Abstract: A temperature control device comprises a first heat exchange unit, for exchanging heat, which is thermally joined with a recording head for recording onto a recording medium by the use of heat energy, a second heat exchange unit for exchanging heat with the atmosphere, which is connected to the first heat exchange unit, working fluid contained within the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit, and a partition plate for almost separating the interior of the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit into a working fluid existing region and a vapor existing region where the working fluid and its vapor component exist together.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus records by discharging ink from plural recording heads toward a recording medium. Each of the recording heads has a heat pipe mounted thereon, and protruding therefrom so as to have a length which is greater than the recording width of the corresponding recording head. The protruding portions of each heat pipe extending from the recording heads have a heat discharging member attached thereto. That member constitutes a single blower fan for applying an air stream to the heat discharging members corresponding to the recording head, and plural air stream control means for applying the air stream produced by the blower fan to the heat discharging members individually or independently.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer or an ink-jet recording apparatus has a recording head which records an image on a recording medium in the direction of main scan in accordance with image signals. The recoding medium is moved relative to the recording head in a sub-scan direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the main scan. A controller controls conditions of recording performed by the recording head so as to effect a correction of recording density unevenness cause by a variation of the relative speed of movements of parts of the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmission, reception and recording of an image, such as a facsimile apparatus, capable of correcting the unevenness in density or improper density resulting from fluctuation in the performance of the recording head of the receiving unit, with a limited amount of data transfer. At the start of communication, correction data for uneven or improper density of the recording head are sent from the receiving unit to the transmitting unit. The transmitting unit corrects the multi-value image data to be transmitted, based on the received correction data, and sends the corrected image data after conversion into binary state. The receiving unit receives the binary image data and effects image recording. The time and cost for data transmission can be reduced, as the correction is conducted at the transmitting unit and the data transmission can be made in binary data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording medium, and a measurement unit which measures the density of the image formed on the recording medium. A control unit determines an operation condition of the image forming unit on the basis of the measurement result from the measurement unit. A storage unit stores the operation condition determined by the control unit, and a display unit reads out the operation condition at a predetermined time for display. The control means controls a subsequent operation of the image forming apparatus according to the stored operation condition.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus with plural full-line type recording heads has a heat pipe associated with each recording head. The heat pipes are connected together at a common portion in various ways, such as by a heat-conductive block, one or more additional heat pipes or a container with a heat transferring liquid medium. Such an arrangement enables more efficient and compact temperature control of the recording heads.

Abstract: A correction data production apparatus includes a detecting unit for reading a test pattern formed by a recording head having a plurality of recording elements constituting an array, and for detecting a density distribution of a range of the array of the plurality of recording elements, a corresponding unit for causing the density distribution detected by the detecting unit to correspond to the plurality of recording elements on the basis of a reference position where a density of an end portion of the density distribution reaches a predetermined threshold value, a production unit for producing correction data for an image formation density uniforming drive conditions in correspondence with the plurality of recording elements on the basis of the density distribution corresponded by the corresponding unit, and a changing unit for changing the threshold value in accordance with characteristics of the test pattern.

Abstract: A recording medium in the sheet form is supplied into a designated direction guided by a sheet supply roller. An ink jet recording head in which a plurality of ink jet discharging orifices are arranged is placed in parallel with a surface of the recording sheet and in the direction perpendicular to the designated direction of supplying the recorded sheet. An adjustment screw is placed for correcting a warped shape of the ink jet recording head by means of displacing a neighbor of a central portion of a longer side of the ink jet recording head in the designated direction of supplying the recording sheet.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus for automatically setting an image forming condition includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member movable along an endless path; an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming electrostatic latent images for different colors on the photosensitive member; a plurality of developing device containing different color toners, operable corresponding to the electrostatic latent image; a transfer device for overlaying developed images sequentially onto a transfer material; a monitor image forming device for forming a monitor image; a control device for controlling the image forming condition on the basis of the monitor image; wherein detection of the monitor images for the respective developing device is completed with one-half the time required for the photosensitive member to rotate for image formation by all of the developing device.

Abstract: A recording head using thermal energy includes a plurality of heat generating elements for producing thermal energy; a waveform storing circuit for storing waveform data for a driving signal or signals applied to one or more predetermined number of heat generating elements; and a driving signal applying device for applying to each of the predetermined number of heat generating elements the driving signal or signals on the basis of the waveform data stored in said storing circuit, in accordance with a record image signal or signals.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes an ink jet recording head having plural ejection outlets and thermal energy generating elements provided for the respective ejection outlets; a signal supplying device for supplying a recording signal to said recording head; a detector for detecting a state relating to heat, on the basis of the recording signal supplied from the signal supplying device; and a controller, responsive to the detector, for actuating the thermal energy generating element. The apparatus maintains the viscosity of the ink in the recording head lower than a critical ejection viscosity.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member; a toner image forming device for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer charger for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material; a first detector for detecting toner charge amount before image transfer onto the transfer material; a second detector for detecting the efficiency of the image transfer; and a controller for controlling a condition of image transfer operation in accordance with outputs of the first and second detector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to image recording apparatus for performing image recording on a recording medium by using plural types of recording heads, each having a plurality of recording elements comprising an array. A test pattern forming unit for forming test patterns on the recording medium by using the plural types of recording heads, a reading unit for reading the test patterns recorded by the test pattern recording unit, and a correction unit for correcting image signals for driving the recording elements in accordance with the recording elements and types of recording heads on the basis of data read by the reading unit are included whereby image density is made uniform.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming unit for producing an image on paper, a detector for detecting a plurality of parameters indicating a state of the image forming unit, a corrector for correcting the state of the image forming unit, a rule memory for storing rules for determining the relation between the parameters and the timing of operation of the corrector, and a control for controlling the corrector according to the parameters the detector detects and the rules stored in the memory. Therefore, even a simple configuration permits high-precision control. This reduces a time loss due to the correcting operation, minimizes consumption of development agent, and thus ensures constant gradation all the time.

Abstract: Disclosed in an ink jet recording apparatus capable of providing high quality images in a stable manner for image signals of different transfer rates. A detector detects the receiving rate of an image signal supplied to the ink jet recording apparatus, and at least one of driving voltage, driving current, pulse duration, driving frequency and driving signal wave form is modified according to the detected receiving rate of the image signal.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus comprising: an input device for inputting image signals denoting a plurality of color components; an under color processing device for processing the under colors of the image signals denoting a plurality of the color components supplied by the input device; an image forming device for forming images in response to the image signals denoting a plurality of the color components, which have been processed by the under color processing device, and image signals denoting the under colors by using coloring agents which correspond to a plurality of the color components and the under colors, the coloring agents, which correspond to the under colors, having glossiness lower than that of the coloring agents which correspond to a plurality of the color components; and a control device for controlling the glossiness of the image formed by the image forming device by controlling the quantity of process of the under colors processed by the under color processing device.

Abstract: A recording head has a plurality of arranged recording elements, wherein the recording elements are selectively supplied with driving signals and driven by electrical energy. The head includes a dividing unit for dividing a plurality of arranged recording elements into at least two blocks each simultaneously operable, and correcting unit for correcting the characteristics of the recording elements in accordance with electrical energy at respective blocks, whereby the recording head's life is prolonged and a high quality picture image can be obtained.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus adapted to record an image on a recording medium by transferring a heat-transferable ink from a transfer medium to the recording medium. The apparatus has a transfer medium having on one surface a layer of a heat-transferable electroconductive ink formed on a base sheet, a recording head for heating the transfer medium in accordance with an image signal, and an electrode disposed in physical contact with the ink surface of the transfer medium so as to form a path from the electrode medium through which electric current is allowed to flow. Therefore, the apparatus prevents any path for electricity from being formed between the transfer medium and the recording head.

Abstract: A driving method for a thermal head having plural heat generating elements for image recording on a recording medium comprises a step of detecting the presence of past, present and future heating signals in an area, in at least four directions around the heat generating element when the power is supplied to a heat generating element according to a heating signal and a step of controlling the supply energy to the heat generating element in response to the result of the detection, if the heating signals are present in all of the detecting area, for minimizing the supply energy to the heat generating element in comparison with a case in which the heating signals are not present in all of the detecting area.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus adapted to record an image on a recording medium by transferring a heat-transferable ink from a transfer medium to the recording medium. The apparatus has a transfer medium having on one surface a layer of a heat-transferable electroconductive ink formed on a base sheet, a recording head for heating the transfer medium in accordance with an image signal, and an electrode disposed in physical contact with the ink surface of the transfer medium so as to form a path through which electric current is allowed to flow between said electrode and said transfer medium. Therefore, the apparatus prevents any path for electricity from being formed between the transfer medium and the recording head.