Abstract: A conveyor includes: a slide gear and a clutch gear including a first gear and a second gear. The clutch gear includes: a first surface and a second surface provided on one of the first and second gears and facing each other; and a contact member provided on the other of the first and second gears and located between the first surface and the second surface. A controller is configured to: control a motor in a state in which the slide gear and the first gear are in mesh with each other, to rotate the clutch gear to establish a state in which the contact member is not in contact with the first surface or the second surface; and control a sliding mechanism to slide the slide gear in the state in which the contact member is not in contact with the first surface or the second surface.

Abstract: A plurality of first contact portions is arranged to face a second supporting member between a nipping position and nozzles in a conveying direction. The first contact portions are spaced away from each other in a width direction, and contact a sheet from a first side. A second contact portion is provided at least between two of the first contact portions in the width direction, and contacts the sheet from a second side. A regulating member is provided at a first supporting member. The regulating member extends to provide an extending end portion that is located at a position closer to a second supporting member than the nozzle surface is in a perpendicular direction. The extending end portion locates the first contact portions at a regulating position that is closer to the second supporting member than the nozzle surface is in the perpendicular direction.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a container; a conveying mechanism configured to convey a recording medium contained in the container; a recording head configured to record an image on the recording medium that has been conveyed through a conveying path by the conveying mechanism; a moving mechanism including a carriage and configured to move the carriage reciprocatingly together with the recording head; a first sensor installed in the carriage and configured to detect the recording medium; a second sensor configured to detect a change of a state of the container; a storage unit configured to store width information of the recording medium that is conveyed by the conveying mechanism; and a controller configured to control the conveying mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the recording head.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a mechanism for forming a corrugated shape in a sheet to be conveyed. The mechanism may include various components include one or more pressing portions, one or more ribs, one or more discharge rollers, a switching mechanism and the like. In one arrangement, ribs and pressing portions configured to create the corrugated shape may be disposed at various locations upstream or downstream of the platen, recording portion and/or nozzles thereof. In one example, pressing portions may be disposed both upstream and downstream of the nozzles of the recording portion to maintain a corrugated shape in the conveyed sheet. Various other configurations may be used.

Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes: a conveyance roller pair which conveys a sheet in a conveyance direction; a recording section having a nozzle surface provided with nozzles and which jets ink droplets from the nozzles thereby recording an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller pair; a platen arranged to face the recording section; a first support frame which supports the recording section; a first contact member supported by the first support frame, arranged upstream of the nozzles in the conveyance direction, extended toward the platen, and which contacts with the sheet; a discharge roller arranged downstream of the nozzles in the conveyance direction; a second support frame which supports the discharge roller; and a spur arranged to face the discharge roller and which contacts with the sheet from the same direction as the first contact member.

Abstract: A sheet transporting apparatus is provided, including a transport mechanism provided with a roller, a motor, a controller, and a measuring input unit, wherein a transport route has a curved area for inverting the sheet, and the controller is constructed such that the control on the motor is executed by a closed loop control system by using a measured value of an control output at an initial stage of the transport of a sheet from a tray, and the control on the motor is switched from the control performed by the closed loop control system to control performed by an open loop control system on condition that a preset phenomenon arises after the sheet is taken out of the tray.

Abstract: A power transmission switching device includes a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism includes: a first gear; a second gear; a switching gear movable between a first position for mesh with the first gear and a second position for mesh with the second gear; an input gear meshed with the switching gear; and a power transmitter comprising the input gear and configured to transmit the driving power from the drive source to the switching gear. Play is formed in the power transmitter so as to allow the input gear to rotate in its rotational direction.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction; and a plurality of holding members which are provided while being separated from each other in a widthwise direction of the transport passage perpendicular to the transport direction and which press the sheet transported along the transport passage, from at least one of front and back surfaces of the sheet. At lease one holding member, which is provided at a central portion in the widthwise direction of the transport passage, is arranged on a downstream side in the transport direction as compared with the other holding members.

Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus which includes a recording portion, and a contact portion configured to come into contact with an upper surface of the sheet. The contact portion has a storage portion provided on a side of the recording portion and configured to store an ink, and a protruding portion provided between both ends in a width direction intersecting the transporting direction of the storage portion, and which is protruded toward the recording section, and an upper end of the protruding portion is the highest in the contact portion.

Abstract: A first roller is driven, by a conveying motor rotating in a normal direction and in a reverse direction, to rotate in a forward direction and in a backward direction, respectively. The first roller and a second roller convey a sheet in a conveying direction by rotating in the forward direction. The transmission unit transmits a driving force of the conveying motor to the second roller and includes a first rotary member. The transmission unit has such play that when the conveying motor is switched from rotation in a normal direction to rotation in a reverse direction, rotation of the second roller in a backward direction is delayed by a predetermined time period from rotation of the first roller in the backward direction. The predetermined time period is greater than a time period corresponding to one tooth of the first rotary member.

Abstract: A conveyor includes: a slide gear and a clutch gear including a first gear and a second gear. The clutch gear includes: a first surface and a second surface provided on one of the first and second gears and facing each other; and a contact member provided on the other of the first and second gears and located between the first surface and the second surface. A controller is configured to: control a motor in a state in which the slide gear and the first gear are in mesh with each other, to rotate the clutch gear to establish a state in which the contact member is not in contact with the first surface or the second surface; and control a sliding mechanism to slide the slide gear in the state in which the contact member is not in contact with the first surface or the second surface.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, including: a first unit; a second unit; and a pair of first hinges spaced apart from each other in a first direction, the first and second units being coupled through the hinges, wherein the first unit includes a supporter for supporting a recording medium and a first conveyor including a supply roller and configured such that, in a state in which recording media are set on the supporter, the first conveyor conveys the media one by one by the supply roller toward a downstream side in a conveyance direction, wherein the supporter is configured to be pivotally movable between a housed position and a use position about an axis extending, on a specific side of the first unit, in a direction parallel to the first direction, and wherein the supporter is disposed between the first hinges at least when located at the housed position.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a first upper-position guide member, a first lower-position guide member defining a first feeding path and a first feeding portion feeding a sheet in a feeding direction along the first feeding path. The image recording apparatus further includes a recording portion located downstream of the first feeding portion in the feeding direction, a second upper-position guide member, a second lower-position guide member defining a second feeding path and a second feeding portion comprising at least one pair of rollers each consisting of an upper-position roller and a lower-position roller. The second feeding portion feeds the sheet along the second feeding path and a first axis of the upper-position roller is located upstream of a second axis of the lower-position roller in the feeding direction.

Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.

Abstract: A sheet transporting apparatus is provided, including a transport mechanism provided with a roller, a motor, a controller, and a measuring input unit, wherein a transport route has a curved area for inverting the sheet, and the controller is constructed such that the control on the motor is executed by a closed loop control system by using a measured value of an control output at an initial stage of the transport of a sheet from a tray, and the control on the motor is switched from the control performed by the closed loop control system to control performed by an open loop control system on condition that a preset phenomenon arises after the sheet is taken out of the tray.

Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus, including: a drive source rotatable forwardly and reversely; a first roller rotatable in a first direction by the forward rotation of the drive source to convey a conveyed medium and rotatable in a second direction reverse to the first direction by the reverse rotation of the drive source; a recording device; a second roller; a first power transmitter which transmits a first-direction driving power to the second roller and not to transmit a second-direction driving power to the second roller, wherein the first-direction driving power is a rotational driving power of the first roller rotating in the first direction, and the second-direction driving power is a rotational driving power of the first roller rotating in the second direction; and a second power transmitter which transmits the second-direction driving power to the second roller and not to transmit the first-direction driving power to the second roller.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes: a conveyance roller pair which conveys a sheet in a conveyance direction; a recording section having a nozzle surface provided with nozzles and which jets ink droplets from the nozzles thereby recording an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller pair; a platen arranged to face the recording section; a first support frame which supports the recording section; a first contact member supported by the first support frame, arranged upstream of the nozzles in the conveyance direction, extended toward the platen, and which contacts with the sheet; a discharge roller arranged downstream of the nozzles in the conveyance direction; a second support frame which supports the discharge roller; and a spur arranged to face the discharge roller and which contacts with the sheet from the same direction as the first contact member.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, including: a first unit; a second unit; and a pair of first hinges spaced apart from each other in a first direction, the first and second units being coupled through the hinges, wherein the first unit includes a supporter for supporting a recording medium and a first conveyor including a supply roller and configured such that, in a state in which recording media are set on the supporter, the first conveyor conveys the media one by one by the supply roller toward a downstream side in a conveyance direction, wherein the supporter is configured to be pivotally movable between a housed position and a use position about an axis extending, on a specific side of the first unit, in a direction parallel to the first direction, and wherein the supporter is disposed between the first hinges at least when located at the housed position.