Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Chuji Ishikawa

Masanori Horike

Kyuhachiro Iwasaki

Osamu Naruse

Toshio Kawakubo

Takao Fukazawa

Sadao Kakeno

Hidenori Itoh

Yutaka Ebi

Koichiro Jinnai

Hiromichi Komai

Keiji Okamoto

Michio Umezawa

Shigeyuki Araki

Toshitaka Hirata

Shizuo Yokoyama

Satoshi Sekimoto

A temperature detecting unit including a temperature detecting sensor, a window member, and a frame which holds the window member. The temperature detecting sensor receives infrared rays radiated by an object, thereby detecting the temperature of the object without contact with the object. The window member is arranged between the object and the temperature detecting sensor, and transmits the infrared rays. The window member includes a surface with a fluorination organic compound.

Temperature detecting unit with fixing apparatus

Temperature detecting unit and fixing apparatus

A device incorporated in an electrophotographic image recorder for collecting toner particles, paper dust and so on which are removed from a photoconductive element by a cleaning device. The collecting device is constructed independently of the cleaning device. In a portion where the collecting device and cleaning device are connected to each other, a first and a second shutter which open and close respectively an opening formed through the cleaning device and an opening formed through the collecting device cooperate with each other. When the collecting device is connected to the cleaning device, the second shutter unblocks the associated opening before the first shutter does so. Conversely, when the collecting device is disconnected from the cleaning device, the second shutter blocks the associated opening after the first shutter has done so.

Waste toner collecting device for an image recorder

A charge and deflection control type ink jet printer in which at least an ink jet head section, a charging section and a deflecting section are configured in a single replaceable module, or unit. The user of the printer may replace the module without the help of a serviceman. The replaceable unit is further provided with an ink ejection adjusting mechanism, a deflection efficiency adjusting device, an a drive efficiency adjusting device.

Charge and deflection control type ink jet printer

An ink-jet printer includes an ink-jet head assembly which has a modular structure. The head assembly includes a generally bathtub-shaped bottom case in which an ink head for ejecting a series of charged ink droplets is mounted and a pair of top and bottom deflection electrodes is also mounted. The head assembly also includes a similarly bathtub-shaped top case which is mounted on the bottom case upside down to define a substantially enclosed space therebetween. The ink head is supported so as to be adjustable in orientation. And, one end of the ink head is supported as a pivotal point so that the other free end may be oriented in any desired direction. In another structure, a print head assembly is detachably mounted on a carriage and the print head assembly includes an inner ink mist absorbing member formed with a slit and formed from a metal. A carriage cover is detachably mounted on the carriage to cover the print head assembly set in position. The carriage cover is provided with an outer ink mist absorbing member formed with a slit and formed from a resin material.

Ink-jet printer with an encased printer head unit

An ink supply system for use in an ink-jet printer includes a main block preferably comprised of a plastic material and defining part of a carriage of the printer. A valve assembly having an ink chamber is incorporated in the main body which controls the flow of ink from an ink reservoir formed in the main block to an ink-jet nozzle head mounted on the carriage. A plurality of ink passages are formed inside of the main body establishing fluidic communications between the ink reservoir, ink chamber and the nozzle head, thereby requiring to provide no tubing.

Ink supply system for use in an ink-jet printer

An improved carriage assembly for use in ink jet printers is provided. The present ink jet printer carriage assembly includes a holder for holding an ink droplet projection nozzle and a charging electrode for charging ink droplets and the holder is so structured that it may be pivoted vertically as well as horizontally. Thus the ink jet projection direction may be adjusted with respect to its pitch direction as well as yaw direction. A deflection stage including a pair of oppositely arranged deflector electrodes is fixedly mounted on the carriage body; however, a gutter for collecting non-deflected ink droplets is adjustably provided. With such a structure, the whole assembly may be constructed quite with ease since minor mismatches may be corrected after assemblage; moreover, printed characters or images of excellent quality may be obtained.

Ink jet printer carriage assembly

A sheet feed apparatus suitable for use with a printer such as an ink jet printer. A flat guide member is disposed between paper bail rollers and a deflector to be movable toward and away from the periphery of a platen. The guide member is drivably controlled such that it faces the substantially entire peripheral area of the platen which extends between the paper bail rollers and the deflector only for a short period of time until a leading end portion of the sheet is retained between the paper bail rollers and the deflector.

Sheet feed apparatus for printer

An ink mist collection apparatus for an ink jet printer comprises an ink mist adsorptive member interposed between a paper sheet and an ink jet head in order to adsorb an ink mist which is produced by an ink droplet ejected from the ink jet head upon impingement of the ink droplet on the paper sheet. The adsorptive member may be made up of a first adsorptive member and a second adsorptive member. The first member is disposed between the paper sheet and deflection electrodes to adsorb an ink mist while the second member is held in contact with the first member. The adsorptive member may be detachably mounted on a guide member which is located between the paper sheet and the ink jet head. The front end of the guide member adjacent to the paper sheet is protruded beyond the front end of the adsorptive member. The adsorptive member on the guide member may have its front surface spaced from the paper sheet more at its intermediate portion than at its opposite end portions.

Ink mist collection apparatus for ink jet printer

A charge detecting electrode unit is disclosed which is coupled to a platen shaft of an ink jet printer so as to be rotatable relative thereto for detecting a deflected position of charged ink particles. It includes a housing having an internal space in which a charge detecting electrode is centrally located. The housing is formed with an opening which receives flying ink particles, in its front surface. An electrically conductive layer is formed on and continuously extends across the internal wall surfaces and the external surface of the housing around the opening, and an electrically conductive and water absorbing sheet is attached to the outer periphery of the housing and is in contact with the conductive layer located around the opening which is connected to a grounding wire. The housing also includes a compartment which houses a water absorbing pad and which is open to the exterior of the housing. The water absorbing sheet extends into the compartment, and the pad housed within the compartment is in contact with the sheet. The compartment is normally closed by a closure. An isolating plate is disposed in the opening to divide it into an upper and a lower area, thus preventing an ink which has found its way into the lower area from being dispersed into the upper area.

Charged ink particles detection housing

A support mechanism used for securely mounting a head, a charging electrode and a deflection electrode of an ink jet printer on a carriage. The mechanism includes a hollow cylindrical first holder for detachably holding the head and the charging electrode independently of each other, and a second holder for detachably holding the deflection electrode. The head, charging electrode and deflection electrode are readily mounted and demounted from their associated holders.

Ink jet head assembly

An apparatus for removing air from ink which is fed under pressure to a nozzle of an ink ejection head is disclosed. A first solenoid-operated valve is disposed between an ink pressurizing source and the nozzle. Located between the valve and the nozzle is a deaerating unit which has therein a bore for causing air entrained by the ink to surface. An air outlet is formed in an upper portion of the bore and opened and closed by a second solenoid-operated valve. Upon a stop of ink ejection, the first valve is closed (ink supply blocked) while the second valve is opened. Heaters are installed in the bore of the deaerating unit to heat ink inside the bore to a predetermined temperature, so that air in the ink is expanded to become readily separable from the ink.

Ink jet deaeration apparatus

In an ink jet printing apparatus wherein an ink ejection head is loaded on a carriage and, while the carriage moves relative to a sheet of paper, ink droplets are ejected from the head to be charged and deflected to impinge on the sheet of paper, a shape or a position of a conductive member carried on the carriage is varied to develop an electric field which is asymmetrical with respect to a predetermined plane in which charged ink droplets coming out from a charging electrode are to be deflected. The conductive member is constituted by a cover of the carriage, a shield plate, a gutter, a compensating electrode plate, a deflection electrode or the like.

Ink jet printing apparatus

An apparatus for detecting deflection of a charged ink droplet for use in an ink-jet printer is provided. The present apparatus comprises a support member and an electrode housing containing therein an electrode means for detecting the charge of the ink droplet connected to the support member through a link mechanism, and thus the housing may move relative to the support member. The present apparatus also comprises an adjusting screw which may change the position of the housing relative to the support member after mounting the support member to the base frame of an ink-jet printer. Accordingly, mounting of the present apparatus is greatly facilitated and the electrode assembly may be set in position without difficulty.

Apparatus for detecting deflection of a charged ink droplet.

The small clearance retention apparatus comprises a cylindrical rotating member, a recording or otherwise cooperating member disposed in close proximity with the cylindrical rotating member so as to maintain a small clearance, in the direction parallel to a generating line of the cylindrical rotating member, between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rotating member and the recording member, and a spacer for maintaining the small clearance constant. The spacer is formed by rollers supported rotatably by a support member other than the cylindrical rotating member and the recording member and the peripheral surface of the rollers are in pressure contact with the peripheral surface at an end portion of the cylindrical rotating member, while the recording member is in pressure contact with support structure of the rollers.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Chuji Ishikawa