A printer has a carriage being movable between a first end and a second end of a reciprocating path; and a driving force transmitting path selecting mechanism provided at the second end of the reciprocating path. The selecting mechanism has: a common driving force outputting member; a plurality of force receiving members; a selecting member; and a position retainer for keeping the position of the selecting member. The selecting member connects the force outputting member to one of the plurality of force receiving members, and moves in association with the carriage when the carriage moves in a vicinity of the second end in a first direction extending from the first end to the second end. The position retainer keeps the position of the selecting member when the carriage moves in a second direction extending from the second end to the first end. The force receiving member connected to the force outputting member via the selecting member is selected in accordance with a movement of the carriage along the reciprocating path.

A printing apparatus includes a printhead on a movable carriage; an operating unit operating by a driving force of a driving source; a transmitting unit being displaced by the driving force between a position where the transmitting unit transmits the driving force to the operating unit and a non-transmitting position; a movable member arranged on a moving path of the carriage; a restricting member being displaced, in coordination with a displacement of the movable member, between a position where the displacement of the transmitting unit is restricted and a non-restricting position; and a selecting member provided between the movable member and the restricting member. The selecting member is displaced between a position where the movable member and the restricting member are coordinated with each other by the selecting member and a non-coordinating position.

A recording apparatus has a carriage in which a head unit including a recording head is disposed. By turning the head unit within the carriage about a pivot that extends in a direction intersecting a head surface, the angle of the recording head is adjusted while maintaining good contact between a data storage unit included in an ink cartridge and a contact terminal included in the carriage.

An inkjet printing apparatus includes an inkjet print head arranged to be moveable in a direction of movement along a guiding assembly. The guiding assembly includes a support structure; a strip mounted on the support structure, the strip being rigidly straight in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement and mounted in such way that a straightness in the direction of movement is provided; and an air bearing system operatively coupled to the strip. The strip extends in a vertical plane, the vertical plane being substantially parallel to the direction of movement and being substantially parallel to the first direction. The air bearing system is configured to control a position of the inkjet print head in a horizontal plane relative to the strip during movement of the print head in the direction of movement, the horizontal plane being substantially perpendicular to the vertical plane. Employing such a strip and a suitable mounting method for mounting the strip on the support structure, it is enabled to select a cost-effective and/or light-weight support structure.

An inkjet printing apparatus includes an inkjet print head arranged to be moveable in a direction of movement along a guiding assembly. The guiding assembly includes a support structure; a strip mounted on the support structure, the strip being rigidly straight in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement and mounted in such way that a straightness in the direction of movement is provided; and an air bearing system operatively coupled to the strip. The strip extends in a vertical plane, the vertical plane being substantially parallel to the direction of movement and being substantially parallel to the first direction. The air bearing system is configured to control a position of the inkjet print head in a horizontal plane relative to the strip during movement of the print head in the direction of movement, the horizontal plane being substantially perpendicular to the vertical plane. Employing such a strip and a suitable mounting method for mounting the strip on the support structure, it is enabled to select a cost-effective and/or light-weight support structure.

In a control system, a controller is configured to determine presence or absence of an obstructed area within the intermediate section, and control movement of the moving body in accordance with a selected one of controlling methods including a first and a second control methods. The first control method causes the moving body to move at a first constant speed in the processing section defined within the intermediate section and at a second constant speed faster than the first constant speed in at least a part of a non-processing section within the intermediate section and other than the processing section, the first control method being selected when the obstructed area is absent. The second control method causes the moving body to move at the first constant speed in the processing section and the non-processing section, the second control method being selected when the obstructed area is present.

A printer has a carriage being movable between a first end and a second end of a reciprocating path; and a driving force transmitting path selecting mechanism provided at the second end of the reciprocating path. The selecting mechanism has: a common driving force outputting member; a plurality of force receiving members; a selecting member; and a position retainer for keeping the position of the selecting member. The selecting member connects the force outputting member to one of the plurality of force receiving members, and moves in association with the carriage when the carriage moves in a vicinity of the second end in a first direction extending from the first end to the second end. The position retainer keeps the position of the selecting member when the carriage moves in a second direction extending from the second end to the first end. The force receiving member connected to the force outputting member via the selecting member is selected in accordance with a movement of the carriage along the reciprocating path.

A system and method for testing printheads is disclosed. The system comprises an optical sensor mounted on a movable carriage. The optical sensor is moved past a nozzle to be tested on the printhead while the nozzle ejects ink. The output signal of the optical sensor can be used to determine when the trajectory of the ejected ink is improper.

Regarding an image forming apparatus for printing an input image and including a print head having a head sensor configured to sense information from the input image printed on a print medium, there is a method of determining a head sensor position parameter in the image forming apparatus. The method includes printing a first swath of the input image on the print medium and determining the head sensor position parameter by performing a sub-method. The sub-method includes capturing, via the head sensor, a target image from the printed first swath, comparing the target image to a reference image for the first swath based upon the input image, and determining the head sensor position parameter based on a relative shift between the target image and the reference image.

A system and method for testing printheads is disclosed. The system comprises an optical sensor mounted on a movable carriage. The optical sensor is moved past a nozzle to be tested on the printhead while the nozzle ejects ink. The output signal of the optical sensor can be used to determine when the trajectory of the ejected ink is improper.