Abstract: For the sake of achieving both the size and weight reductions of a printing apparatus and increasing the reliability thereof, an ink tank is provided with a gas-permeable member that permits air to pass without permitting ink. The ink tank is capable of introducing ink through an ink inlet by negative pressure introduced in the ink tank through a common suction port.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording function to record images on a sheet material by installing an ink jet recording head that discharges ink from the ink discharge ports, and also, with an image reading function to read images from a sheet material by installing an image reading head exchangeably. This apparatus includes the discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head having the ink discharge ports formed on it, the image reading surface of the image reading head to read images to this head from the image reading surface, and a member that abuts upon the ink discharge port surface arranged to be in contact with the ink discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head. This member is arranged so as not to be in contact with the image reading surface of the image reading head. Thus the image reading surface of the image reading head is prevented from being stained by ink.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording function to record images on a sheet material by installing an ink jet recording head that discharges ink from the ink discharge ports, and also, with an image reading function to read images from a sheet material by installing an image reading head exchangeably. This apparatus includes the discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head having the ink discharge ports formed on it, the image reading surface of the image reading head to read images to this head from the image reading surface, and a member that abuts upon the ink discharge port surface arranged to be in contact with the ink discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head. This member is arranged so as not to be in contact with the image reading surface of the image reading head. Thus the image reading surface of the image reading head is prevented from being stained by ink.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus, it is possible to assuredly execute replenishment of ink into an ink tank and control of a pressure within the ink tank during ink replenishment by a simple configuration, and reduce the size and the weight of the apparatus, and improve reliability of the apparatus. The ink-jet recording apparatus includes an ink tank for receiving ink from an ink intake, an ink supply unit for receiving ink from a replenishing tank into the ink tank by a negative pressure introduced from a suction port of the ink tank in the inside of the ink tank, and a negative-pressure controller for causing the negative pressure within the ink tank to remain in an ink supply channel from the replenishing tank to the inside of the ink tank, so that the negative pressure within the ink tank does not return to an atmospheric pressure while receiving ink.

Abstract: The recording apparatus and the recording method of the invention are provided with a recording head for ejecting ink onto a recording medium, a scanning section for moving the recording head in a predetermined direction to scan the recording medium and a correction section for controlling an ejection timing of the ink according to a discrepancy information on the recording medium to correct landing positions of the ink droplet on the recording medium. The discrepancy information on the recording medium represents a deviation of a paper-nozzle distance from a reference value. The paper-nozzle distance represents a distance from a nozzle portion of the recording head to the opposing recording medium. The recording apparatus and the recording method of the invention can correct the droplet landing position on the surface of the paper in the scan direction and produce an image with little dot position deviation.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus, an ink-supplying apparatus, and a method for supplying ink are configured so that a mode of ink supply is changed to another mode, for example the mode of supplying ink to an ink tank is changed to another in accordance with a fact that a next page is intended to be printed or not, when an ink tank that requires the supply of ink is detected, with the result that the printing speed is increased.

Abstract: An ink supply recovery system comprises a pack body including a main tank and a waste ink receptacle. The pack body is detachably mounted on a printer body. The printer body includes a sub-tank mounted on a carriage, a cap for capping ink ejection openings of a printing head, and a cylinder pump. The pump has a reciprocally movable piston, a cylinder body having air and ink suction chambers, defined on opposite sides of the piston, respectively connectable with a negative pressure introducing portion of the sub-tank, the cap via an input port and the waste ink receptacle via an output port, and a port switching mechanism which switches the input and output ports open and close associating with movement of the piston. Movement of the piston of the cylinder pump is controlled at a predetermined timing.

Abstract: An Ink tank comprises an ink container containing an ink, an ink inlet for introducing the ink to the ink container, an air outlet for maintaining the ink container under negative pressure, and a gas-liquid separation means provided at the air outlet which passes gas but not liquid, wherein the ink is introduced to the ink container through the ink inlet by the negative pressure in the ink container, and the ink has surface tension of 28 mN/m or higher but not higher than 50 mN/m.

Abstract: For the sake of achieving both the size and weight reductions of a printing apparatus and increasing the reliability thereof, an ink tank is provided with a gas-permeable member that permits air to pass without permitting ink. The ink tank is capable of introducing ink through an ink inlet by negative pressure introduced in the ink tank through a common suction port.

Abstract: A serial-scanning-type image reading apparatus includes a plurality of light guides. One end of each of the light guides is connected to a supporting plate provided for supporting an original thereon at a position a constant distance apart from a scanner head. The connecting position of each light guide to the supporting plate is in a region within a range in which the scanner head is movable but out of a region in which the original is transported. Each light guide extends from the connecting position to an exterior part of the apparatus. One of the plurality of light guides is selected depending on the operating status of the apparatus, and the scanner head is positioned so that light emitted from a light source is guided through the selected light guide to the exterior part of the apparatus. Thus, it is possible to provide a low-cost indicator for indicating the operating status of the image reading apparatus while maintaining the scanning element and the scanning region covered by a cover.

Abstract: Down-sizing of a pump for sucking two types of different fluids is realized. The pump is provided with a cylinder pump having a cylinder main body having a reciprocally movable piston, a first cylinder chamber partitioned at one side of the piston for being introduced with a first fluid, and a second cylinder chamber partitioned at the other side of the piston for being introduced with a second fluid, and piston driving means for reciprocally moving the piston of the cylinder pump.

Abstract: A joint device includes a supply pipe having an ink supply port, a closing device for opening and closing the ink supply port, a deformation device for deforming the closing device and an urging device for urging the deformation device. An ink jet recording apparatus includes the above joint device, a supply pipe, a closing device, a deformation device, and an urging device. An ink supplying device includes a negative-pressure introducing device introducing negative pressure into the ink tank an ink supplying device supplying the ink to the ink tank, a gas-liquid separating device provided between the ink tank and the negative-pressure introducing device, for transmitting gases therethrough while not transmitting the ink therethrough, and an isolation device separating the negative-pressure introducing path.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording function to record images on a sheet material by installing an ink jet recording head that discharges ink from the ink discharge ports, and also, with an image reading function to read images from a sheet material by installing an image reading head exchangeably. This apparatus includes the discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head having the ink discharge ports formed on it, the image reading surface of the image reading head to read images to this head from the image reading surface, and a member that abuts upon the ink discharge port surface arranged to be in contact with the ink discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head. This member is arranged so as not to be in contact with the image reading surface of the image reading head. Thus the image reading surface of the image reading head is prevented from being stained by ink.

Abstract: An ink tank has a fixed-negative-pressure generating means between a gas-liquid separating means and a source of negative pressure required to suck and supply the ink, to prevent a fixed amount or more of negative pressure from being exerted on the gas-liquid separating means. An ink jet recording head is installed on the ink tank. An ink jet cartridge is also installed on the ink tank. An ink jet recording apparatus has an ink tank which supplies an ink to an ink jet recording head via an ink supplying port, a gas-liquid separating means in a suction port transmitting gases therethrough while not transmitting said ink therethrough, and a fixed-negative-pressure generating means between the gas-liquid separating means and a source of the negative pressure.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording function to record images on a sheet material by installing an ink jet recording head that discharges ink from the ink discharge ports, and also, with an image reading function to read images from a sheet material by installing an image reading head exchangeably. This apparatus includes the discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head having the ink discharge ports formed on it, the image reading surface of the image reading head to read images to this head from the image reading surface, and a member that abuts upon the ink discharge port surface arranged to be in contact with the ink discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head. This member is arranged so as not to be in contact with the image reading surface of the image reading head. Thus the image reading surface of the image reading head is prevented from being stained by ink.

Abstract: In an ink-jet recording apparatus, it is possible to assuredly execute replenishment of ink into an ink tank and control of a pressure within the ink tank during ink replenishment by a simple configuration, and reduce the size and the weight of the apparatus, and improve reliability of the apparatus. The ink-jet recording apparatus includes an ink tank for receiving ink from an ink intake, an ink supply unit for receiving ink from a replenishing tank into the ink tank by a negative pressure introduced from a suction port of the ink tank in the inside of the ink tank, and a negative-pressure controller for causing the negative pressure within the ink tank to remain in an ink supply channel from the replenishing tank to the inside of the ink tank, so that the negative pressure within the ink tank does not return to an atmospheric pressure while receiving ink.

Abstract: A recording apparatus having a black ink recording head for discharging black ink onto a recording material and at least one single color non-black recording head for discharging non-black ink onto the recording material includes a recording head driver for driving the recording heads to discharge the ink onto the recording material; and a controller for controlling the recording head driver so that a volume, per unit area of the recording material, of the black ink discharged from the blue ink recording head and deposited on the recording region of the recording material is larger than that of the non-black ink discharged from the non-black ink recording head and deposited on the recording region of the recording material.

Abstract: In a sheet pack hermetically containing sheets to be supplied to a recording apparatus in a box-shaped container, the container is provided with a plurality of feeding ports and a plurality of bearing ports for a sheet feeding device provided on the recording apparatus body side to feed the sheets from the feeding ports to bear against the sheets.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head for performing recording by discharging ink by forming a bubble by applying thermal energy to a heat acting portion of an ink holding portion of the recording head. The temperature of the recording head is raised to a predetermined temperature which is higher than for normal ink discharge, ink is recovered from the head through the discharge opening at the predetermined temperature and then the head temperature is lowered and a printing operation is performed.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided which is capable of performing a recording function for recording images on a sheet material when an ink jet recording head discharging ink from ink discharge ports is installed thereon and for performing an image reading function to read images from a sheet material when an image reading head is installed thereon. The ink jet recording head includes a discharge port surface having the ink discharge ports formed thereon. The image reading head includes an image reading surface for reading images. The apparatus includes a member abutting upon and arranged to be in contact with the ink discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head when the ink jet recording head is installed. The member is also arranged so as not to be in contact with the image reading surface of the image reading head when the image reading head is installed.