Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a sheet feed-in mechanism 60 for feeding a paper sheet, a rotary drum 10 having a peripheral surface 11 of a size larger than the paper sheet to be fed by the sheet feed-in mechanism 60, for rotating at a constant speed, a sheet holding system 20 for holding the paper sheet on the peripheral surface of the rotary drum, a print head 200 for printing an image by repeatedly ejecting ink onto the paper sheet held on the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 10 while the rotary drum 10 performs a predetermined number of rotations, a sheet separator 140 for separating the paper sheet from the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum, a sheet feed-out mechanism 160 for feeding out the paper sheet separated by the sheet separator 140, a control unit 111 for controlling the sheet feed-in mechanism 60, the rotary drum 10, the sheet holding system 20, the print head 200, the sheet separator 140 and the sheet feed-out mechanism 160.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a rotary drum 10, having a dielectric peripheral surface 11, for rotating at a constant speed, a sheet loader 90 for loading a sheet to the rotary drum 10, a sheet holding system for causing the sheet to be held on the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10, and a print head section 200 for printing an image on the sheet held on the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10 by jetting ink to the sheet while the rotary drum 10 makes a predetermined number of rotations. Particularly, the sheet holding system includes a charging section 20 and a supplementary charger section 26. The charging section 20 is charges the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10 on an upstream side of the loading point where the leading end of the sheet loaded by the sheet loader 90 contacts the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10. The supplementary charger section 26 charges the sheet to supplement the electrostatic attraction force attenuated during the rotation of the rotary drum 10.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a rotary drum 10, having a dielectric peripheral surface 11, for rotating at a constant speed, a sheet loader 90 for loading a sheet to the rotary drum 10, a sheet holding system for causing the sheet to be held on the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10, and a print head section 200 for printing an image on the sheet held on the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10 by jetting ink to the sheet while the rotary drum 10 makes a predetermined number of rotations. Particularly, the sheet holding system includes a charging section 20 and a supplementary charger section 26. The charging section 20 charges the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10 on an upstream side of the loading point where the leading end of the sheet loaded by the sheet loader 90 contacts the peripheral surface 11 of the rotary drum 10. The supplementary charger section 26 charges the sheet to supplement the electrostatic attraction force attenuated during the rotation of the rotary drum 10.

Abstract: A sheet unloading apparatus is used for rotary drum rotatable in one direction along with a paper sheet which is wound around a peripheral surface of the rotary drum and at rear end mechanically engaged in an engagement groove formed in the peripheral surface. The sheet unloading apparatus includes a separation paws for separating a front end of the paper sheet from the rotary drum by contacting the peripheral surface of the rotary drum while the rotary drum rotates in the one direction, and a pair of pinch rollers for rotating to pinch and feed out the paper sheet supplied according to the rotation of the rotary drum in a state where the front end of the paper sheet is separated from the rotary drum by the separation pawl and the rear end of the paper sheet is engaged in the engagement groove.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding a printing medium on a rotary drum, includes a rotary drum, a suction device, a medium holding mechanism and a medium removing device. The drum has a recess at its outer surface to extend along its rotation center line and rotates at a predetermined speed. A region of the outer surface, which is adjacent to a rearward end of the recess along the rotation direction, is smaller in the diameter than the remaining of the outer surface. The suction device holds by suction the medium onto the outer surface. The holding mechanism has a hook in the recess and selectively drives the hook between close and open positions. At the close position, the hook is placed over the adjacent region while being prevented from radially outwardly projecting from the remaining of the outer surface, and at the open position it is distanced from the adjacent region.

Abstract: Suction ports (14) are provided in one end (15R) of a drum (10), connecting the interior (16) and exterior of the drum (10). Corresponding suction ports (34) are provided at a stationary side (5R), opposing the suction ports (14), respectively. A suction fan (32) is provided, which draws air from the interior (16) of the rotating drum (10) through the corresponding suction ports (34) and the suction ports (14). A printing medium M can be attracted and held onto the outer circumferential surface (11) of the drum (10) by virtue of negative pressure, by utilizing the negative pressure generated in the interior (16) of the drum (10) as the suction fan (32) rotates and a plurality of suction holes (12) extending in a radial direction and connecting the interior and exterior of the drum (10). A damper (38) is provided at the air outlet port of the suction fan (32), for opening and closing the outlet port of the fan (32).

Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a rotary drum for rotating at a constant speed and holding a paper sheet on its peripheral surface, a print head having ink-jet nozzles aligned in the axial direction of the rotary drum to perform printing by spitting ink from these ink-jet nozzles on the paper sheet rotating together with the rotary drum, and a sheet feed-in mechanism for feeding a paper sheet from a cassette and a manual feed tray to the rotary drum. Particularly, the sheet feed-in mechanism has a loading roller unit for loading the paper sheet to the rotary drum, a pickup section for picking up a paper sheet from one of the cassette and the manual feed tray to strike the leading end of the paper sheet against the loading roller unit, and a control section for controlling the loading roller unit to feed, to the rotary drum, the paper sheet whose posture has been corrected upon strike by the pickup section.

Abstract: A printing medium winding apparatus includes a drum on a periphery of which a leading-end holding device and a trailing-end engaging groove are provided. The holding device and engaging groove hold and engage with a leading end and trailing end of a printing paper sheet, respectively, when the paper sheet is fed to the drum. The apparatus further includes a paper sheet lifting device which presses the sheet on the periphery of the drum to keep the sheet in close contact with the periphery, and lifts a part of the sheet from the periphery to be curved and projected radially outwardly until the trailing end of the sheet reaches the engaging groove so that the trailing end can be inserted into the engaging groove.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a rotation supporting unit for rotatably supporting the drum, a charger, an optical image forming unit, a development unit, a transfer unit and a cleaner, which are arranged along the outer circumferential surface of the drum in a rotational direction of the drum, and a rotation resistance adjusting unit for applying a rotation resistance on a region of the drum located outside of the image forming region, and being capable of adjusting a value of the rotation resistance applied on the drum. The development unit includes a development roller abutted to the image forming region of the circumferential surface of the drum and rotated in an opposite direction to the rotating direction of the drum.

Abstract: A fixed cover (7) having a pair of manual feed guides (12) for guiding opposite side edges of manual feed paper (10) is fixedly provided at a front portion of an upper opening of a cassette case (5) in respect of the paper feeding direction. A rotatable cover (8) is located behind the fixed cover (7), and a front end portion of the rotatable cover (8) is vertically rotatably supported to the cassette case (5). Accordingly, the manual feed guides (12) can be located near a paper feed roller in a body of a printer. In feeding the manual feed paper (10) along an upper surface of the fixed cover (7), the inclination of a front end of the manual feed paper (10), which causes skewing, can be prevented. Furthermore, in supplying sheets of paper into the cassette case (5) with the rotatable cover (8) opened, the interference of the front end of the rotatable cover (8) with the sheets can be prevented.