Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink containing part and first through third housings. The ink containing part includes a holding member with an ink supply opening part and a sealed ink filling opening part. The first housing includes a holding part holding the holding member of the ink containing part. The second housing has an outline analogous to that of the first housing. The third housing is fitted to the side of the assembly of the first and second housings from which side ink is supplied. The first, second, and third housings are assemblable and disassemblable.

Abstract: An ink bag comprises a flexible bag body of a generally rectangular form and a holding member attached to one edge of the bag body, wherein the holding member includes: an ink filling opening for filling the bag body with ink; an ink discharging opening for discharging the ink inside the bag body; and an engaging part for holding the ink bag to a cartridge case in which the ink bag is accommodated.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink containing part and first through third housings. The ink containing part includes a holding member with an ink supply opening part and a sealed ink filling opening part. The first housing includes a holding part holding the holding member of the ink containing part. The second housing has an outline analogous to that of the first housing. The third housing is fitted to the side of the assembly of the first and second housings from which side ink is supplied. The first, second, and third housings are assemblable and disassemblable.

Abstract: An ink bag comprises a flexible bag body of a generally rectangular form and a holding member attached to one edge of the bag body, wherein the holding member includes: an ink filling opening for filling the bag body with ink; an ink discharging opening for discharging the ink inside the bag body; and an engaging part for holding the ink bag to a cartridge case in which the ink bag is accommodated.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus has a branching claw with a first guide surface along a side of a sheet to be fed into a reversing path and a second guide surface along a side of a sheet to be fed out of the reversing path. This branching claw is disposed so as to enable switching between a first switching position where the sheet is allowed to be fed into the reversing path through its conveyance along the first guide surface, and a second switching position where the sheet is allowed to be forwarded from the reversing path toward the downstream side of a sheet conveying path through its conveyance along the second guide surface.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus has a branching claw with a first guide surface along a side of a sheet to be fed into a reversing path and a second guide surface along a side of a sheet to be fed out of the reversing path. This branching claw is disposed so as to enable switching between a first switching position where the sheet is allowed to be fed into the reversing path through its conveyance along the first guide surface, and a second switching position where the sheet is allowed to be forwarded from the reversing path toward the downstream side of a sheet conveying path through its conveyance along the second guide surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a printer engine for forming an image on a paper sheet fed from a paper cassette. A paper feeder feeds the paper sheet from the paper cassette to the printer engine while separating it from the other paper sheets stacked on the cassette. A switchback path branches off the transport path of the paper feeder for temporarily storing the paper sheet fed from the paper cassette. The paper sheet fed from the paper cassette enters the switchback path with its leading edge at the head. A roller pair is positioned on the switchback path for switching back the paper sheet received in the switchback path such that the paper sheet leaves the switchback path toward the printer engine with its trailing edge at the head.

Abstract: A printing apparatus for printing an image on a sheet fed along a sheet feeding path. The printing apparatus includes a print head unit and a sheet feeding system. The sheet feeding system may include a pair of rollers and a sheet guide device. The pair of rollers apply a charge to a sheet and feed the sheet toward a printing device. The sheet guide device is positioned adjacent the printing device and attracts the charged sheet and guides the sheet fed by the pair of rollers. The sheet feeding system may also include a charge dissipating device that removes the charge on the sheet after printing.

Abstract: A wet process image forming apparatus using a developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and a toner dispersed therein, in which air containing carrier vapor produced in, e.g., a fixing section, is sucked by a suction fan via a first duct into a liquefying section. The liquefying section liquefies the carrier vapor and water vapor. A separating section is disposed below the liquefying portion and includes a receptacle. A liquid produced by the liquefying section is caused to flow down into the receptacle along a chain due to its own weight. The separating section separates the liquid into the carrier liquid and water on the basis of a difference in specific gravity. Only the carrier overlying the water in the receptacle is fed to a carrier tank via overflow ports formed in the wall of the receptacle. The water is delivered to a water tank via a pipe. The pipe is so configured as to maintain the liquid level in the receptacle substantially at the level of the overflow ports.

Abstract: In a color thermal transfer recorder, L is set to a distance from a printing position to first and second sensors for detecting each of marks, q is set to a pitch between the marks, N is set to an integer equal to 2 or more, S is set to an arbitrary value from zero to the pitch q, and .delta. is set to an arbitrary value from 0 to 4 mm. The values L, q, N, S and .delta. are set such that the following formula L=N.times.q+S+.delta. is satisfied. The values L, q, N, S and .delta. may be set such that the following formula L=N.times.q+S-.delta. is satisfied. In this recorder, various kinds of marks are formed on an ink sheet and are detected by the first and second sensors so that a conveying operation of the ink sheet is controlled. In accordance with this structure of the recorder, the distance from the printing position to the first and second sensors is increased so that a degree of freedom in design of the recorder is increased.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer including a printhead having a plurality of individually energizable thermal elements arranged in a primary scanning direction, wherein a carrier sheet bearing a plurality of different color record-forming materials arranged on discrete surface portions located in end-to-end relation in a subsidiary scanning direction and a record medium are pressed together and moved across the printhead in the subsidiary scanning direction in timed relation. The thermal elements are selectively energized to transfer spots of one color record-forming material after another from the carrier sheet to the record medium by repeatedly performing a thermal transfer printing operation. A heating roller and a pressing roller are brought into contact with the record medium after spots of one color record-forming material are transferred, to remove irregularities from the surface of the record medium before transferring thereto spots of another color.

Abstract: A device for the accurate placement of a record sheet having a plurality of positioning holes, and recording area on a recorder-player having a recording-playing head and placement pins engageable with the placement holes of the record sheet, comprises a bottom placement plate having an indented area substantially corresponding to the shape of the record sheet, an opening in the indented area corresponding to the shape of the recording surface of the record sheet, and a plurality of apertures corresponding to the placement holes of the record sheet and a covering retainer plate having a plurality of apertures corresponding to the holes of the record sheet and the apertures of the placement plate. The placement plate and retainer plate form a pocket into which a record sheet is insertable for coarse alignment with the placement pins of the recorder-player.