Abstract: An image formation processing system is provided with an image formation portion, an adhesive applying portion which receives a plurality of sheets from the image formation portion, gathers the received sheets in the shape of a bundle to form a sheet bundle, and applies an adhesive to an end face of the sheet bundle, and a post-processing portion which receives a plurality of sheets from the image formation portion, gathers the received sheets in the shape of a bundle to form a sheet bundle, and performs predetermined post-processing on the sheet bundle, where the adhesive applying portion is disposed downstream of the image formation portion in the sheet transport, while the post-processing portion is disposed downstream of the adhesive applying portion in sheet transport.

Abstract: In a bookbinding apparatus, an adhesive applying portion applies an adhesive to an end face of a sheet bundle allowed to stand in the substantially vertical direction, a storage portion that gathers and stores the sheet bundle which is applied with the adhesive and bound in the adhesive applying portion while letting the sheet bundle stand in the substantially vertical direction, transport means for conveying the sheet bundle while letting the sheet bundle stand in the substantially vertical direction from the adhesive applying portion to the storage portion along a substantially vertical transport path, and a cutting portion which is provided on the transport path between the adhesive applying portion and the storage portion, and which cuts an end face of the sheet bundle while letting the sheet bundle stand in the substantially vertical direction.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder for use in an image forming device such as copy machine and facsimile machine: a document shunting path for temporarily shunting a document is provided at an upstream side of a document reading portion; in a different-size mixed mode where different sizes of documents are placed in a mixed manner, the leading edge and rear edge of the document are detected by a sensor during conveyance of the document in the direction toward the document reading portion, so that the length of the document is detected; thereafter the document is conveyed in the reverse direction so that the rear edge of the document is shunted into the document shunting path; and thereafter the document is again conveyed in the forward direction to conduct reading. Thus, it becomes unnecessary to provide a longer conveyance path for detecting the length of the documents, so that the size of the feeder itself can be reduced.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder for use in an image forming device such as copy machine and facsimile machine: a document shunting path for temporarily shunting a document is provided at an upstream side of a document reading portion; in a different-size mixed mode where different sizes of documents are placed in a mixed manner, the leading edge and rear edge of the document are detected by a sensor during conveyance of the document in the direction toward the document reading portion, so that the length of the document is detected; thereafter the document is conveyed in the reverse direction so that the rear edge of the document is shunted into the document shunting path; and thereafter the document is again conveyed in the forward direction to conduct reading. Thus, it becomes unnecessary to provide a longer conveyance path for detecting the length of the documents, so that the size of the feeder itself can be reduced.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder for use in an image forming device such as copy machine and facsimile machine: a document shunting path for temporarily shunting a document is provided at an upstream side of a document reading portion; in a different-size mixed mode where different sizes of documents are placed in a mixed manner, the leading edge and rear edge of the document are detected by a sensor during conveyance of the document in the direction toward the document reading portion, so that the length of the document is detected; thereafter the document is conveyed in the reverse direction so that the rear edge of the document is shunted into the document shunting path; and thereafter the document is again conveyed in the forward direction to conduct reading. Thus, it becomes unnecessary to provide, a longer conveyance path for detecting the length of the documents, so that the size of the feeder itself can be reduced.

Abstract: The invention provides an image reader provided with an automatic document feeder which has a switchback path and can perform a both-faces processing operation, and which makes it possible to simplify the control of a switchback operation and handle a long-sized document sheet without making the diameter of a feed roller large and making the switchback path unnecessarily long. An automatic document feeder of the invention comprises a feed path for feeding a document sheet drawn out from a paper feed stacker to an image reading portion facing a feed roller, a switchback path c for making a document sheet which has been processed at the image reading portion switchback, a pair of switchback rollers which are provided so as to make a document sheet switchback in the switchback path and are able to turn forward and backward, and a paper discharge path for discharging a document sheet being in the switchback path onto a paper discharge stacker.

Abstract: The invention provides an image reader provided with an automatic document feeder which has a switchback path and can perform a both-faces processing operation, and which makes it possible to simplify the control of a switchback operation and handle a long-sized document sheet without making the diameter of a feed roller large and making the switchback path unnecessarily long.

Abstract: An ink container includes a casing, an air vent which is located in the casing, an ink supply opening for supplying ink out of the casing, and an ink absorbing material that is contained in the casing. The ink absorbing material retains ink therein, and has a generally rectangular parallelopipedal shape defined by sides of the ink absorbing material, and also has an ink supply portion for supplying ink to the ink supply opening. The ink absorbing material includes corner portions which are located between adjacent sides of the ink absorbing material. A preventing means prevents complete surface contact between the casing and said ink absorbing material by providing spaces between the casing and ink absorbing material which are in fluid communication with each other with a given space that is adjacent to a particular one of the corner portions that is most remote from the ink supply portion. The air vent is in fluid communication with the spaces.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder for use in an image forming device such as copy machine and facsimile machine: a document shunting path for temporarily shunting a document is provided at an upstream side of a document reading portion; in a different-size mixed mode where different sizes of documents are placed in a mixed manner, the leading edge and rear edge of the document are detected by a sensor during conveyance of the document in the direction toward the document reading portion, so that the length of the document is detected; thereafter the document is conveyed in the reverse direction so that the rear edge of the document is shunted into the document shunting path; and thereafter the document is again conveyed in the forward direction to conduct reading. Thus, it becomes unnecessary to provide a longer conveyance path for detecting the length of the documents, so that the size of the feeder itself can be reduced.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes a first member with an energy generating element for generating energy to eject ink, a second member having an ejection outlet forming member provided with an ink ejection outlet through which the ink is ejected, the second member being affixed to the first member to form a liquid passage in fluid communication with the ejection outlet, and urging means for urging the first and second members together to substantially fix them against each other. The ejection outlet forming member has a jaw connected with a surface of the first member which has the energy generating element, the jaw being adjacent a first member side of the ejection outlet. The following relationships are satisfied, namely, b.gtoreq.5 microns, c.gtoreq.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a liquid passage for ejection of ink; a liquid chamber for supplying ink to the passage; a device for mounting the recording head on the ink jet recording apparatus at an angle not more than 45 degrees relative to the horizontal plane; wherein the chamber has an internal surface which is slanted in a direction from an ink inlet thereof toward the liquid passage at the angle of 5-40 degrees relative to an extension of the liquid passage.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes a base member, a first member having recesses and coupled with the base member to form ink passages using the recesses and a second member integral with the first member and extending at an angle from an end of the first member, the second member having ink ejection outlets communicating with the ink passages.

Abstract: An ink tank is removably mountable to an ink jet head body having a discharge opening for discharging ink, an ink communication pipe for introducing ink to an ink jet head, and a first coupling member. The ink tank comprises a container body for storing ink to be supplied to the ink jet head, an absorbent member disposed in the container body for holding ink, and an ink supply port into which the ink communication pipe is inserted when the ink tank is connected with the ink jet head body. The ink tank includes a first engagement member to connect and engage with the coupling member when the ink tank is connected with the ink jet head body and a second engagement member to contact and engage a part of the ink jet head body when the ink tank is connected with the ink jet head body.

Abstract: An ink container, as well as a method of making the same, which has ink absorbing material for retaining ink, a casing for holding the ink absorbing material, an ink supply port through which ink is withdrawn from the absorbing material, and an air vent. The air vent and ink supply port are each provided adjacent to different longitudinal halves of the ink absorbing material, and the casing is initially filled with an amount of ink which is larger than the quantity of ink which can be retained by the ink absorbing material. Then, ink adjacent to the air vent is removed to such an extent that the casing contains the quantity of the ink which the ink absorbing material can retain. Thus, ink is retained at a higher density adjacent to the ink supply port than adjacent to the air vent.

Abstract: A replaceable ink tank, removably connectable to an ink jet head body, comprises a container providing a reservoir for liquid ink to be supplied to a print head on the ink jet head body and having opposing side walls configured for guiding the side walls of the ink jet head body as the container and ink jet head body are being connected. The container includes an ink supply port positioned relative to the side walls for accepting an ink communication pipe of the ink jet head body. An engaging member on each of the container side walls engages a respective coupling member on the ink jet head body for connecting the container with the ink jet head body and holding the ink tank and the ink jet head body together with an absorbing member in the container compressed by the ink communication pipe to enable delivery of ink in said absorbing member to the ink communication pipe.

Abstract: A recording head cartridge includes a recording head for ejecting recording liquid in the form of a droplet thereof; a container for containing the recording liquid; a communicating pipe for substantially balancing pressure in the container with an ambient pressure; a blocking plate disposed adjacent an inside opening of the pipe at a position away from the opening.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes first and second members for constituting liquid passages by joining them together; the second member has an ejection outlet forming member having a thickness a and is provided with a jaw having a dimension b, wherein an inside end of an ejection outlet of the ejection outlet forming member is displaced by a distance c from adjacent wall of a liquid passage, with b.gtoreq.5 microns, c.gtoreq.3 microns, and 20 microns.ltoreq.a+b.ltoreq.60 microns.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes first and second members for constituting liquid passages by joining them together; and a clamp for applying a line pressure to one of the members. By using such a clamp, the pressing force can be concentrated in a line to provide a uniform pressing force to ensure reliable clamping.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes a base member, a first member having recesses and coupled with the base member to form ink passages using the recesses and a second member integral with the first member and extending at an angle from an end of the first member, the second member having ink ejection outlets communicating with the ink passages.

Abstract: An ink jet head cartridge include an ink container and a porous material contained in the container for retaining the ink. A process for filling the ink container includes the steps of supplying ink in a quantity greater than that which the porous material can retain through a first port and removing through a second port at least a quantity of ink which the porous material cannot retain. The process can also be performed through a single port. At least one of the ports can also be used for communicating with a recording head portion of the cartridge.