Abstract: A side printing head assembly for printing marks such as characters, symbols, or the like on a moving photographic film includes a light source comprising a plurality of LED units each of which has a plurality of LED elements emitting a plurality of different monochromatic lights. Light guide members are provided, as many as the plurality of LED units, for directing light from the plurality of LED units toward the moving photographic film. There is a driving circuit for driving the plurality of LED units independently from one another so as to form and thereby to print the mark on the moving photographic film.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for use in printing systems wherein regions of rupturable capsule layer are ruptured to release dye that prints an image on an image-receiving sheet. An optical valve member is positioned between a light source and an imaging sheet which has the layer of capsules on its surface. An image pattern formed on a ferroelectric ceramic plate of the optical valve member by the irradiation of an electron beam together with an ultraviolet light in accordance with each color separation signal is projected onto the imaging sheet. The imaging sheet projected with the image is positioned so that the layer of capsules lies between the imaging sheet and the image-receiving sheet. A pressure roller applies pressure against the imaging sheet and the image-receiving sheet to rupture the capsules between them to thereby transfer the dye to the image-receiving sheet.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus has a feed system for feeding a recording sheet from a feed magazine to a drum, a drum system for winding the recording sheet therearound and rotating to align the recording position with a predetermined position on the circumferential surface of the drum, a scanning system for main-scanning the recording sheet at the recording position of the sheet with an optically modulated beam, and a storage system for storing the recording sheet on which an image has been formed. The drum is rotated in opposite directions during feed and storage of the sheet.

Abstract: A calligraphic writing system of the type including an x-y plotter, a writing pen and a digital computer that controls the movement of the pen relative to the writing bed of the plotter. The system self-aligns the writing pen and items on the bed being written, and permits a number of items to be correctly positioned on the writing bed and to be written during a single cycle. The pen draws positioning marks on the writing bed, thereby insuring that the item(s) to be written on and the pen are properly aligned relative to each other. In embodiments in which a plurality of items (all of which may or may not be the same) may be written in one cycle, the computer determines how many sets can be placed on the writing bed at once, and draws positioning marks for each item of each complete set that will so fit.

Abstract: A following error limit system is operative within a graphic recording system having a pen carriage moveable along a first path and a media moveable along a second path. A closed loop servo system is operative upon the pen carriage motor and is controlled by a position information processor. A following error processor is coupled to the servo system and compiles a periodically sampled table of absolute position, commanded position and following error for the servo system during the initialization process. The carriage is moved in a first direction at a constant velocity until it impacts a fixed limit stop which impeads further carriage motion. The following error processor determines the absolute or limit position of the pen carriage on the basis of the information derived from the servo system. The system functions without the use of external limit switches and limit detectors.

Abstract: An automatic pen positioning system is operative within a graphic recording system having a plurality of recording pens moveably supported by a pen carriage. The pen carriage is moveable along a first path above a media which is moveable along a second path. A motor drive system moves a selected one of the plurality of pens into contact with the media during recording. A closed loop servo system is operative upon the pen motor drive and is controlled by a position information processor. A following error processor is coupled to the servo system and compiles a periodically sampled table of absolute position, commanded position and following error for the servo system during the initialization process in which each pen is moved toward the media at a constant velocity until it impacts the media impeading further pen motion. The following error processor determines the pen to media contact position of the engaged pen on the basis of the information derived from the servo system.

Abstract: This application is directed to an ink jet pen having an ink supply housing which includes a primary ink reservoir (30) and a secondary ink reservoir (26). A balancing capillary member is positioned within the ink supply housing and includes ink flow path (20, 24) which extends between the primary ink reservoir (30) and the secondary ink reservoir (26). This capillary member is operative to draw ink from the primary ink reservoir (30) and into or toward the secondary ink reservoir (26) by capillary action as temperature and pressure within the primary ink reservoir increases. Conversely, when temperature and pressure in the housing decreases, ink will be drawn back into or toward the primary ink reservoir (30). In addition, the primary ink reservoir (30) is connected by way of a suitable ink feed path to an ink jet printhead (32) for supplying ink to the printhead during an ink jet printing operation.

Abstract: Ink jet apparatus for use with hot melt ink has an integrally connected ink jet head and reservoir system, the reservoir system including a highly efficient heat conducting plate, such as aluminum, inserted within an essentially non-heat conducting reservoir housing. The reservoir system has a sloping flow path between an inlet position and a sump from which ink is drawn to the head, and includes a plurality of vanes situated upon the plate for rapid heat transfer.

Abstract: A plurality of light sources generate beams having predetermined light amounts, respectively. An optical scanner receives the beams from the plurality of light sources and directs the beams as a plurality of scanning beams to an object to be scanned. A photodetector has a predetermined number of photosensors smaller than that of the plurality of light sources and substantially detects light amounts of the plurality of scanning beams by the optical scanner in a time sharing manner. A controller outputs a control signal for independently controlling the light amounts of the respective beams from the plurality of light sources in accordance with time-sharing light amount detection signals corresponding to the plurality of scanning beams from the photosensors of the predetermined number.

Abstract: In the particular embodiment of an ink deaerator described in the specification, an elongated ink path leading to an ink jet head is formed between two permeable membranes. The membranes are backed by air plenums which contain support members to hold the membranes in position. Reduced pressure is applied to the plenums to extract dissolved air from the ink in the ink path. Increased pressure can also be applied to the plenums to eject ink from the ink jet head for purging. Within the ink jet head ink is circulated convectively from the orifice to the deaerating path even when the jet is not jetting ink.

Abstract: In an optical recording medium of the reflection type, the light-absorbing layer contains polypyrrole as the light-absorbing substance.

Abstract: A laser scanning apparatus is provided with a compensating arrangement whereby deviations of a synchronous drive are compensated for by adjusting the frequency with which the laser beam is modulated. The laser beam is directed onto a rotatable spinner which causes the laser beam to scan a synchronized moving medium in a number of sequential and parallel lines, each of which is determined during a cycle of the movement of the spinner. The spinner is driven by a synchronous motor. During each cycle, a period error is measured to determine a compensating signal which is held for the next successive cycle and is used to control the frequency of a variable oscillator which determines the clocking rate at which information is employed to modulate the laser beam. According to the method of the invention, lines of information are placed on a synchronized moving medium responsive to the aforesaid laser beam during successive cycles.

Abstract: An incoherent, optically uncoupled laser array for an electro-optic line modulator or a line printer or the like and comprising a plurality of spatial laser emitters characterized by having high power density and a uniform far field emission pattern. Structural means is provided in the array to permit the spacing of the emitters sufficiently close to provide a uniform far field emission pattern without permitting phaselocking between adjacent emitters of the array. The structural means may comprise geometric lateral and diagonal displacement of adjacent optical cavities of the laser elements. Alternatively, the structural means may comprise a plurality of spatially disposed isolation regions extending across the laser array and extending into the laser array a distance sufficient to optically isolate the optical cavities of the laser elements from one another and prevent optical coupling between adjacent laser elements.

Abstract: A sheet supply station for a compact printer of the type having a housing, a feed/transport member which is rotatably mounted within a forward portion of the housing and is adapted to sequentially move sheets from a supply location at the bottom of the housing, through the print zone and out an egress in the upper surface of the housing. The sheet supply station comprises: (a) a drawer, including a drawer face and a drawer bottom, which is constructed to support a sheet stack and slidably mounted for movement in and out of the rear wall of the printer between a withdrawn position enabling stack insertion and a closed position wherein the drawer face is approximately flush with the rear wall; (b) side guides for engaging and centering a sheet stack, which is supported on the bottom wall, during its movement into the housing from the withdrawn drawer position; and (c) an indexing wall located transverse to the drawer path to accurately position an inserted stack beneath the feed/transport member.

Abstract: A recording apparatus which is for filling recording ink in a film with numerous minute orifices and heating the ink rapidly with heating elements to spurt the ink from the orifices by means of the pressure of bubbles generated in heating to record data on a member to be recorded by use a source voltage from outside. The present recording apparatus comprises main switch for controlling the ON/OFF of the source voltage; sensor for detecting the ON/OFF state of said main switch; members for housing the film in a state of tight sealing; drive unit for variably controlling the motion of the film; sensor for detecting that the film is housed in said film housing member; a main power supply for supplying an operating power to at least said film motion drive unit by receiving the source voltage; and relay for shutting off the supply of the source voltage to said main power supply only when a detection signal is supplied from said film housing sensor.

Abstract: A photosensitive recording medium is arranged in contact with the outside surface of a curved liquid crystal display cell forming a partial or complete cylinder. Both the liquid crystal display cell and the photosensitive member are arranged concentric to the axis of a linear radiation source. The linear radiation source is segmented by a number of nonreflective fins along its length. By controlling the radius of the cylinder or cylindrical section, the thickness of the liquid crystal display cell, the diameter of the linear radiation source and the spacing and depth of the segmentation fins surrounding the radiation source, a projection of the image displayed on the liquid crystal display cell may be obtained and recorded on the surface of the photosensitive medium with sufficient resolution to enable high resolution recording of the displayed information.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printer having an optical character generator and an exposure energy correcting means formed of a light-emitting diode strip for the optical character generator. Upon call-in of a balancing routing, an automatic balancing of the light-emitting elements occurs by use of a photoelement which acquires a radiant intensity transmitted onto the recording medium by every light-emitting element under prescribed normal operating conditions, and which supplies corresponding signals to a control means coupled to the light-emitting element. The control means then assigns every light-emitting element an individual actuation time and stores this in a switching time memory. Upon actuation, every light-emitting element thus supplies the same radiant energy to the recording medium.

Abstract: An optical printhead for contact or non-contact printing on a photosensitive material. The printhead traverses the photosensitive material and is provided with a substrate having a light emitting diode matrix and an interface circuit therein. A lens barrel provided with an optical system therein focuses the diode matrix onto the photosensitive material.

Abstract: A pen type sensor for use in a graphics pen plotter wherein plotter pens are moved along a pre-established path between a pen holding area and a plotting area for reading a plurality of vertically oriented reflective indicia positions thereon to create a binary logic output signal representative of the pen type. There is a hollow body member having a pair of angled front surfaces. Light emitting apparatus is associated with one of the pair of angled front surfaces for directing a light beam to simultaneously strike the indicia positions at a point on the path of pen movement. A plurality of light detectors are associated with the other of the pair of angled front surfaces for receiving on respective sensing surfaces thereof the light beam as it is reflected by reflective indicia on a pen at respective ones of the positions and for creating respective bi-stable output signals reflecting the presence and absense of reflected light on the sensing surfaces.

Abstract: An impulse ink jet apparatus includes a plurality of lengthwise expandable piezoelectric transducers, each of the transducers varying the volume of a small compression chamber which is supplied ink from a reservoir by an ink flow path defined by a stack of thin plates held together upon the rigid forward face of a print head by a spring plate and U-clip.