Abstract: A recording apparatus provided with a covering member which can be attached to or removed from a main assembly of the apparatus includes a conveying device for conveying recording material; a recording device for carrying out a recording operation while moving along a surface of the recording material; and a movement prevention device for regulating movement of the recording device, depending on an open or closed state of the covering member; wherein the movement prevention device confines the movement of the recording device when the covering member is open, and releases the recording device from the confining action of the movement prevention device when the covering member is closed. Further, a preventing mechanism prevents opening of an opening mechanism which opens a nip in the conveying mechanism when the recording device is out of a recording region.

Abstract: In a drive transmitting apparatus for selectively transmitting a driving force from a drive source to a driving member through clutch means to achieve a positive switching operation, the clutch means includes an output gear having a non-entirely toothed portion not including a predetermined number of teeth in a tooth width-wise direction and an entirely toothed portion having no non-toothed portion, a gear opposed to the non-toothed portion of the output gear and rotated by a driving force, a trigger gear meshed with the entirely toothed portion of the output gear and freely rotatable with respect to a shaft and movable in a thrust direction, and ratchet portions formed on opposed side surfaces of the gear and the trigger gear so that, when the trigger gear is slid in the thrust direction to engage the ratchet portions by each other, a driving force is transmitted from the gear to the output gear.

Abstract: A head cartridge is positioned within a carriage by a positioning protrusion on both sides of the head cartridge being fitted into a positioning groove of the carriage. The head cartridge is secured by an inclined surface of the upper portion of the rear surface being pressed with a press-contacting roller of a locking lever. The locking lever is provided with a pressing member which presses the rear surface of the head cartridge by the rotation of the locking lever during the operation of removing the cartridge. An auxiliary engagement portion and an auxiliary guide, which contact only during attachment and detachment operations of the head cartridge to restrict the attachment and detachment locuses, are provided in the head cartridge and the carriage, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus having a cartridge mounting member to which a cartridge is detachably mountable, having a connector adapted to effect electrical connection to the cartridge and having a first attached portion for receiving an attaching member for attaching the connector to the cartridge mounting member, a second attached portion provided on the cartridge mounting member and adapted to receive the attaching member when the connector is attached to the cartridge mounting member, and a substrate adapted to hold the connector and having a configuration in which the substrate is not contacted with the attaching member when the first and second attached portions are interconnected by the attaching member.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus has a movement mechanism for moving a recording head mounted thereon for recording by discharging ink through discharge ports, and a recovery device for recovering or maintaining the discharge condition of the ink through the discharge ports. The recovery device includes a cap for capping the discharge ports, and a pump for causing pressure changes to expel the ink into the cap through the discharge ports, utilizing the movement of the movement mechanism.

Abstract: In the present invention, a U-turn path is formed by facing an outer guide surface of a guide member to an outer peripheral surface of a convey roller. A terminal edge of the outer guide surface forming a part of an outlet of the U-turn path is configured not to coincide with a straight line but is tapered to be convex at a central portion. When a thick sheet is conveyed through the U-turn path, a trail end of the thick sheet is shifted to the terminal edge while rubbing the outer guide surface. Then, the trail end of the sheet leaves the terminal edge. Since the terminal edge has the tapered configuration, the trail end of the sheet is gradually disengaged from the terminal edge, thereby preventing the snapping restoring action of the trail end to weaken the shock.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming system comprising an image forming device for forming an image on a sheet; first feeding rollers arranged at an upstream side of the image forming device, for pinching the sheet and for feeding the sheet to the image forming device; and second feeding rollers arranged at a downstream side of the image forming device, for pinching the sheet and for feeding the sheet at a speed faster than that of the first feeding rollers in order to apply a tension force to the sheet in a transverse direction thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying and conveying apparatus comprising a sheet supporting means for supporting sheets, a convey roller contacted with the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means with predetermined sheet supplying pressure and adapted to feed out the sheet and convey the sheet around the convey roller by rotation of the convey roller, a separation rotary member urged against the convey roller with predetermined separation pressure and adapted to separate the sheets fed out by the convey roller one by one, a torque limiter for permitting rotation of the separation rotary member in a sheet conveying direction when rotational torque directing toward the sheet conveying direction and having a value greater than a predetermined value acts on the separation rotary member and for preventing the rotation of the separation rotary member in the sheet conveying direction when the rotational torque having a value smaller than the predetermined value acts on the separation rotary member,

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprising a platen for supporting a sheet at a recording area, feeding means for feeding the sheet to the platen, recording means for recording an image on the sheet at the recording area, and an urging member disposed at a downstream side of the recording area and adapted to urge the sheet against the platen. The urging member has an urging surface for urging the sheet against the platen when the recording means is recording the image on the sheet.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus wherein recording is effected by ejecting ink to a recording material from a recording head cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus includes a carriage, movable in a main scan direction, for mounting thereon the recording head cartridge; mounting and demounting mechanism for controlling mounting and demounting of the recording head cartridge on the carriage; a controlling member for controlling operation of the mounting and demounting mechanism to permit mounting or demounting of the recording head cartridge only when the carriage is disposed outside a position where it is faced to the recording material.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprises a mounting portion on which an ink jet cartridge is detachably mounted, the cartridge having a connector and a recording head portion for discharging ink to perform image recording. The mounting portion has a body connector associated therewith for electrically connecting the connector of the cartridge to the apparatus. A recording head positioner positions the recording head portion of the cartridge on the mounting portion. An operation device displaces the cartridge and the body connector relative to each other to connect the body connector to the cartridge connector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus comprising first and second frames shiftable relative to each other, a sheet receiving portion provided on the first frame for receiving a sheet, and a rotary member provided on the second frame for cooperating with the sheet receiving portion to thereby pinch and supply the sheet when a relative position between the first and second frames is in a first configuration and separated from the sheet receiving portion when the relative position between the first and second frames is in a second configuration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus with a supply roller for supplying a sheet, a sheet directing path for directing the sheet supplied by the supply roller to a recording portion, a sheet ejection path for directing the sheet recorded at the recording portion to an ejection outlet, a guide for guiding a sheet to be introduced from the ejection outlet, and sheet feeding rollers and detectors for directing the introduced sheet to the recording portion through the sheet ejection path and thereafter for returning the sheet to the ejection outlet.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprises a mounting portion on which an ink jet cartridge is detachably mounted, the cartridge having a connector and a recording head portion for discharging ink to perform image recording. The mounting portion has a body connector associated therewith for electrically connecting the connector of the cartridge to the apparatus. A recording head positioner positions the recording head portion of the cartridge on the mounting portion. An operation device displaces the cartridge and the body connector relative to each other to connect the body connector to the cartridge connector.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus having a sensor to detect the front edge of an original and a sensor to detect the front edge of a paper onto which a copy image of the original is formed, in which the copying operation is started in accordance with the result of the detections by both sensors. A distance which is obtained by adding a distance from an exposing position of a photosensitive drum and a distance from an original feed roller to an exposing position is equalized to a distance from the copy transfer position of the photosensitive drum to a paper feed roller. If such distances differ, the feeding timing of the original or paper is delayed in accordance with the difference between those distances. Thus, the cheap and small copying apparatus can be realized without using an expensive control system such as a registration roller.

Abstract: In a sheet transport unit for recording systems which uses a pulse motor to feed a recording sheet quantitatively and intermittently, multiple different current apply intervals are specified within the stop period during intermittent sheet feed, so that a maximum amount of current will be applied to the first interval immediately after the drive stops. Thereby, the pulse motor is never be damaged due to its temperature rise despite a load variation and the load variation can be absorbed enough to ensure high positioning accuracy.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming unit which can be shifted within an image forming apparatus having an original support plate to perform an image forming operation, and which can also perform the image forming operation in combination with other device even when it is removed from the image forming apparatus, and which has multi-function and is compact.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process cartridge removably mountable on an image forming apparatus comprising a support, a rotary member having an image bearing surface and rotatably supported by the support, and a rotatable developing roller supported by the support, for carrying developer thereon and supplying the developer to the image bearing surface to develop a latent image formed on the image bearing surface. A first gear is arranged coaxial with the rotary member, a second gear is arranged coaxial with the developing roller and meshed with the first gear, and a guide means is provided for guiding the developing roller in a direction toward and away from the rotary member. The direction in which the developing roller is guided by the guide means is inclined with respect to a straight line connecting the center of rotation of the rotary member to the center of rotation of the developing roller, by an angle between 0.7.times..THETA. (.THETA. is a pressure angle of the second gear) and 1.3.times..