Abstract: A solid ion recording head using an ion generation device, capable of realizing a uniform and stable recording and a compact physical configuration. The head includes a head support member in substantially rectangular cross sectional shape for supporting the ion generation device on a lower side of the rectangular cross sectional shape facing against the recording medium and the driving circuits on side faces of the rectangular cross sectional shape. The ion generation device includes control electrodes having ion passing holes which are arranged such that picture dot to be recorded on the recording medium from each one of the ion passing holes is recorded on a spot around which picture dots already recorded by other ion passing holes are distributed symmetrically on both sides. The control electrodes may have a structure in which a plurality of the ion passing holes are provided with respect to each picture dot to be recorded.

Abstract: A voltage is selectively applied between two electrodes (emitter and gate) disposed at a short distance to create an intense electric field between the electrodes. Electrons emitted by the field emission are accelerated by the intense electric field and collide against a fluorescent layer so that light can be emitted from portions of the fluorescent layer. With a recording head of the above construction, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a heating apparatus including a heating member having a structure in which a combination of a pressure-sensitive conductive switching layer a region of which can be conducted upon being pressed and a heat-generating resistor layer are sandwiched between first and second conductors. Alternatively, a recording apparatus includes a power supply member having a first electrode and a second electrode aligned with the first electrode, and a conductive member which is in slidable contact with the power supply member, wherein a voltage is applied across the first and second electrodes, so that a current flows in the heat-generating resistor layer or the conductive toner image to generate Joule heat, thereby fixing the toner image by using the Joule heat.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes an image carrier member, a member for forming a developing agent image by supplying a developing agent on the image carrier member, and a heating member capable of generating heat in a transfer region of the recording apparatus, wherein transfer and fixing are performed substantially simultaneously by the heating member. According to this invention, it is possible to realize a recording apparatus which consumes little power and requires only a short warm-up time. It is also possible to satisfactorily fix conductive developing agent on plain paper.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus, for fixing a toner on a recording material by using Joule heat which is generated by applying a voltage across the conductors or across the electrodes to supply a current mostly to a fixing portion, (I) comprises a heating device having a first conductive layer, a pressure-sensitive conductive resin layer which is formed on the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer formed on the pressure-sensitive conductive resin layer, (II) comprises a heating device having a first conductor and a fixing sheet substantially made of a pressure-sensitive conductive resin layer and a second conductive layer, or (III) comprises a heating device having a fixing sheet made of a heat-generating resistor and first and second electrodes insulated from each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating ions in a solid ion recording head, capable of achieving an improved stability in the generation of high density ions. The apparatus includes: a plurality of ion generation electrodes having a plurality of slit sections; an induction electrode having a width smaller than that of the slit section of the ion generation electrodes; control electrode including a pair of electrodes separated by an insulation layer inserted therebetween; dielectric substrate having an indented portion located on the lower side directly below the induction electrode and facing toward the slit section of the ion generation electrodes; and an insulation layer attached on a lower side of the dielectric substrate.

Abstract: A solid ion recording head using an ion generation device, capable of realizing a uniform and stable recording and a compact physical configuration. The head includes a head support member in substantially rectangular cross sectional shape for supporting the ion generation device on a lower side of the rectangular cross sectional shape facing against the recording medium and the driving circuits on side faces of the rectangular cross sectional shape. The ion generation device includes control electrodes having ion passing holes which are arranged such that picture dot to be recorded on the recording medium from each one of the ion passing holes is recorded on a spot around which picture dots already recorded by other ion passing holes are distributed symmetrically on both sides. The control electrodes may have a structure in which a plurality of the ion passing holes are provided with respect to each picture dot to be recorded.

Abstract: An electrostatographic apparatus has a driving roller, a tension roller, a belt-like recording medium that moves over the roller in an endless track manner, an ion head that forms an electrostatic image on the surface of the recording medium, a development apparatus that develops the electrostatic image to form a toner image, and a heat transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto the recording sheet by Ion-Deposition imaging techniques (or by electrophotographic techniques). The toner remaining on the recording medium is removed by applying a direct-current to the development apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating ions in a solid ion recording head, capable of achieving an improved stability in the generation of high density ions. The apparatus includes: a plurality of ion generation electrodes having a plurality of slit sections; an induction electrode having a width smaller than that of the slit section of the ion generation electrodes; control electrode including a pair of electrodes separated by an insulation layer inserted therebetween; dielectric substrate having an indented portion located on the lower side directly below the induction electrode and facing toward the slit section of the ion generation electrodes; and an insulation layer attached on a lower side of the dielectric substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing images on a booklet comprises, first and second paired pinch rollers for conveying pages of the opened booklet to a printing head, located between these paired pinch rollers, a rotatable platen opposed to the printing head and located between the paired pinch rollers, guide plate for guiding one page of the opened booklet to the platen, and a press member for fixing the free end of the one page to the platen. The second paired rollers hold the other page of the booklet but may slipe the page when the free end of the one page is fixed onto the platen thereby adding tension to the other page of the booklet as the platen is rotated. The layout of the recorded images are changed and then printed on the page.

Abstract: In a thermal ink transfer printer, a print head and ink ribbon are mounted on a carriage which is moved at a first speed in a first direction along a recording paper in a first recording mode and also moved at the first speed in a second direction along the recording paper in the second recording mode. The ink ribbon is continuously fed in the second direction in the first and second modes and slides on the distal end of the print head so that ink is transferred from the ink ribbon onto the paper. Thus, the ink ribbon can be moved, relative to the paper, at a first speed and at a second speed which is different from the first relative speed.

Abstract: An apparatus for ion recording using an apparatus for generating ions which can be operated by a low signal voltage. The corona ions are controlled either by imposing the low signal voltage which changes the voltage level of the corona ion generation section above and below the critical voltage for corona ion generation, or by controlling the flows of constantly generated corona ions using the low signal voltage which changes the relative voltage level of the corona ion generation section in order to turn the flows of corona ions on and off.

Abstract: A halftone image printing device for printing an image consisting of picture elements arrayed in a zig-zag fashioning. Each picture element is composed of dots forming a quasi-diamond-shaped matrix. The dot matrix is a 2 (row) x 3 (column) matrix with two additional dots located at the top and bottom, respectively. The range of optical density, within which the densities represented by the picture elements fall, is segmented into sub-ranges. Different heating-resistors are assigned to each sub-range of density. The dots printed by the heating-resistors assigned to any sub-range of density forms a "dot pattern" of a specific shape. The first dot pattern has one dot printed on the upper-central part of the rectangular matrix. The second dot pattern has three dots forming an L-shaped pattern, the first dot printed on the upper-central part of the matrix, the second dot printed above the first dot, and the third dot printed to the right of the first dot.

Abstract: In a thermal recording head, a glazed layer is formed on a substrate, a resistive layer is formed on the glazed layer. A common electrode is formed on the resistive layer and separate electrodes are formed on the resistive layer in such a manner that the end portion of the separate electrodes are closely arranged at the end portion of the common electrode with a gap therebetween and the separate electrodes are extended in parallel on the resistive layer. A wear-resistant layer is formed on the resistive layer and the common and separate electrodes exept the end portions of the common and separate electrodes. In a thermal recording head, the end portions of the common and separate electrodes are contacted to a current injection type ink ribbon in a current injection mode so that a current flows through the first current path in the resistance layer between the common and separate electrodes and a second current path in the ink ribbon between the common and separate electrodes.

Abstract: A thermal transfer color printer for printing color images on individual sheets of paper. One sheet of paper at a time is removed from a stack of paper stored in a cassette and this sheet is transported by a reversible platen roller in a first or forward direction at a first predetermined rate. While the sheet of paper is gripped between the reversible platen roller and one or more pinch rollers, slack is removed by a slack removing device. A multicolored ink ribbon with successively arranged color segments also is transported in the first direction at the same predetermined rate. A thermal printhead presses against the reversible platen roller to press the ink ribbon and sheet of paper together as they move in the first direction. Energization of the thermal elements on the thermal printhead by color component signals corresponding to the current color of the ink ribbon causes the particular current color to be thermally and selectively transferred to the sheet of paper.

Abstract: In an electrothermal printer with a resistive ink ribbon, ink ribbon is fed in a predetermined direction and is contacted with a recording electrode and first and second return electrode which are located upstream and downstream of the predetermined direction with respect to the recording electrode. The first return electrode is directly connected to the ground and the second return electrode is connected to the ground through a resistor. A signal current is supplied from the recording electrode to a conductive layer of the ink ribbon through a resistive layer and the signal current supplied to the conductive layer is supplied to the return electrodes through the resistive layer. Heat is generated at a portion of the ink ribbon, which is contacted with the recording electrode and is applied to the ink layer through the conductive layer, thereby printing an ink of the ink layer to a paper.

Abstract: In an electrothermal printing apparatus, ink ribbon is fed in a predetermined direction and is contacted with a recording electrode and a return electrode which is located upstream of the predetermined direction with respect to the recording electrode. A signal current is supplied from the recording electrode to a conductive layer of the ink ribbon through a resistive layer and the signal current supplied to the conductive layer is supplied to the return electrode through the resistive layer. Heat is generated at a portion of the ink ribbon, which is contacted with the recording electrode and is applied to the ink layer through the conductive layer, thereby printing an ink of the ink layer to a paper.

Abstract: A halftone image printing device represents an image using a pixel matrix, prints each pixel as a dot pattern constituted by predetermined dots in a dot matrix, and controls the dot pattern and the printing density (multilevel density) of each dot included in the dot pattern in accordance with the density (multilevel) of the pixel. An overall printing density range is divided into four density ranges, i.e., from the lowest to the highest density ranges, and each pixel is defined by a 3.times.3 dot matrix.

Abstract: A color image printing apparatus prints one pixel by superposing a predetermined dots of three colors within a 3.times.3 dot matrix in accordance with a density of the pixel. The positions of the printed dots within the dot matrix are stored as a dot pattern for each color. One dot pattern is used for each of a plurality of densities included in one density range. The printing energy for each of the dots included in the dot pattern is controlled in accordance with the density level of the pixel. The dot pattern is different for each color and three dot patterns are stored for each color and for each density range. These three dot patterns are repeatedly used for every three pixels which are continuous in the horizontal direction. These three dot patterns have two or three texture directions. The texture direction other than the vertical direction is different for each color.

Abstract: A thermal head driver circuit is disclosed, which comprises a thermal head including a plurality of heat generation elements in an array, a shift register for storing image data including a plurality of bits for a plurality of heat generation elements, signal generation circuit for generating a print signal having a duration corresponding to image data for each of said heat generation elements held in said shift register, and driving circuit for energizing the heat generation elements of the thermal head according to the print signal. The shift register has parallel data input terminals, to which all of image data including a plurality of bits for each of said heat generation elements are fed at a time. Image data is supplied in a single transfer from an external device to the driver circuit.