Abstract: According to an exposure device includes an exposure section, a lighting drive section, a first temperature detector and a second temperature detector. The exposure section has a plurality of light-emitting elements. The lighting drive section determines light-emitting energies of the respective light-emitting elements and drives to light the respective light-emitting elements in accordance with the determined light-emitting energies. The first temperature detector is provided in the exposure section. The second temperature detector is provided outside the exposure section. The lighting drive section determines the light-emitting energies of the respective light-emitting elements based on a temperature detected by the first temperature detector and a temperature detected by the second temperature detector.

Abstract: An exposure device includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, a lighting driver, a first storage, a reader, a shading correction unit and a second storage. The lighting driver drives and lights up the light-emitting elements based on image data. The first storage stores light amount unevenness correction values of the respective light-emitting elements. The reader reads the light amount unevenness correction values stored in the first storage. The shading correction unit executes shading correction for the light amount unevenness correction values read by the reader. The second storage stores correction values obtained by having the shading correction unit to execute the shading correction for the light amount unevenness correction values. The lighting driver controls light power of the respective light-emitting elements based on the correction values stored in the second storage.

Abstract: An exposure device includes plural light emitting elements that light in turn for exposure, plural driving elements that drive each of the light emitting elements and a time changing member that changes one time period of a switching signal to switch light emitting elements driven by the driving elements among the plurality of light emitting elements in turn from a reference time, depending on an image forming speed, wherein the time changing member changes the one time period from the reference time for some of the light emitting elements during one main scan, and maintains the one time period as the reference time for the remaining light emitting elements.

Abstract: An exposure device includes an exposure section and first and second signal output units. The exposure section has plural light emitting elements. The first signal output unit outputs to the exposure section a first signal for determining timings for starting and ending light emission of the respective light emitting elements. The second signal output unit outputs to the exposure section a second signal for determining as to whether the respective light emitting elements are caused to emit light for respective pixels. If light mission of the respective light emitting elements is stopped with respect to all pixels of one line in a main scanning direction, the first signal does not output to the exposure section for each group of one or plural light emitting elements that operate based on the common first signal.

Abstract: A color image processing apparatus includes a first unit that predicts a bleeding occurrence level from input image data, a second unit that replaces pixels in a given area including boundaries between black ink and any of color inks with another pixels in accordance with the bleeding occurrence level, and a third unit that controls switching of multiple printing modes for each main scan in accordance with the bleeding occurrence level.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a black print head that discharges black ink; a color print head that discharges color ink having a higher permeability with a recording paper sheet than the black ink; and a determining unit that detects, based on input data, a black image region in which recording is performed with the black ink and a color image region in which recording is performed with the color ink, and, based on the detection result, determines whether the black ink or the color ink is first applied onto the recording paper sheet. In this ink jet recording apparatus, each of the black print head and the color print head has nozzles divided into several sets, and a multi-path recording operation is performed by scanning each recording region several times with the sets of nozzles.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a black print head that discharges black ink; a color print head that discharges color ink having a higher permeability with a recording paper sheet than the black ink; and a determining unit that detects, based on input data, a black image region in which recording is performed with the black ink and a color image region in which recording is performed with the color ink, and, based on the detection result, determines whether the black ink or the color ink is first applied onto the recording paper sheet. In this ink jet recording apparatus, each of the black print head and the color print head has nozzles divided into several sets, and a multi-path recording operation is performed by scanning each recording region several times with the sets of nozzles.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is disclosed which, only when ink is to be supplied, supplies ink from a main tank disposed outside a carriage and which can effect the supply of ink stably without the leakage of ink. When it is detected by an ink level sensor that the ink level in a second ink chamber of an ink tank has become lower than a predetermined position, pipes in ports are inserted respectively into slit valves provided in the second ink chamber. Then, by operating a pump, the air present in the second ink chamber is discharged by suction to increase a negative pressure in the second ink chamber, allowing ink to be supplied from a main tank into the second ink chamber. Thus, since the supply of ink is performed by a negative pressure, it is possible to prevent the leakage of ink from the portion where the pipe is inserted into the slit valve.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is disclosed which, only when ink is to be supplied, supplies ink from a main tank disposed outside a carriage and which can effect the supply of ink stably without the leakage of ink. When it is detected by an ink level sensor that the ink level in a second ink chamber of an ink tank has become lower than a predetermined position, pipes in ports are inserted respectively into slit valves provided in the second ink chamber. Then, by operating a pump, the air present in the second ink chamber is discharged by suction to increase a negative pressure in the second ink chamber, allowing ink to be supplied from a main tank into the second ink chamber. Thus, since the supply of ink is performed by a negative pressure, it is possible to prevent the leakage of ink from the portion where the pipe is inserted into the slit valve.

Abstract: A color image processing apparatus includes a first unit that predicts a bleeding occurrence level from input image data, a second unit that replaces pixels in a given area including boundaries between black ink and any of color inks with another pixels in accordance with the bleeding occurrence level, and a third unit that controls switching of multiple printing modes for each main scan in accordance with the bleeding occurrence level.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is disclosed which, only when ink is to be supplied, supplies ink from a main tank disposed outside a carriage and which can effect the supply of ink stably without the leakage of ink. When it is detected by an ink level sensor that the ink level in a second ink chamber of an ink tank has become lower than a predetermined position, pipes in ports are inserted respectively into slit valves provided in the second ink chamber. Then, by operating a pump, the air present in the second ink chamber is discharged by suction to increase a negative pressure in the second ink chamber, allowing ink to be supplied from a main tank into the second ink chamber. Thus, since the supply of ink is performed by a negative pressure, it is possible to prevent the leakage of ink from the portion where the pipe is inserted into the slit valve.

Abstract: A drying device capable of keeping substantially constant the temperature of a moving recording sheet and evenly drying it without increasing radiation heat. Though the surface temperature of a recording sheet is lower on the upstream in the drying region and the temperature of outside air blown into the drying region is lower, the temperature of the recording sheet moved in the drying region is kept substantially constant by making the output of the upstream halogen lamp larger than that of the downstream halogen lamp. Even if the airflow velocity in the drying region is different, the radiation heat amount is adjusted according to the velocity to keep substantially constant the temperature of the recording sheet moved in the drying region. Thus, the recording sheet can be evenly dried and even if a jam of the recording sheet occurs in the drying region, there is no possibility of scorching, fuming or the like.

Abstract: A recording apparatus having a print head for printing characters on a medium and an ink tank for holding ink to be supplied to the print head. The ink tank includes an ink chamber having an ink holding member and an ink supplying port. A first meniscus forming member is located in the ink supplying port so as to be in communication with the ink holding member. The print head includes an ink introducing port for receiving ink from the ink tank and a second meniscus forming member located in the ink introducing port. When the ink tank is attached to the print head, the ink introducing port is coupled with the ink supplying port. An ink passing member is located in the portion where the ink introducing port is coupled with the ink supplying port. The ends of the ink passing member are in contact with the first meniscus forming member and the second meniscus forming member. The ink passing member is subject to only minor changes in volume upon contact with ink.

Abstract: An ink jet printer which causes ink to fly to a recording medium to form an image, comprising: plural nozzles functioning as ink ejection ports; plural individual flow paths which are disposed with respectively corresponding to the nozzles, the individual flow paths respectively having driving elements which eject internal ink through the nozzles; a common liquid chamber which communicates with the individual flow paths, the common liquid chamber having an opening portion through which ink is supplied into the chamber; an ink supply path which has a sectional area smaller than a sectional area of the opening portion of the common liquid chamber, the ink supply path being connected to the opening portion to guide ink to the common liquid chamber; and an ink supply source for supplying ink through the ink supply path.

Abstract: An ink supply passage 16 has a large cross-sectional area and ink tanks 6 are connected to the top of the ink supply passage 16. An ink supply passage 17 is a flow passage shaped like a semicylinder and has a cross-sectional area equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional area of the ink supply passage 16. Even if bubbles are mixed into the ink supply passage 17, they adhere to the upper portion of the flow passage 17 and do not flow into lower corners, so that a flow passage can be provided and the ink flow is not hindered. Since an ink supply passage 19 connected to a head chip 4 has a small diameter, bubbles mixed into the ink supply passage 19 can be removed by maintenance for sucking ink forcibly. Bubbles mixed upstream are not transported to the ink supply passage 19 because of the flow rate difference caused by the cross-sectional area difference.

Abstract: A superconductive ceramic composite material with high strength and capable of plastic deformation is prepared by mixing and sintering a superconductive powder represented by (RE.sub.x AE.sub.1-x).sub.1-y Cu.sub.y O.sub.z (RE represents Y or a rare-earth element having an atomic number of 57-71, or a combination of at least two of these elements, AE is at least one of alkaline earth elements Ca, Sr and Ba, x is 0.13-0.67, y is 0.25-0.67, and z is 1.08-1.17) and a metal powder M (M represents at least one of noble metals Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir, Pt and Au), in a defined ratio. The deformation (e.g., rolling) is followed by reheat-treatment (resintering). The powder mixture can be enclosed in a metallic capsule or made into a clad sheet by interposing the powder within two metallic sheets, and deformed (drawn or press formed into a desired shape) followed by sintering. The composite material may contain a superconductive network of such grains.