. The thermal recording device has a laser beam applying mechanism for emitting and applying a laser beam modulated by an image to be recorded to the thermosensitive recording medium, a temperature or humidity detecting mechanism for detecting a temperature or humidity with respect to the thermosensitive recording medium, and a controller for correcting the intensity of the laser beam emitted by the laser beam applying mechanism based on the humidity detected by the humidity detecting mechanism.

Abstract: An optical arrangement for an optical scanning apparatus which can record a plurality of high precision information concurrently, provides for a laser beam emitted from a single light source to be polarized in two polarization directions, and each of the two polarized beams is further imparted with different information according to its polarization direction. Then, the two polarized beams are used for scanning over a photosensitive member to concurrently record respective information at different positions on the photosensitive member. In order to suppress induced light fluctuation depending on an incident angle of light on the beam splitter, an optical rotation means is provided in the optical system, such that a desired optical rotation control can be obtained corresponding to the incident angle on the beam splitter, so as to compensate for the fluctuation of light whereby the beam splitter can be arranged to be free of the influence of the incidence angle of the beam.

Abstract: An ink jet printing head 14 is mounted on a movable carriage 13 and a fixing device 32 removably fixes the head 14 by means of a hook 111 adapted to cooperate with a shoulder of the head 14 or an alternative priming head 16 of the wire type. An electronic control unit 22 controls a control device 156 adapted to recognize which type of head is mounted on the carriage 13 and actuates it.

Abstract: A ferroelectric substance such as LiNbO.sub.3 that possesses a unipolarized non-linear optical effect is etched on its surface. An earth electrode is formed on one surface (the +z plane) of a ferroelectric substance. Domain reversals are created on the opposite side (the -z plane) of the substrate relative to the +z plane by irradiating electron beams onto the -z plane.

Abstract: A circuit for driving an LED print head so as to be capable of printing a variety of gray levels, comprises a print controller for generating synchronizing signals and latch clock pulses to be applied to the LED print head, a video clock signal generator means for generating a predetermined number of video clock pulses in response to the sub-synchronizing signals, a video data generating means operated by the sub-synchronizing signals for generating a number of sub-data representing the contrast of one line data in response to the video clock pulses, a contrast mode decoding means for counting the latch clock pulses in one period of the sub-synchronizing signals to generate first, second, third and fourth enable signals, a contrast strobe pulse generating means for generating first, second and third strobe pulses of different periods in response to the first enable signal, and a drive circuit for logically combining the second, third and fourth signals and the first, second and third strobe pulses so as to dr

Abstract: A minimum value of input color image signals (R, G, B) is extracted, difference signals between the extracted minimum value and the input signals (R, G, B) are calculated, and matrix conversion is executed based on the difference signals, thereby obtaining desired output color image signals having a color reproduction range different from that of the input color image signals.

Abstract: A carriage on which an ink tank is mounted is moved acceleratively. Next, under this accelerative movement, a period of time spent moving a designated distance is measured. Finally, the amount of ink fluids in the ink tank is detected by the measured period of time and a message related to the amount of ink fluids is displayed. With these procedures, in an ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink tank for storing ink fluids to be supplied to the recording head is mounted on the carriage, the amount of ink fluids remaining in the ink tank can be detected using simplified structure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for grey level printing includes a plurality of recording elements which are enabled for variable periods of time during a cycle of recording grey level pixels. For each recording element a comparator compares the count in a time-changing exposure counter with a multibit grey level data signal. The exposure counter is decremented/incremented by exposure clock pulses from a programmable exposure clock. The exposure clock includes a master clock and an address counter that provides an incremented address signal in response to each set of N pulses from the master clock. The address signal identifies a location in memory of a set of signals used to generate exposure clock pulses. The set of signals is output in parallel to a serial shift register and shifted out serially to form the exposure clock pulses for decrementing/incrementing the exposure counter.

Abstract: An optical scanning system includes a first lens for receiving a light beam from a light source and allowing the light beam to pass therethrough, and a polygon mirror having at least one reflection surface for deflecting the light beam from the first lens by reflecting the light beam on the reflection surface thereof. A second lens is provided for receiving the light beam from the polygon mirror and focusing the light beam on a first plane to be scanned. The second lens has a first surface facing toward the polygon mirror and a second surface facing toward the first plane.

Abstract: A movement guide for guiding the movement of a manually movable hand recording apparatus has a guide member for guiding the movement of the hand recording apparatus, and an engaging portion provided on the guide member and removably engageable with the hand recording apparatus when the movement of the hand recording apparatus is guided.

Abstract: A color printer has means for setting toner image forming areas in the paper sheet convey direction in respect of respective colors, means for detecting a reference position on a photosensitive belt, and image formation start position setting means responsive to the reference position to set a toner image (electrostatic latent image) formation start position in the rotation direction of the photosensitive belt. When the paper sheet length is longer than the outer peripheral length of an intermediate transfer member, the image formation start position setting means sets, for colors other than the final color, a printing area which is shorter than the outer peripheral length of the intermediate transfer member and sets, for the final color, a printing area which begins immediately after a seam position of the photosensitive belt and conforms to the paper sheet length.

Abstract: An exposure device. While a photosensitive material is being moved such that a subscanning interval is L, a polygon mirror rotates at rotational speed f.sub.p, and due to this rotation, a light beam is deflected in a main scanning direction and is main-scanned. A material and a configuration of an SOS mirror are set so that a natural frequency f.sub.m thereof is not a value which is an integer multiple of the rotational speed f.sub.p. An SOS sensor outputs a timing signal when a light beam, which is reflected from the SOS mirror and which corresponds to a vicinity of a start-of-main-scan point, is incident on the SOS sensor. Based on the signal, a control device controls a light source such that the light beam is main-scanned from the start-of-main-scan point. An imaging optical system images, on the photosensitive material, the light beam deflected by the polygon mirror. Because the natural frequency f.sub.m of the SOS mirror is not a value near an integer multiple of the frequency f.sub.

Abstract: A full-color printer which reduces toner consumption by lowering the overall image density without changing the overall image tonality. An invalid data masking unit 31 masks non-printing area of a image signal 39 outputted from a FIFO buffer 30, and outputs the masked image data into a toner-saving image converter 32. The toner-saving image converter 32 zigzag masks the image signal every other pixel in main-scanning and subscanning directions based on a toner-saving mode designation signal A from a CPU 38. The masked image signal density is "00[H]". Thereafter, a .gamma. corrector 35 .gamma. corrects the masked image signal, and a PWM 36 performs pulse-width modulation on the .gamma.-corrected image signal. Image output is made by driving a semiconductor laser 120 with the pulse-width modulated signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a stream of ink drops in a continuous ink jet printer having a maximum allowable number of fast satellite drops. An ink, which may be a hot-melt ink in its liquid phase, is pressurized for continuous flow to a nozzle and a rectangular or triangular waveform is generated at a fixed frequency. The waveform is applied to a transducer coupled to the nozzle such that nozzle vibrates and the ink flow is perturbed and discharged from the nozzle as primary drops with satellite drops formed therewith. The harmonic content of the rectangular or triangular waveform is adjusted until the desired number of fast satellite drops suitable for desired image formation are formed in the stream of primary drops. In a preferred embodiment, the desired number of fast satellites is a maximum of three.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the electrophotographic type wherein a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum is transferred to recording paper by a transfer roller to form an image is disclosed. When the size of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is larger than the size of the recording paper, a portion of the toner image which projects from the recording paper is transferred to the transfer roller and will soil another sheet of recording paper supplied subsequently. Therefore, when comparison between the size of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum and the size of the recording paper reveals a difference between them, an image forming operation is interrupted and a cleaning device is rendered operative to remove the toner from the transfer roller.

Abstract: An optical device for forming a latent image on the surface of a photosensitive member by an optical head, developing the latent image and transferring the developed toner image onto a transfer sheet at a transferring section. The transfer sheet is transported at least at the transfer section in a direction inclined relative to a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the photosensitive member at an angle of distortion of the latent image which occurs when the optical head forms the latent image on the surface of the photosensitive member, thereby toner particles in the transfer section receive twisting force and the distortion of the latent image is corrected when the latent image is transferred to the transfer sheet.

Abstract: A thermally sensitive recording head comprising, a two bases 2 moving with its attitude being kept along a guide shaft 5, an attachment 3 rotatably provided on the base 2 so that the base 2 extends to an right angle direction with the guide shaft 5 and contacts on or separates from a platen 8, and a heating head 4, which is rotatably provided on the attachment 3, and on front surface of which a heating body train is formed in a right angle direction with the guide shaft 5 and extends in opposite direction to an extending direction of the attachment 3 from the tip end of the attachment 3 to contact on or separate from the platen 8, whereby the attachment 3 and the heating head 4 are pressed on the thermally Sensitive paper placed on back-side of the platen 8. In this arrangement, a clear image can be obtained without generation of irregularity of photographic density because the heating head 4 presses the thermally sensitive papers while being kept always in parallel with the platen 8.

Abstract: A thermal head apparatus includes a heat generation driving integrated circuit and a current detecting integrated circuit. The heat generation driving integrated circuit is constituted by a plurality of first switching elements respectively connected in series with current detecting resistors, a first shift register for serially inputting print input data for heating heat generation elements, a first latch circuit for latching the print input data input to the first shift register at a predetermined timing, and a first output gate circuit for selectively controlling energization of the first switching elements on the basis of the print input data latched by the first latch circuit.

Abstract: A light deflector wherein a polygon mirror rotating at a predetermined speed is used to deflect a beam of light irradiated from a laser light source to scan a photosensitive member or an original image with the deflected beam of light is improved in that the polygon mirror can be fixed firmly to the rotary member without disturbing smooth rotation of the polygon mirror. A screw member on which a male thread is formed is fitted on an outer periphery of the rotary member, and the polygon mirror is pressed against and secured to an annular mirror flange provided on the rotary member by a mirror cap screwed on the screw member.

Abstract: Resolution transforming raster based imaging system where an image is formed by displaying dots arranged along scan lines, scanned by an energization beam, the scan lines having a predetermined resolution and the system is driven by an image bit map having rows with resolution multiple of said predetermined resolution, a subset of the rows being related to the scan lines, bits in rows unrelated to scan lines, and representative of dots to the displayed being displayed as dots offset to a next adjacent scan line and with a size related to the surrounding bit pattern.