Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Oki Data Corporation

Takao Uchida

Jiro Tanuma

Hiroshi Kikuchi

Akira Nagumo

Hideaki Ishimizu

Chihiro Komori

Naoji Akutsu

Masahiro Fukuda

Tadashi Kasai

Shigeki Nakajima

Shinichi Katakura

Yukio Ota

Takao Mizutani

Noboru Ooishi

Tadao Shimizu

Kuniharu Hayashi

Shyoichi Watanabe

Takashi Wakana

Masato Nagata

Toshiyuki Asaka

Naoki Sunaga

Koji Morimoto

Kazuaki Arai

Koichi Negishi

Ichiro Urata

Masaru Ito

Kunihal Hayashi

An image recording apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a print engine; a fixing unit; a medium sensor that outputs a detection signal when a recording medium passes said medium sensor; and a controller that determines from the detection signal whether an abnormal transportation of the recording medium has occurred or not, wherein when said controller determines from the detection signal during continuous printing that a following one of two consecutive pages of recording medium remains in said print engine after removing a preceding one of the two consecutive pages that has been abnormally transported, said controller controls said fixing unit to a predetermined temperature and subsequently allows the following one of the two pages to pass through said fixing unit at a first speed so that the following one of the two pages is discharged from the image recording apparatus.

Image recording apparatus having a lower fixing temperature

An image recording apparatus includes a print engine that transfers a toner image on a recording medium, and a medium sensor disposed at an entrance of the print engine. The medium sensor outputs a detection signal when a recording medium passes by the medium sensor. When a following one of two consecutive pages of the recording medium is jammed at an entrance of the print engine, a controller completes a printing operation of a preceding one of two consecutive pages and indicates the jam of the following one of the two consecutive pages. Alternatively, the controller may control the fixing unit to a predetermined temperature, subsequently allowing the recording medium to pass through the fixing unit at a first speed and to be discharged. Still alternatively, the controller causes the print engine to stop and subsequently discharges the recording medium.

Image recording apparatus detecting abnormal transportation of recording medium

A printer uses a consumable component having an internal fuse that is blown when the consumable component is installed. In one aspect of the invention, the consumable component includes a resistor connected in series with the fuse. Before the fuse is blown, the resistance value of the resistor is checked to make sure that the correct type of consumable component has been installed. In another aspect of the invention, if the fuse fails to blow on the first attempt, this is recorded in a memory and a second attempt is made later, the consumable component being used in the meantime. In still another aspect of the invention, the consumable component includes a resistor or thermistor connected in parallel with the fuse, enabling a consumable component with a blown fuse to be distinguished from a consumable component that is not installed.

Image-forming device having consumable component with internal fuse

An image-forming apparatus includes a developing roller and a developing blade. The developing blade applies toner to the developing roller to form a thin layer of toner on the developing roller. The image-forming apparatus performs a printing operation that includes a paper-feeding period and a developing period following the paper-feeding period. The developing roller rotates relative to the developing blade at a first speed during the paper-feeding period and then at a lower second speed than during the developing period, thereby eliminating chance of white lines of occurring in a printed image. The developing roller may be rotated at a constant speed in each printing operation until the circumferential surface of the developing roller has traveled over a certain cumulative distance. When the surface has traveled over the first distance, the developing roller may be rotated at an increased speed over a certain distance.

Image forming apparatus for normal and thick print media

A color image recording apparatus operates in a color print mode and in a monochrome printing mode. A set of color print heads are driven in accordance with corresponding color image data. A monochrome print head is driven in accordance with black image data. A controller transmits in parallel or in serial the color image data and the black image data to the corresponding print heads in a color printing mode. The controller transmits the black image data faster in the monochrome printing mode than in the color printing mode, thereby increasing printing speed. The controller may include signal processing circuits such as compressing circuits and expanding circuit for the respective color image data and black image data. In the monochrome printing mode, the controller divides the black image data into a plurality of segments and supplies the segments in parallel to the signal processing circuits. The signal processing circuits process the segments and supply the processed data to the monochrome print head in a predetermined sequence, thereby increasing printing speed.

Printer

An output buffer circuit drives an output terminal of an integrated circuit by means of at least two buffer circuits. A buffer control circuit in the output buffer circuit selectively enables or disables the buffer circuits to provide a driving capability suitable for the load connected to the output terminal. The buffer control circuit can decide which buffer circuits to disable by sensing the transition time of a signal output from the output terminal following a reset.

Output buffer circuit with adjustable driving capability

When the surface temperature of a heating roller exceeds a predetermined temperature, bearings that rotatably support the heating roller melt. Thus, a pressuring roller causes the heating roller to move toward a temperature detecting device. Thus, the heating roller comes in contact with the temperature detecting device. Consequently, when a defect takes place, the warm-up time after the temperature detecting device works until the power to the heater is shut off can be reduced. In addition or in the alternative, an electrode plate has edges electrically contacting and connecting the heater in the heating roller and a power supply. As the heating roller moves, electrical contact between the heater and the electrode plate is broken and the power from the power supply to the heater is disconnected. As a result, an electrophotographic printing apparatus can be prevented from getting defective, thereby improving the reliability thereof.

Overheating prevention device for a fixing unit

A drive system for a wire dot head is provided with sensors for detecting displacements of corresponding print wires. Each sensor outputs a movement initiation timing signal and an impact timing signal for the corresponding print wire. An electric current to be fed to an associated coil is normally controlled by these timing signals. It is detected whether these timing signals are obtained in a predetermined time period. If not, electric power is continuously fed to the coil or is forcedly cut off so that the timing signals are obtained within the predetermine time period.

Drive system for wire dot head

A drive current for driving actuators is generated based on a first digital signal comprising n-bit binary data which is supplied from a microprocessor and it is applied to an excitation coil. The drive current is supplied to the exciting coil and is converted into a voltage which is then converted into a second digital signal comprising n-bit binary data. The binary data of the second digital signal is compared with the digital data of the first digital signal to detect an alarm condition. Furthermore, the second digital signal is compared with first and second reference value to set plural alarm conditions.

Alarm control method

In a wire-dot impact printer having a capacitance detector for detecting a displacement of each armature by a sensor electrode arranged opposite the armature, a space is formed between each sensor electrode and its associated armature, and a shield pattern is formed with a small space left around each sensor electrode. The shield pattern is fed with a potential at least equal to the potential of each sensor electrode. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of noise upon detection of a capacitance by the capacitance detector. A noise canceling electrode is also disposed around each sensor electrode and is connected to the sensor electrode, whereby a noise canceling circuit is further provided to eliminate noise voltage. The noise canceling circuit can eliminate a noise voltage picked up by the sensor electrode and the noise canceling electrode.

Wire-dot impact printer

A card type integrated circuit device is provided with a terminal arrangement for adapting the device to both 8 bit and 16 bit external systems. The arrangement includes a central terminal array wherein terminals for carrying signals common to both 8 bit and 16 bit systems are disposed, and an end terminal array wherein terminals for carrying signals exclusive to a 16 bit system are disposed.

Card type integrated circuit and respective 8/16-bit card connector

Method of controlling an automatic sheet feeder using multiple pulses

Cut-sheet feeder control method

A pulse motor control apparatus for a polyphase excitation type pulse motor variably and independently controls excitation currents supplied to excitation coils. Ratios of any excitation current to other excitation currents supplied to the excitation coils are changed stepwise to rotate a composite magnetic field vector forward by those excitation coils each multiple of a real number of a predetermined unit angle at one time for controlling the rotational angle of a rotor of the pulse vector. The pulse motor control apparatus assures fine control for the rotational angle of the rotor compared with prior cases where currents supplied to a plurality of excitation coils are switched on and off for rotational control. Application of the present control apparatus to printers, etc., precludes replacement of gears, etc., due to types of print heads mounted thereon. Additional advantages such as inprovement of a torque ripple upon driving the pulse motor assure extensive application to various fields.

Drive circuit for a stepping motor control device

An IC card connecting mechanism connects an IC card having a terminal array with a connector for connecting the IC card to external equipment. The IC card connecting mechanism includes a frame of the IC card, having a peripheral rim provided with recesses at opposite ends of the front portion thereof, a terminal protecting member of the IC card, having a terminal protecting part for protectively covering the terminal array, and legs extending from the opposite longitudinal sides of the terminal protecting part and held at respective free ends thereof on the frame of the IC card. A body of the connector has guide legs for guiding the IC card upon inserting the IC card in the connector. Lifting devices provided in the body of the connector enter the recesses of the frame to lift up the terminal protecting part of the terminal protecting member when the IC card is inserted in the connector. Thus, the terminal protecting part of the terminal protecting member is lifted up automatically to expose the terminal array for electrical connection with conductors of the connector when the IC card is inserted in the connector.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Takao Uchida