Abstract: A porous absorbent can be formed using recycling materials, which makes it possible to provide at lower costs an excellent capability of absorbing ink or the like, as well as an excellent handling performance. The porous absorbent contains at least virgin fiber, old paper fiber of waste newspaper, and hemp fiber, and an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with such porous absorbent for absorbing waste ink discharged from the recording head thereof.

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet head, an ink discharge from the head is executed to maintain and recover the discharge performance thereof. A cap is located opposite to the ink jet head when the maintaining and recovering ink discharge is performed, and receives the discharged ink. A waste ink tank receives ink exhausted from the cap. An ink pump transports ink received by the cap to the waste ink tank by performing idle suction. The number of times the idle suction is performed is variable, and is controlled by a control unit. The idle suction includes idle suction for recovery suction and idle suction for idle discharge. The idle suction for recovery suction is characterized as suction of ink when the cap caps the ink jet head, and the idle suction for idle discharge is characterized as suction of ink when the cap is communicated with atmosphere. The number of times of the idle suction is less for the idle suction for idle discharge than for the idle suction for recovery suction.

Abstract: A porous absorbent can be formed using recycling materials, which makes it possible to provide at lower costs an excellent capability of absorbing ink or the like, as well as an excellent handling performance. The porous absorbent contains at least virgin fiber, old paper fiber of waste newspaper, and hemp fiber, and an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with such porous absorbent for absorbing waste ink discharged from the recording head thereof.

Abstract: A discharge maintaining and recovery apparatus which maintains and recovers a state of ink discharge from a recording head which discharges ink on a recording medium.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head for recording by discharging ink on a recording medium and a plurality of waste ink storage members connected in series for receiving waste ink from only one recording head and provided within empty space in the apparatus. The waste ink is exhausted by a discharge recovery process in order to maintain a state of ink discharge in said recording head at least in a good condition. Each waste ink storage member includes an aperture on its surface covered with a breathable fabric to allow air into the ink storage member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus for separating and feeding sheets one by one, which has sheet stacking device for supporting sheets, a sheet feeding roller, provided at its periphery with a cylindrical surface and a cut-out portion, for feeding out the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking device by means of the cylindrical surface by rotating, separation device, capable of abutting against the sheet feeding roller, for separating the sheets one by one between the cylindrical surface of the sheet feeding roller and the separation device, spacing device for spacing apart the sheet feeding roller and the separation device when the cut-out portion of the sheet feeding roller is opposed to the separation device, biasing device for biasing the separation device to urge it against the sheet feeding roller or the spacing device, and conveying load reducing device for reducing a conveying load acting on the sheet being fed, by making an abutment force for pinching the sheet between the spacing

Abstract: A recording apparatus is capable of preventing both contamination on a recording surface due to a contact of a recording medium on an ink discharging surface even when recording on the recording medium with a concave/convex portion and an ill-discharged state of an ink. The recording apparatus has a feeding unit for feeding a recording medium and a recording head as a recording unit for recording an image on the recording medium fed by the feeding unit. A first guide member (shaft) and a second guide member that serve as a correcting mechanism are provided upstream in a feeding direction from the recording head, for correcting the concave/convex portion of the recording medium.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet recording head and a cap. The apparatus includes a recording head, the recording head having a discharge port face with a discharge port arranged thereon, and a recovery device, the recovery device including the cap for covering the discharge port face, the cap having an interior and including a body portion and an edge portion opposing the discharge port face and having a leading end, the edge portion including an elastic member for covering a periphery of the discharge port, wherein during a capping operation a plane defined by the leading end of the edge portion is not parallel to the discharge port face and the edge portion is not displaced in a direction different from a capping direction between the cap and the ink jet recording head.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image recording apparatus with an image recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium, a first conveyor for conveying the recording medium to an image recording portion of the image recording unit while bending the recording medium along a drive convey roller by means of the drive convey roller, and a second conveyor for conveying an elongated recording medium having a plurality of pin holes to the first conveyor. A guide capable of changing a contact area between the recording medium and the drive convey roller at a curved portion of the recording medium along the drive convey roller is also provided.

Abstract: A document processing apparatus includes a developing unit for developing a dot pattern, a recording unit for recording a dot pattern on a recording medium using an ink, a transfer unit for transferring the dot pattern developed by the developing unit to the recording unit, and a transfer control unit for controlling a transfer timing rate of the transfer unit to improve a fixing property of the ink to the recording medium recorded by the recording unit. The transfer timing rate is controlled in accordance with the time required to produce the dot pattern, in accordance with the type of dot pattern to be printed, or with the type of recording medium used.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for a recording apparatus in which recording sheets set on a sheet insertion section are fed to a recording section and recording is effected, has, in the sheet insertion section, a sheet feeding roller formed into a cylindrical shape and having a circumferentially extending groove portion formed in the lengthwisely intermediate portion thereof, a guide having a guide surface for guiding the recording sheets to the sheet feeding roller, and a projected member formed projectedly from the guide surface of the guide toward the groove portion of the sheet feeding roller for separating and feeding the recording sheets one by one by the sheet feeding roller.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for performing recording with an ink jet recording head, capable of ejecting ink onto a recording medium, comprises a cap to be opened and closed with respect to a discharge-orifice face of the recording head and a cap drive mechanism for opening the cap at the initiation of recording head driving and closing the cap when a non-driving period of the recording head exceeds a predetermined period of time .alpha.. A preliminary ejection circuit causes ejection of ink from the discharge orifices by driving the recording head to remedy defective ink ejection and preliminary ejection drive circuitry provides for preliminary ejection when a predetermined period of time .beta. is exceeded after a previously executed preliminary ejection, wherein the predetermined period of time .beta. does not include time during which the cap is closed.

Abstract: A discharge maintaining and recovery apparatus which maintains and recovers a state of ink discharge from a recording head which discharges ink on a recording medium. The apparatus comprises an ink receiver capable of receiving ink, and a transporting device which connects the ink receiver to an exhaust ink receiving member. The ink receiving member receives ink exhausted by the discharge maintaining and recovery process and the transporting device transports ink to an exhaust ink receiving member. In addition, a controller controls a first discharge maintaining and recovery process for exhausting ink by driving the recording head, and a second discharge maintaining and recovery process for exhausting ink by driving the transporting device.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording medium has a recording head for effecting recording on the recording medium, conveying rollers for conveying the recording medium, a first and a second case for covering the recording head and the conveying means, and a mechanism for effecting relative movement of the first case and the second case.

Abstract: A recording apparatus performs recording with an ink jet recording head that is capable of ejecting ink onto a recording medium. The recording apparatus includes an ink receiving section disposed at a position to be able to oppose an orifice-formed face of the recording head, a preliminary ejection unit for causing ink ejection from discharging orifices toward said ink receiving section by driving said recording head to remove causes of defective ink ejection, an absorption unit for absorbing ink remaining in the ink receiving section as a result of ink ejection by the preliminary ejection unit, and a dry absorption control unit. The dry absorption control unit causes ink absorption by driving the absorption unit when a number of preliminary ejection caused by the preliminary ejection unit, from the time of an absorption previously executed by the dry absorption unit during recording, exceeds a predetermined number.

Abstract: A suction recovery device comprises a cap for covering a discharge port face of a recording head for discharging ink onto a recording medium. The cap has an ink suction port and an ink exhaust path communicating with the ink suction port. A cap direct contact member carries said cap and has a guide path communicating with the exhaust path for guiding the ink in an exhaust direction. A communicating member for communicating the guide path and exhaust path is provided on a direct contact portion where the exhaust path and guide path contact with each other. The communicating member is carried with the elasticity exhibited by at least one of the exhaust path and guide path and suction means exerts suction power on the inside of the cap through the communicating member.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording medium has a recording head for effecting recording on the recording medium, conveying rollers for conveying the recording medium, a first and a second case for covering the recording head and the conveying means, and a mechanism for effecting relative movement of the first case and the second case.

Abstract: A cut sheet feed apparatus in a recording system having recording means for performing recording at a recording position, includes first storing means for storing cut sheets to be fed to the recording position feeding means for feeding the cut sheets from the first storing means to the recording position second storing means for storing cut sheets passing through the recording position discharge means for discharging the cut sheets to the second storing means a reversible drive motor for operating the feeding means and the discharge means; and transmitting means for transmitting a forward rotational force of the drive motor to the feeding means and the discharge means to simultaneously perform feed and discharge operations, and for transmitting a reverse rotational force to the discharge means to release transmission of the rotational force to said feeding means, thereby allowing only the discharge operation.