Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Takeshi Kamada

Kazuyuki Hara

Shuichi Takahashi

Mitsuru Kondo

Masato Nakajima

Kenichi Takehara

Tamio Ohori

Noboru Furukawa

Toshiaki Kumashiro

Shinobu Fukoka

A thermal recording apparatus records information on a thermal recording sheet, the thermal recording sheet having a thermal characteristic by which the information is recorded through heating the thermal recording sheet to a first temperature and information which has been recorded on the thermal recording sheet is erased therefrom by heating the thermal recording sheet to a second temperature. The thermal recording apparatus includes, a thermal head for heating the thermal recording sheet in a pattern, a recording controller for driving the thermal head so that the thermal recording sheet is heated to the first temperature in a pattern corresponding to the information to be recorded, and an erasing controller for supplying thermal energy to the thermal recording sheet on which information has been recorded by using the thermal head so that the thermal recording sheet is heated to the second temperature.

Thermal recording apparatus using recording sheet made of thermal

A decurling device wherein paper is transported from a roll while being decurled by a decurling roller. A controller controls the decurling by temporarily stopping rotation of the decurling roller. Particular embodiments include provision of a pressing plate pressing the paper toward the decurling roller and control of the roller in accordance with curl of the paper by detection of diameter of the roll and by detection of path the paper follows during feeding.

Decurling device for a rolled recording paper

A device incorporated in a facsimile transceiver or similar recording apparatus of the type using a roll of paper for removing the curl of the paper. The device has a regular transport path, an uncurl transport path, and a separator fixed in place at a position where the two transport paths branch off. The separator steers the paper to either of the two transport paths on the basis of the height of a curl existing at the leading edge of the paper. The separator has a generally triangular configuration which has an apex at the center in the widthwise direction perpendicular to an intended direction of paper transport and inclines from the apex toward opposite ends. As a result, the paper is admitted into the regular transport path or the uncurl transport path little by little from part of the leading edge thereof.

Uncurling device

A document scanning apparatus includes an image signal part for generating a number of successive image signals from a document which is transported along a transport path between a pair of feeding rollers and a pair of ejection rollers, a first detection part for detecting a position of the document in the transport path where a document transport is disordered when a front edge of the document being transported comes in contact with the ejection rollers, a second detection part for detecting a position of the document in the transport path where the document transport is disordered when a rear edge of the document being transported separates from the feeding rollers, and a signal correction part for correcting a defective image signal when at least one of the first detection part and the second detection part detects the position of the document where the document transport is disordered, the defective image signal being corrected through a prescribed signal correction which is carried out for a number of image signals adjacent to the defective image signal which are received from the image signal part.

Document scanning apparatus having image signal correcting capability

An optical reader includes a transport mechanism for transporting a document in a document transport direction. The transport mechanism includes a lower guide plate and an upper guide plate opposite to the lower guide plate so as to form a gap through which the document is transported. The lower guide plate has an opening window. A light source obliquely projects light along a projection optical axis onto the document through the opening window. A read element receives light reflected by the document and outputting an electrical signal corresponding to the received light. The read element has a read optical axis along which the light reflected by the document comes. The read optical axis and the projection optical axis intersect on the side of the upper guide plate outside of the gap.

Optical reader and light source used for the same

A thermal recording apparatus for example for use in a facsimile machine includes a thermal printhead provided with a plurality of heat-producing elements arranged in the form of a single array and a platen roller which is pressed against the thermal printhead to keep a sheet of recording paper pressed against the array of heat-producing elements so that a heat pattern defined by the array of heat-producing elements is transferred to the sheet of recording paper efficiently. The platen roller is provided to be movable between a recording position where the platen roller is located separated away from the heat-producing elements so as to allow the sheet of recording paper to be separated away from the heat-producing elements and a stand-by position where the platen roller is located and adjacent to the heat-producing elements to keep the sheet of recording paper pressed against the heat-producing elements. The positioning of the platen roller between the stand-by and recording positions is automatically controlling depending on the mode of operation of the apparatus.

Thermal recording apparatus having a movable platen roller

An image reading and recording apparatus includes a read/write head in which a reading head and a recording head are assembled into a unitary head body, a sheet feeding mechanism for feeding a sheet in engagement with the head body at a predetermined engagement position, wherein the reading head and the recording head are provided respectively on the head body such that a distance between the reading head and the engagement position is set larger than a distance between the recording head and the engagement position.

Image reading and recording apparatus having a unitary read/write head

An input/output or reading/recording device includes an optical reader and a thermal recorder which are both fixedly mounted on a head unit integrally as spaced apart from each other, with the optical reader upstream of the recorder. A feed roller, which is driven to rotate, is pressed against the head unit and it is positioned to be pressed against the optical reader during a reading mode and against the recorder during a recording mode. Depending on the current mode of operation, an original document to be read or a recording medium to be recorded is passed between the head unit and the feed roller. Since the optical reader is located upstream of the recorder, when the device is operating in the recording mode, the optical reader can be activated at least partly to monitor the recording medium during the recording mode of operation.

Integrated reader/recorder

The facsimile transmission and reception apparatus comprises transportation means for originals and a recording paper transporation means, which are for transporting and positioning the original document and the recording paper substantially in the same width range normal to the movement direction of the original document and the recording paper, and the original document inserted, with an image information bearing side up, is transported substantially vertically from an upper position to a lower position.

Facsimile transmission and reception apparatus

A sheet of copy paper (24) is moved perpendicular to a linear array (22) of printing electrodes (221, 222, 223, 224 . . . ). The electrodes (221, 222, 223, 224 . . . ) are selectively energized to form an electrostatic charge pattern on the copy sheet (24) corresponding to one horizontal scan line of an original document. The electrostatic charge pattern is developed by a toner and the resulting toner image fixed to the copy sheet (24). The electrodes (221, 222, 223, 224 . . . ) are divided into a first set (221, 223, 225 . . . ) and a second set (222, 224, 226 . . . ), the electrodes in the second set (222, 224, 226 . . . ) being alternatingly spaced from the electrodes in the first set (221, 223, 225 . . . ) along the length of the array (22). The first set (221, 223, 225 . . . ) of electrodes are selectively energized during a first time period (t1) and the second set (222, 224, 226 . . . ) of electrodes are selectively energized during a subsequent second time period (t2). The second time period (t2) may be made longer than the first time period (t1) and/or a voltage (V2) applied to the second set (222, 224, 226 . . . ) of electrodes may be made higher than a voltage (V1) applied to the first set (221, 223, 225 . . . ) of electrodes.

Electrostatic printing apparatus comprising improved electrode drive

A recording head for use in a recording apparatus has a plurality of sets of recording electrodes corresponding to a plurality of line densities.

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Atsugi, Japan

Takeshi Kamada