Abstract: An ink refilling system includes an ink jet recording apparatus, in which a cartridge with an ink containing portion can be installed. The ink jet recording apparatus includes a driver for driving a conveyer for conveying a recording medium, and a first transmitter for transmitting the driving force from the driver out of the ink jet recording apparatus. Also provided is an ink filling apparatus for filling the ink into the cartridge, the ink filling apparatus including: an ink storing portion for storing the ink to be filled into the cartridge; a connector for injecting the ink from the ink storing portion to the cartridge; a pressure-feeding device for pressure-feeding the ink through the connector; and a second transmitter for transmitting the driving force to drive the pressure-feeding device. The driving force from the driver of the ink jet recording apparatus is transmitted to the pressure-feeding device through the first and second driving force transmitters.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprises a carriage for causing a recording head provided with discharge ports for discharging ink to travel by mounting the recording head on the carriage, a wiping member for wiping the discharge port surface of the recording head having the discharge ports arranged therefor, and holding means for rotatively holding the wiping member in the traveling direction of the carriage at the time of the discharge port surface being wiped by means of the wiping member. With this arrangement, ink adhering to the leading end of the wiping member is prevented from flying and spreading to stain the recording area of a recording material, thus keeping the quality of printed images thereon.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet supply apparatus with a sheet support for supporting sheets, a sheet supply roller for feeding out the sheet supported by the sheet support, and a separating unit against which the sheet fed by the sheet supply roller abuts to cause elastic angular displacement of the sheet and adapted to permit the separation of the sheet when the sheet rides over the separating unit. The separating unit is formed from a thin plated-shaped member which includes at least one aperture or one notch.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus according to the present invention has a pawl separator for separating sheets one by one by regulating the tip ends and upper surfaces of tip end portions of the sheets, which pawl separator can be retarded from a sheet regulating position when it is urged by the sheet with a predetermined force. With this arrangement, sheets having small resiliency such as plain sheets are separated one by one by successively riding over the pawl separator, and sheets having great resiliency such as post cards and envelopes urge the pawl separator to a retracted position to pass through the pawl separator and are separated one by one by of another separation.

Abstract: A recording apparatus having an image reading operation capable of performing image reading by an image reading device for converting image information into electrical signals, and an image recording operation by a recording device for forming an image onto a recording medium is disclosed. The recording apparatus comprises a mounting unit capable of mounting both the image reading device and the recording device, a sensor for sensing which one of the image reading device and the recording device is mounted on the mounting unit, a quality preserving section for preserving the image quality in the recording operation, and a controller for controlling the reading operation by the image reading device, the recording operation by the recording device, and the quality preserving operations. The controller disenables the quality preserving operations by the quality preserving section, when the result sensed by the sensor indicates that the image reading device is mounted on the mounting unit.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus includes a sheet supporting device for supporting sheets, a sheet supply for positively contacting the sheet supported by the sheet supporting device and for feeding out the sheet, a release mechanism for releasing contact between the sheet supply and the sheet, a separation device for separating the sheets fed by the sheet supply one by one, a pair of convey rotary devices for conveying the separated sheet, and a controller.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus such as an ink jet type recording apparatus, there are provided a recording unit for performing a recording operation on a recording material in response to a recording signal, the recording unit having a power supply for supplying power to drive the same, and a feeding unit for automatically feeding the recording material to the recording unit. This feeding unit is detachably connected to the recording unit. The recording apparatus further comprises a power supply apparatus installed on the feeding unit, capable of supplying power to the recording unit under such a condition that the feeding unit is connected to the recording unit. The recording unit can be made compact and lightweight. The recording unit is solely operable as a portable recording unit.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus, the size and the weight of the apparatus and the number of components are reduced, accumulated tolerance is reduced due to the decrease in the number of components, and the sheet feeding/discharging property, the conveying property, the adjustability of the distance between recording means and a sheet member, and the assembling capability of the apparatus are improved. The apparatus includes a first roller for conveying the sheet member toward a supporting surface, a second roller for grasping the sheet member together with the first roller, a third roller for discharging the sheet member from the supporting surface, and a fourth roller for grasping the sheet member together with the third roller. The apparatus also includes a first case including a carriage, the first roller and the third roller, and a second case including a platen, the second roller and the fourth roller.

Abstract: A system for smoothly driving a stepping motor with constant currents. For that purpose, a voltage level setting circuit forms various combinations of voltage levels for a first phase and voltage levels for a second phase. Drive currents of the stepping motor are determined using the various combinations for a plurality of times during one step drive of the stepping motor.

Abstract: A rubber member for use in an electrical connector for making electrical connection by pressing of mutually opposed contacts is provided with a sheet member contact pins protruding on top and rear faces of the sheet member, for pressing one of the contacts to the other, and a stabilizing rib protruding from the sheet member with a smaller height than that of the contact pins.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus comprising a supply means for supplying a sheet in a predetermined direction, a convey means for conveying the sheet supplied by the supply means in a predetermined direction, a recording means for recording an image on the sheet conveyed by the convey means, in response to image information, a reversible drive means for driving the supply means and the convey means, and a drive transmitting means for transmitting a driving force from the drive means to the supply means or the convey means, and wherein the drive transmitting means comprises a plurality of planetary gears as means for rotating the supply means only in a sheet supplying direction regardless of a rotational direction of the convey means, and the planetary gears are revolved around gears having different speed reduction ratios from the drive means as sun gears, respectively.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus, in which a recording head records on a recording medium disposed above a platen, includes a carriage for moving the recording head, a recovery mechanism having a contacting member, a guide shaft and a limiting mechanism. The guide shaft guides the carriage to a recording area and to a separate recovery area, and positions the recovery mechanism so that the contacting member is capable of contacting the surface of the recording head on which an ink discharge port is provided. The limiting mechanism has a guide surface and an elastic member, and limits the rotational movement of the carriage with respect to the guide shaft; the elastic member maintains the position of the carriage with respect to the platen at the recording area by applying an elastic force to the guide member.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is usable with a recording head having an ejection outlet. The recording head is carried on a carriage. The apparatus includes a cap for capping the ejection outlet of the recording head and a suction device for suctioning ink through the ejection outlet of the recording head and through the cap. The cap is unified with a cylinder of the suction device and the ejection outlet is capped in accordance with movement of the cylinder together with movement of the carriage.

Abstract: A recovery mechanism is provided with an elastic blade for wiping the formation surface of ink discharge ports of a recording head by allowing the leading end of its wiping surface to slide on the formation surface of ink discharge ports of the head, and an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with such recovery mechanism. For this recovery mechanism, a guide wall unit, which is extended to the vicinity of the formation surface of ink discharge ports, is arranged along the wiping surface of the blade in a state that the blade is in a wiping operation, and then, ink adhering to the leading end of the wiping surface of the blade is guided to a gap between the guide wall unit and the blade. In this way, the flying splash of ink at the time of wiping can be suppressed for the assurance of a stabilized wiping operation, thus making it possible for the recovery mechanism and the ink jet apparatus provided therewith to perform a high-quality recording.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus comprises sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet, rotary supply means for feeding out the sheet, rotary convey means for conveying the sheet by a predetermined amount and then for effecting the registration of the sheet by a reverse rotation, drive means for driving the rotary convey means in a normal direction and a reverse direction, a switching output gear connected to the drive means so that a driving force from the drive means is transmitted to the switching output gear, and switching means for engaging the switching output gear with an input gear connected to the rotary supply means to transmit a rotational driving force of the rotary convey means to the rotary supply means, and for disengaging the switching output gear from the input gear.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporter for supporting sheets, a sheet supplier for feeding out the sheet from the sheet supporter, a separator for separating the sheets one by one at the feeding of the sheet by the sheet supplier, by regulating one of front corners of the sheets supported by the sheet supporting means in a sheet feeding direction, and a skew-feed corrector for correcting the skew-feed of the sheet by applying a resisting force to the sheet fed by the sheet supplier.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording system including a recording head for performing recording on a sheet, a first rotary member disposed at a downstream side of the recording head and contacting an unrecorded surface of the sheet on which the recording is performed by the recording head and adapted to apply a feeding force to the sheet, and a second rotary member being provided at its peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth and contacting a recorded surface of the sheet with the tips of the teeth thereof, and cooperating with the first rotary member to feed the sheet. The plural teeth of the second rotary member are staggered with other teeth in a direction transverse to a sheet feeding direction. A member is provided to clean the first and second rotary members.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method including the steps of providing a movable carriage having a sensor and which carries a recording head, as well as a plurality of flags in a movable range of the carriage. The method further includes the steps of determining a position of the carriage on a basis of an output of the sensor responsive to the flags, effecting a movement of the carriage through a predetermined distance on the basis of the output of the sensor, and effecting a predetermined operation on the basis of an output of the sensor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus with a convey roller for conveying a sheet; a plurality of pinch rollers arranged along the convey roller and adapted to urge the sheet against the convey roller; a pinch roller holder formed as one piece for supporting the plurality of pinch rollers, the rigidity of the pinch roller holder in a sheet conveying direction being greater than the rigidity of the pinch roller holder in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and a biasing device for acting on the pinch roller holder to urge the pinch rollers against the convey roller.

Abstract: A replaceable tank for an ink cartridge used in a bubble jet printer comprises a container formed by side walls, top and bottom walls connected to the side walls. At least one ink supply port is provided in the bottom wall of the container and is disposed for supplying ink from at least one ink chamber in the container into a corresponding ink tapping pipe in the ink cartridge. The container includes a locking member on one of the container side walls for engaging a guide groove in the cartridge, the container being configured for insertion into an open top of an ink tank holder formed by the cartridge, with the bottom wall of the container facing downward and the side walls of the container aligned with side walls of the ink cartridge. The locking member is constructed for securing the container in place in the ink tank holder with the ink supply port connecting with the corresponding ink tapping pipe.