Citizen Watch Company, Ltd.

Nagao Mizutani

Toshio Kurihara

Masao Kunita

Yutaka Nishiyama

Yasuo Okawara

Yasuo Ohkawara

Hiroshi Ogawa

Makoto Yasunaga

Hisato Hiraishi

Takashi Sawada

Michio Koizumi

Yoshihiko Yanagawa

Tsutomu Iesaka

Toshikazu Shimazaki

Masamitsu Nojima

Shizuo Yamaguchi

Teruo Kinoshita

Naomichi Suzuki

Tohio Kurihara

Toyoji Asahina

An ink-jet printing head comprises a laminated unit integrally formed as a sintered ceramic product and including a bottom insulating plate element, a top insulating plate element, and a piezoelectric plate element between the bottom and top insulating plate element, the laminated unit having a pressure chamber formed at the piezoelectric plate element fillable with an ink, the piezoelectric plate element having electrode layers formed on opposite surfaces thereof surrounding the pressure chamber, the laminated unit also being provided with an orifice in communication with the pressure chamber. The piezoelectric plate element is constituted such that its thickness is reduced upon applying a drive pulse voltage thereto, resulting in a decrease of the pressure chamber volume, whereby an ink-jet drop is ejected from the orifice.

Printing head for ink-jet printer

A printer used as an electronic copying machine or a non-impact page printer. Toner is attracted to a latent image by using a laser beam or the like, and the toner image is transferred to a recording medium for printing. The toner image is first temporarily fixed on an intermediate transfer medium, and then transferred to the recording medium and permanently fixed thereon. The temporary fixation and the permanent fixation of the toner image are carried out by heating the intermediate transfer medium. The intermediate transfer medium may be heated by an electromagnetic induction heating system.

Electrophotographic printer

A cross point type dot matrix impact printer comprising a platen and a plurality of hammers arranged in the axial direction of the platen. The platen has a helix composed of a plurality of protrusions helically provided on the periphery thereof. The hammer has a hammer head which strikes each protrusion during the rotation of the platen for performing the dot matrix impact printing.

Printing mechanism for dot matrix printers

A device for detecting a travel condition of an inkribbon for printers is disclosed. The device is composed of a rotary member rotatable in response to the travel of the inkribbon and a signal generation means interlocked with the rotary member. The signal generation means generates a detection signal and can not only detect trouble of the detection device but also detect a mode in operation of a carrier on which the detection device is arranged as well as detect the travel of the inkribbon.

Device for detecting travel condition of inkribbon for printers

A dot matrix impact printer of the type which has a platen having a helical projection, a plurality of hammers arranged in the axial direction of the platen to cross the helical projection, and means for feeding an ink to the periphery of the helical projection. The platen is rotated and the hammer strikes the helical projection interposing the recording paper, so that dot matrix printing may be performed. In order to prevent the contamination of the recording paper with the ink, there is provided a separating member of resilient material along the helical projection. The periphery of the separating member is slightly higher than the helical projection, so that the recording paper is separated from the helical projection. The separating member is compressed by impacting the hammer so that the ink may be transferred to the paper.

Printing mechanism for dot matrix impact printers

A position detector has first and second timing disks, each having at least one light-transmissive portion. The second timing disk is rotated at a predetermined speed ratio with respect to the first timing disk. A timing sensor is disposed in close proximity to the outer circumference of the first and second timing disks to provide a timing signal when both the light-transmissive portions of the first and second timing disks rotating at predetermined speeds simultaneously pass by the position of the timing sensor.

Position detector with two timing disks rotating at different speeds

A device for feeding an ink ribbon for use in a printing machine in which the ink ribbon is reciprocally run by rotating reels on which the ink ribbon is wound. The device has a main drive member, two driven members, a driving force transmission member, a follower members, a spring and a movement control member and thereby providing a useful and effective device without a nonsensitive zone upon changeover of the running direction of the ink ribbon.

Device for feeding ink ribbon

A printing apparatus includes a type drum the outer circumferential surface of which has a first set of type including a plurality of type faces arranged in a counter-clockwise spiral and a second set of type including a plurality of type faces arranged in a clockwise spiral. The type drum is both reciprocated and rotated in synchronous fashion by cooperation between reciprocating and rotating drive means so that the sets of type disposed on the type drum pass the positions of a plurality of printing hammers confronting the drum and adapted to perform printing by striking the type faces on the drum through an inked ribbon and recording medium.

Drum printer with helically arranged type sets

An inked ribbon changeover mechanism for a printing machine, in which a plurality of inked ribbons are looped over a plurality of guide members, respectively. The guide members are carried on a movable member, which is arranged to be movable to first and second positions relative to a printing head such that a selected one of the inked ribbons is placed in an operative position in which a portion of the selected one of the inked ribbons is located in a space between the printing head and a record medium when the printing head is in a printing position.

Multiple inked ribbon color changeover mechanism for printing machine

A printer especially suitable for printing letters and symbols on a recording media having portions of different thickness such as a bank deposit pass book foldable along a folding line. A movable platen is comprised of left and right units and a central unit which are moved toward and away from the recording medium by rotary cams and spring means so that the upper surfaces of the left, right and central units of the platen are always maintained in the same plane parallel with the running path of the printing head. Satisfactory printing can be made irrespective of the difference in the thickness of the portions of the recording medium.

Printer

A recording medium feeding apparatus for printer is disclosed wherein a web of a recording medium is fed and taken up by a take up reel. A web feeding mechanism and a reel driving mechanism are operated through a coupling means by a spring means in which energy is stored by a common driving means.

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Hachiouji, Japan

Nagao Mizutani