Abstract: A liquid accommodating container having a configuration that allows ink to be substantially used up, does not require an increase in size or a complicated construction, and can be fabricated at lower costs. The container includes an ink chamber for holding ink and having an upper air layer. A second chamber is provided in the upper air layer. A partition divides the second chamber into an ink absorber chamber that accommodates an ink absorber and a sub ink chamber for storing a small amount of ink. A third chamber defines a space between the atmosphere and the ink absorber. An upper portion of the sub ink chamber adjacent to the ink chamber is open so as to provide communication between the upper air layer and the atmosphere through the intermediary of the sub ink chamber and the ink absorber chamber in this order. An atmosphere communicating hole is defined. A print head that discharges ink of the ink chamber is provided at the bottom of the container.

Abstract: A liquid accommodating container having a configuration that allows ink to be substantially used up, does not require an increase in size or a complicated construction, and can be fabricated at lower costs. The container includes an ink chamber for holding ink and having an upper air layer. A second chamber is provided in the upper air layer. A partition divides the second chamber into an ink absorber chamber that accommodates an ink absorber and a sub ink chamber for storing a small amount of ink. A third chamber defines a space between the atmosphere and the ink absorber. An upper portion of the sub ink chamber adjacent to the ink chamber is open so as to provide communication between the upper air layer and the atmosphere through the intermediary of the sub ink chamber and the ink absorber chamber in this order. An atmosphere communicating hole is defined. A print head that discharges ink of the ink chamber is provided at the bottom of the container.

Abstract: A carriage, movable along a predetermined path, for detachably mounting thereon an ink jet recording head includes an abutment portion for positioning the recording head in a horizontal direction; an engageable member, disposed at a side of the carriage facing in a movement direction thereof, for engaging with the recording head, the engageable member is rotatable and translatable; and an operating lever, disposed at a side of the carriage facing in the movement direction, for translating and rotating the engageable member to abut the recording head to the abutment portion, and for rotating the recording head about the abutment portion; a second abutment portion for abutment with the rotating recording head to stop it in one rotational direction; and an urging member for urging the recording head to the second abutment portion, wherein the recording head is mounted on and dismounted from the carrier by moving the operating lever in one direction and by moving it in the opposite direction, respectively.

Abstract: A cut sheet feeder feeds out a cut sheet from a first paper cassette when a bidirectional pulse motor for driving paper feed rollers rotates forward and from a second paper cassette when the bidirectional pulse motor rotates reversely, and can suppress feed-out of the cut sheet from the wrong paper cassette when the pulse motor starts to rotate. The feeding of the cut sheet from the wrong paper cassette is suppressed by stopping the motor at a predetermined phase. A first memory stores the predetermined phase and a second memory stores the current phase. A controller compares the contents of the first and second memories and applies a drive pulse to the motor until the contents of the memories coincide. A loop is formed in the cut sheet prior to the comparison of the contents of the memories to permit the motor to be rotated in the proper direction.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for effecting thermal recording on a sheet of a recording medium with the aid of a reusable ribbon which can be repeatedly used for recording a plurality of times. The recording operation is performed during forward movement as well as during return movement of a thermal head while the ink ribbon is wound and unwound. On completion of a predetermined number of recording operations in both direction further recording is stopped and the thermal head is returned to its home position without any displacement of the ink ribbon. Thereafter, the above-mentioned steps are repeated. The reusable ribbon is wound by a length equal to M/N of a line every time recording is performed on M lines in the two-way recording mode, where N represents the number of recording operations for which a portion of the reusable ink ribbon can be repeatedly used.

Abstract: A thermal printer records an image on a recording sheet by transferring the ink of an ink sheet. The printer has a printing head provided with a first heating element group composed of an array of plural heating elements and a second heating element group composed of an array of plural heating elements, a control system for controlling the amount of heat generated by two groups in consideration of the heat accumulated in the ink sheet, and a driving system for causing relative movement of the recording sheet and the printing head.