A printing apparatus includes a transport roller configured to transport a print medium in a transport direction, a print head configured to print on the print medium, a platen having first suction arrays each including at least a first suction hole having a first diameter and second suction arrays each including at least a second suction hole having a second diameter that is different from the first diameter, the first suction arrays and the second suction arrays being alternately arranged in a direction intersecting the transport direction, a suction fan configured to suck the print medium through frame portions each having one first suction array and one second suction array, and a shutter mechanism configured to open or close the frame portions stepwise.

Each of a first image processing unit and a second image processing unit is configured to generate print data to be used by a printing unit based on image data generated by a controller. The controller comprises a transmission control unit configured to select, based on a sheet size which is a print setting corresponding to a print job as a condition, one of first transmission control of controlling a transmission unit to alternately transmit band data included in first image data and band data included in second image data and second transmission control of controlling the transmission unit so that the band data included in the second image data will be transmitted after the band data included in the first image data has been transmitted.

There is provided an image recording apparatus including: an endless belt which extends in a conveying direction and which has a conveying surface configured to convey a medium; a driver configured to rotate the endless belt along the conveying direction; a support which is aligned with the endless belt in an orthogonal direction being parallel to the conveying surface and orthogonal to the conveying direction, the support having a pair of support walls extending in the conveying direction, and arranged at an interval in the orthogonal direction so as to define between each other a space opened in an orientation in which the conveying surface faces; an air flow generator configured to generate an air flow allowed to flow along the conveying direction in the space between the support walls; and a recorder configured to record an image on the medium supported by the endless belt and the support.

An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction and multiple plates which are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction. These multiple plates include a first type of plate and a second type of plate. Plates of a first type of plate are configured to overlap a sheet when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the widthwise direction, while plates of the second type of plate do not.

In an example, a media guide assembly includes a support structure, a first media guide, and a second media guide moveably coupled to the support structure. In that example, the second media guide includes a surface that generates a wedge effect to move the second media guide to a level when contacted by a force. In another example, an example print apparatus includes a support structure, a first media guide, and a second media guide substantially parallel to the first media guide with respect to a media advance direction. In that example, the second media guide includes a position control mechanism to place force on a media path surface of the second media guide towards a rest position where the media path surface of the second media guide is substantially parallel to the media path surface of the first media guide.

An image forming apparatus may include a mechanism for forming a corrugated shape in a sheet to be conveyed. The mechanism may include various components include one or more pressing portions, one or more ribs, one or more discharge rollers, a switching mechanism and the like. In one arrangement, ribs and pressing portions configured to create the corrugated shape may be disposed at various locations upstream or downstream of the platen, recording portion and/or nozzles thereof. In one example, pressing portions may be disposed both upstream and downstream of the nozzles of the recording portion to maintain a corrugated shape in the conveyed sheet. Various other configurations may be used.

Method for holding substrates on a flatbed printing system. After positioning the substrates on the substrate support surface, a leak air area not covered by the substrates is covered by positioning a flexible cover device at least over the leak air area, and preferably over the substrates as well. Thereby, air flow through the through-holes is prevented. An under-pressure is then applied to the through-holes, sucking the substrates against the substrate support surface. The flexible cover device is then withdrawn to expose the substrate for printing while the under-pressure is maintained. It was found that despite the additional amount of air passing through the through-holes uncovered by the withdrawal of the flexible cover device, the under-pressure surprisingly remained sufficient to properly hold the substrates for printing. An additional advantage is that the cover device may be applied easily and rapidly over the leak air area and substrates at once.

A media holder assembly (11) includes a base (13) secured to a platform (15). The platform (15) has a central cylindrical depression (16). A first hub (20) protrudes from the center of the depression (16). A first spring (24), concentric to the first hub (20) biases a second, ring-shaped hub (30) which is fitted over the first spring (24). The second hub (30) is slidably engaged to the first hub (20). A second spring (26), concentric to the first hub (20) and sized to fit around the second hub (30), biases a third, ring-shaped hub (40) which is fitted over the second spring (26). The third hub (40) is slidably engaged to the second hub (30) and to the inner wall (17) of the cylindrical depression (16). The first hub (20), the second hub (30), and the third hub (40) are sized to accommodate media rolls of different sizes.

A printing apparatus includes: a roll paper container portion that accommodates roll paper formed into a roll by wrapping recording paper around a core; a transportation roller that transports the recording paper in a transportation direction; a buffering member that moves in contact with the recording paper; and a guide member that is provided upstream of the buffering member in the transportation direction and guides the core of the roll paper that is moved from an inside of the roll paper container portion to an outside.

A paper bucket for a printer with a self-adjusting spindle mechanism capable of accommodating media rolls of varying width is provided, together with a printer having such a paper bucket and corresponding method. The adjustable paper bucket may have a bucket frame and oppositely disposed wall assemblies pivotally mounted in the bucket frame. The adjustable paper bucket may further include oppositely disposed vertical flanges, each of the vertical flanges being pivotally mounted to a respective one of the wall assemblies. A spindle flange is rotatably mounted to each vertical flange for accepting a media roll therebetween. A motion linkage connects the wall assemblies together such that a movement of one of the wall assemblies results in an equal and opposite movement of the other one of the wall assemblies.