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: 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 relates to a method for driving an ultrasonic motor of the type which includes a vibrator for causing a flexural vibration wave in response to a pair of AC driving voltage signals, and a rotor in contact with the vibrator and moved by the flexural vibration wave. The rotational speed of the ultrasonic motor is controlled by using a feedback signal and a data table, the feedback signal indicating the current rotational speed of the ultrasonic motor, and the data table storing values of the feedback signal as a standard function of the rotational 21 speed. The method includes the step of sampling the feedback signal and detecting the rotational speed in a plurality of rotation states of the ultrasonic motor. The method obtains an approximate function representing the relationship between the sampled feedback signal and the detected rotational speed of the ultrasonic motor, and calculates correction coefficients for adjusting the approximate function to the standard function.

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: 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.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus comprising 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 means for acting on the pinch roller holder to urge the pinch rollers against the convey roller.

Abstract: A device for controlling the power supplied to windings of a stepping motor includes a pulse generator for splitting one step drive period of the motor into a plurality of sections, the number of sections and increasing or decreasing depending upon the drive frequency. The pulse generator, also sets the duty cycle of a pulse applied to the motor. The device also includes a stepping motor drive circuit for exciting each phase of the motor with a current determined by the duty cycle of pulse, and a duty changing device for changing the duty cycle for each of plural sections in one excitation phase of the stepping motor, wherein a current wave input into the motor can be maintained as a sinusoidal wave from low-speed rotation to high-speed rotation of the motor by changing the number of sections in excitation depending upon serial drive operations, thereby achieving motor control with less rotation inconsistencies and less noise.

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprises a recording device for recording an image on a recording medium, a transport device for transporting the recording medium past an area at which the recording device is provided, a platen provided in the area for supporting the recording medium, and a bearing provided in the platen for fitting therein a shaft of a transport roller of the transport device.

Abstract: A replaceable ink cartridge can be inserted into and removed from a bubble jet printer receptacle for removably mounting the cartridge. The cartridge when mounted will cooperate with a hollow needle for supplying liquid ink to a print head and a pipe for removing waste ink from the head. The cartridge includes a container, a liquid ink reservoir and an absorber for waste liquid ink in the container, an outlet and an opening on the front wall of the container, and a label secured to the top wall of the container. The label contains a surface wiring resistance pattern including contact portions which are spaced apart and have an electric connection between them. When the container is mounted in the receptacle, the needle enters the outlet to connect the ink reservoir to the head, and the absorber enters a waste ink pipe opening. The contact portions then make sliding contact with spaced-apart electric terminals in the printer, connecting the terminals and thereby activating a control circuit in the printer.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus comprises a sheet supporting plate for supporting sheets, a separation claw for regulating one end of a leading edge of the sheets supported by the sheet supporting plate, sheet supply rollers for feeding out the sheets supported by the sheet supporting plate, a regulator for regulating leading ends of the sheets supported by the sheet supporting plate, and a guide for guiding side edges of the sheets on which the separation rollers act. One sheet supply roller is positioned between the separation claw and the regulator in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A liquid crystal light valve and a various information processors is provided. The processors have the liquid crystal light valve in which information formed in a liquid crystal layer and corresponding to address light can be read as an optical signal and can be directly read as an electric signal.A liquid crystal light valve has a glass substrate, an antireflection film, a transparent electrode, an opposite electrode, an optical waveguide, a photoconductive layer, a light interrupting layer, an orientational film, a spacer and a liquid crystal layer. The optical waveguide is composed of a lower clad layer, a core layer and a clad layer. A light source and a photodetector are connected to both ends of the optical waveguide. For example, the light source is constructed by a laser, a light emitting diode (LED), etc. The light source is connected to the optical waveguide such that a polarized wave can be guided to the optical waveguide.

Abstract: A method for controlling a moving velocity of an ultrasonic motor comprising a vibration body for causing ultrasonic vibration in response to two AC driving voltage signals having a common frequency, a common amplitude and phases different from each other; and a moving body in contact with the vibration body and moved by the ultrasonic vibration. The method includes step A of detecting a velocity of the moving body; step B comparing the velocity detected in step A with a predetermined velocity; and step C for adjusting the frequency of the two AC driving voltage signals and the amplitude of or the phase difference between the two AC driving voltage signals, based on the comparison result to allow the velocity of the moving body to be closer to the predetermined velocity.

Abstract: In a suction recovery method in a liquid jet recording apparatus in which the discharge port surface of a recording head is capped by a cap in response to the movement of a carriage carrying the recording head thereon and which is provided with an atmosphere release valve for introducing the atmosphere into the cap after or during the suction of ink from the discharge ports, provision is made of one or more rails disposed on the back of the cap in parallel to the direction of movement of the carriage, and driving means for providing a time difference between the timing of the capping drive of the cap and the valve closing timing of the atmosphere release valve in response to the movement of the carriage to the suction recovery position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus having an extendible sheet support for supporting sheets, a sheet supply for feeding out the sheets supported by the sheet support, a shiftable separating claw capable of separating the sheets fed by the sheet supply, one by one, by engaging from corners of the sheets supported by the sheet support, a regulator for shifting the separating claw toward the sheet support in response to insert and retracting movements of the sheet support and a second separator for separating the sheets rested on an upper surface of the separating claw shifted toward the sheet support by the regulator, one by one, when the sheets are fed out by the sheet supply.