Abstract: A ceramic wiring board has a non-oxide based ceramic substrate which is a sintered body containing aluminum nitride, silicon nitride or the like as main component, and a metallized layer formed on the non-oxide based ceramic substrate; the metallized layer is plasma-etched, irregularities having a difference of elevation of about 0.5 to about 200 nm are formed on the surface of metal particles forming the metallized layer which are positioned on the surface of the metallized surface, and a metal plated layer is further formed on the metallized layer.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus has a separation member which is elastically flexible to change an angle thereof when the separation member is urged by a sheet fed out by a sheet supply unit, thereby separating the sheet which rides over the separation member from the other sheets, and a load releasing device for removing a load from the separation member to permit the separation member to return to its original state after the sheet is separated by the separation member and a guide for guiding the sheet separated by the separation member in the state where the separated sheet is not contacted with the separation member.

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprises a head for forming an image on a recording medium or for reading an image formed on a recording medium; a supporting member for holding the head; a first unit for electrical connection provided for the head; a second unit for electrical connection provided for the supporting member, which can be electrically connected to the first unit for electrical connection; and a member for deelectrifying static electricity, which is provided for the supporting member in the vicinity of the second unit for electrical connection. This deelectrifying member prevents static electricity from flowing into the signal lines provided for the second unit for electrical connection when the supporting member is actuated to hold the head.

Abstract: An exhaust system for a vehicle includes a muffler connected to an exhaust pipe, which is in turn connected to an engine. A spark arrester is provided with a tail pipe and connected to the rear end of the muffler, and is capable of discharging an exhaust gas flowing through the muffler through the tail pipe of the spark arrester into the atmosphere. The interior of the muffler can be divided into a plurality of expansion chambers connected by restricting passages by attaching the spark arrester to the muffler to enhance the sound attenuating effect. The interior of the muffler is divided into the plurality of expansion chambers by separators disposed in the muffler and a spark arrester combined with the muffler.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus is provided having a pressure plate for supporting sheets on a sheet supporting surface, a pick-up roller for feeding out the sheets supported by the pressure plate, a plate member for separating the sheets fed out by the pick-up roller one by one, and a separation pad provided on the sheet supporting surface of the pressure plate opposite the pick-up roller. The separation pad protrudes from the sheet supporting surface toward the sheets to contact frictionally the lower surface of the bottom-most sheet supported by the pressure plate. The separation pad has an upper surface which is higher at a portion opposing the pick-up roller than a portion downstream thereof, in a sheet feeding direction, relative to the sheet supporting surface of the pressure plate, to urge an end of a sheet fed out by the pick-up roller toward the pressure plate.

Abstract: A photographic developing/printing apparatus has analog and digital exposure units arranged midway along the convey path for printing paper to obtain a silver halide photographs upon analog exposure and digital exposure.

Abstract: An ink refilling system includes an ink jet recording apparatus, in which a cartridge with an ink containing portion can be installed. The ink jet recording apparatus includes a driver for driving a conveyer for conveying a recording medium, and a first transmitter for transmitting the driving force from the driver out of the ink jet recording apparatus. Also provided is an ink filling apparatus for filling the ink into the cartridge, the ink filling apparatus including: an ink storing portion for storing the ink to be filled into the cartridge; a connector for injecting the ink from the ink storing portion to the cartridge; a pressure-feeding device for pressure-feeding the ink through the connector; and a second transmitter for transmitting the driving force to drive the pressure-feeding device. The driving force from the driver of the ink jet recording apparatus is transmitted to the pressure-feeding device through the first and second driving force transmitters.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprises a carriage for causing a recording head provided with discharge ports for discharging ink to travel by mounting the recording head on the carriage, a wiping member for wiping the discharge port surface of the recording head having the discharge ports arranged therefor, and holding means for rotatively holding the wiping member in the traveling direction of the carriage at the time of the discharge port surface being wiped by means of the wiping member. With this arrangement, ink adhering to the leading end of the wiping member is prevented from flying and spreading to stain the recording area of a recording material, thus keeping the quality of printed images thereon.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet supply apparatus with a sheet support for supporting sheets, a sheet supply roller for feeding out the sheet supported by the sheet support, and a separating unit against which the sheet fed by the sheet supply roller abuts to cause elastic angular displacement of the sheet and adapted to permit the separation of the sheet when the sheet rides over the separating unit. The separating unit is formed from a thin plated-shaped member which includes at least one aperture or one notch.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus according to the present invention has a pawl separator for separating sheets one by one by regulating the tip ends and upper surfaces of tip end portions of the sheets, which pawl separator can be retarded from a sheet regulating position when it is urged by the sheet with a predetermined force. With this arrangement, sheets having small resiliency such as plain sheets are separated one by one by successively riding over the pawl separator, and sheets having great resiliency such as post cards and envelopes urge the pawl separator to a retracted position to pass through the pawl separator and are separated one by one by of another separation.

Abstract: A motion detection device for a motion compensation system, suitable for use in a camera, to precisely and quickly compute an omega zero as a reference value for motion compensation, and to perform highly accurate camera motion compensation by using an angular displacement signal which has been accurately calculated with an omega zero as a reference. A mean computation device computes an integration mean value which is a central value of the angular velocity signal based on a signal output from an angular velocity sensor. A setting device sets an omega zero initial estimate value to compute the omega zero reference value. An omega zero computation device computes the omega zero value based on the integration mean value and the omega zero initial estimate value. An integration device converts the omega zero to an angular displacement signal.

Abstract: A recording apparatus having an image reading operation capable of performing image reading by an image reading device for converting image information into electrical signals, and an image recording operation by a recording device for forming an image onto a recording medium is disclosed. The recording apparatus comprises a mounting unit capable of mounting both the image reading device and the recording device, a sensor for sensing which one of the image reading device and the recording device is mounted on the mounting unit, a quality preserving section for preserving the image quality in the recording operation, and a controller for controlling the reading operation by the image reading device, the recording operation by the recording device, and the quality preserving operations. The controller disenables the quality preserving operations by the quality preserving section, when the result sensed by the sensor indicates that the image reading device is mounted on the mounting unit.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus includes a sheet supporting device for supporting sheets, a sheet supply for positively contacting the sheet supported by the sheet supporting device and for feeding out the sheet, a release mechanism for releasing contact between the sheet supply and the sheet, a separation device for separating the sheets fed by the sheet supply one by one, a pair of convey rotary devices for conveying the separated sheet, and a controller.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus, the size and the weight of the apparatus and the number of components are reduced, accumulated tolerance is reduced due to the decrease in the number of components, and the sheet feeding/discharging property, the conveying property, the adjustability of the distance between recording means and a sheet member, and the assembling capability of the apparatus are improved. The apparatus includes a first roller for conveying the sheet member toward a supporting surface, a second roller for grasping the sheet member together with the first roller, a third roller for discharging the sheet member from the supporting surface, and a fourth roller for grasping the sheet member together with the third roller. The apparatus also includes a first case including a carriage, the first roller and the third roller, and a second case including a platen, the second roller and the fourth roller.

Abstract: A system for smoothly driving a stepping motor with constant currents. For that purpose, a voltage level setting circuit forms various combinations of voltage levels for a first phase and voltage levels for a second phase. Drive currents of the stepping motor are determined using the various combinations for a plurality of times during one step drive of the stepping motor.

Abstract: An operating state management system having database, to collect and totalize the operating states of production equipment and circumstances under which types of trouble occur in the production equipment, creates a record set Q of records in a designated range of times (ta, tb) on the basis of an operating status table in which the state of the production equipment and the time at which there is a change in the state are linked is stored in the data base in advance, and creates a trouble table on the basis of the record set Q (step S61-S73) and totalizes downtime of the production equipment by type of trouble on the basis of the trouble table (step S74).

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus comprising a supply means for supplying a sheet in a predetermined direction, a convey means for conveying the sheet supplied by the supply means in a predetermined direction, a recording means for recording an image on the sheet conveyed by the convey means, in response to image information, a reversible drive means for driving the supply means and the convey means, and a drive transmitting means for transmitting a driving force from the drive means to the supply means or the convey means, and wherein the drive transmitting means comprises a plurality of planetary gears as means for rotating the supply means only in a sheet supplying direction regardless of a rotational direction of the convey means, and the planetary gears are revolved around gears having different speed reduction ratios from the drive means as sun gears, respectively.

Abstract: In a programmable controller system, a sequence program, an operation sequence control program module and a plurality of I/O control program modules including interlock control are independently provided. In the interlock control of the start condition and the operation end condition of an actuator, an interlock condition set program is separated from the operation sequence control program, and the interlock condition is described in a table, thereby easily setting the interlock condition in the form of a table. As described above, when the operation sequence control program executed by a programmable controller and the input/output control program including the interlock control are independently provided, the number of steps in programming can be decreased, and reliability and maintenance performance of the program can be improved.

Abstract: A recovery mechanism is provided with an elastic blade for wiping the formation surface of ink discharge ports of a recording head by allowing the leading end of its wiping surface to slide on the formation surface of ink discharge ports of the head, and an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with such recovery mechanism. For this recovery mechanism, a guide wall unit, which is extended to the vicinity of the formation surface of ink discharge ports, is arranged along the wiping surface of the blade in a state that the blade is in a wiping operation, and then, ink adhering to the leading end of the wiping surface of the blade is guided to a gap between the guide wall unit and the blade. In this way, the flying splash of ink at the time of wiping can be suppressed for the assurance of a stabilized wiping operation, thus making it possible for the recovery mechanism and the ink jet apparatus provided therewith to perform a high-quality recording.

Abstract: A container for storably receiving an ink jet cartridge for an ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head section for discharging ink from a plurality of ink discharging orifices and an ink storing section. The container includes a holding member for firmly holding the ink jet cartridge at a predetermined position in the container, a capping member for sealably covering the ink discharging orifices therewith while the ink jet cartridge is firmly held in the container, a pump for sucking ink from the ink discharging orifices for activating the ink jet cartridge, and a waste ink chamber having an ink absorber received therein for retaining the sucked ink. In addition, the container includes a squeezing member adapted to be actuated from the outside for deforming the ink absorber and an ink drain port.