An ink jet recording apparatus

Claim 2

An ink jet recording apparatus wherein ink is ejected on a recording medium to effect recording, comprising: a platen for regulating a recording surface of the recording medium; a confining member contactable to said platen to confine the recording medium; and an elastic member, disposed at a bottom of said apparatus, for urging said confining member to said platen.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to Claim 1, further comprising switching means for selectively urging said confining member toward said platen and releasing it from the platen.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said switching means includes a rotatable shaft having a cam configuration contactable with a part of said elastic member, wherein said selective operation is effected by rotating the shaft.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the shaft supports said confining member by friction force.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said platen functions also as a recording medium feeding roller, wherein said platen has a surface layer made urethane resin or acrylic resin material, and wherein at least that part of said confining member which is contactable to said platen is made of fluorine resin material or carbon fiber containing material.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the ink is ejected using heat produced by an electrothermal transducer element.

Claim 8

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a discharging roller for discharging a recording medium during a recording operation; an auxiliary rotatable member for urging the recording medium to said discharging roller to apply conveying force to the recording medium; a supporting member for rotatably supporting said auxiliary rotatable member, said supporting member is movable relative to said apparatus; a positioning member disposed at a position having a fixed positional relation with an axis of said discharging roller and contactable with a part of said supporting member; and urging means for urging said supporting member to said positioning member.

Claim 9

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a discharging roller for discharging a recording medium during a recording operation; an auxiliary rotatable member for urging the recording medium to said discharging roller to apply conveying force to the recording medium; a supporting member for rotatably supporting said auxiliary rotatable member, said supporting member is movable relative to said apparatus; a positioning member disposed at a position having a fixed positional relation with an axis of said discharging roller and contactable with a part of said supporting member; and urging means for urging said supporting member to said positioning member.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said supporting member is a cover for covering said apparatus.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the ink is ejected using heat produced by an electrothermal transducer, to effect the recording operation.

Claim 12

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a main rotatable member for feeding a recording medium; a follower rotatable member urged toward said main rotatable member to rotate following said main rotatable member; a coil spring shaft for rotatably supporting said follower rotatable member, wherein said urging is effected by a bending resiliency of said coil shaft.

Claim 13

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a main rotatable member for feeding a recording medium; a follower rotatable member urged toward said main rotatable member to rotate following said main rotatable member; a coil spring shaft for rotatably supporting said follower rotatable member, wherein said urging is effected by a bending resiliency of said coil shaft.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said shaft is supported at its opposite ends for slidable movement in its longitudinal direction.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said shaft is prevented from vending beyond a predetermined degree adjacent a position where said follower rotatable member is rotatably supported.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said main rotatable member functions as a sheet discharging roller, and said follower rotatable member functions as an auxiliary roller for urging the recording medium to said main rotatable member.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said main rotatable member functions as a sheet discharging roller, and said follower rotatable member functions as a transmission roller for transmitting rotational driving force to said main rotatable member.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein the ink is ejected by heat produced by an electrothermal transducer element to effect recording.

Claim 19

A conveying roller for conveying a recording medium usable with an ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a core member; and a tube of elastic material covering said core member.

Claim 20

A conveying roller for conveying a recording medium usable with an ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a core member; and a tube of elastic material covering said core member.

Claim 21

A roller according to Claim 16, wherein the elastic material is rubber.

Claim 22

A roller according to Claim 16, wherein said conveying roller functions as a recording medium discharging roller, and said core member is stepped to have a smaller dimension at a longitudinally central portion thereof.

Claim 23

A roller according to Claim 18, wherein said core member has a groove extending in its longitudinal direction beyond a portion covered by said tube.

Claim 24

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: recording means for relative movement with a recording medium, while ink is ejected from said recording means to the recording medium to provide an image on the recording medium; and conveying means for conveying the recording medium, said conveying means including a core member of a stepped configuration having a relatively smaller diameter at its longitudinally central portion and an elastic material covering a surface of said core member including the central portion.

Claim 25

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: recording means for relative movement with a recording medium, while ink is ejected from said recording means to the recording medium to provide an image on the recording medium; and conveying means for conveying the recording medium, said conveying means including a core member of a stepped configuration having a relatively smaller diameter at its longitudinally central portion and an elastic material covering a surface of said core member including the central portion.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein said core member has a groove extending in its longitudinal direction beyond a portion thereof covered by the elastic material.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein said recording medium ejects the ink using heat produced by an electrothermal transducer.

Claim 28

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a recording medium discharge outlet; and a tray for receiving recording mediums discharged through said outlet, said tray having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top end is disposed adjacent a linear extension of sheet discharge line, and the bottom end is disposed below said discharge outlet, and wherein said tray has a length, measured in the direction of recording medium discharge, than a length of the recording medium.

Claim 29

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a recording medium discharge outlet; and a tray for receiving recording mediums discharged through said outlet, said tray having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top end is disposed adjacent a linear extension of sheet discharge line, and the bottom end is disposed below said discharge outlet, and wherein said tray has a length, measured in the direction of recording medium discharge, than a length of the recording medium.

Claim 30

An apparatus according to Claim 23, wherein said tray functions also as a cover of said apparatus.

Claim 31

An apparatus according to Claim 24, further comprising a member for closing said inlet to prevent the discharged recording medium from moving into said outlet.

Claim 32

An apparatus according to Claim 23, wherein said tray has a length which is 70 - 80 % of the recording medium.

Claim 33

An apparatus according to Claim 23, wherein ink is ejected using heat produced by an electrothermal transducer element to effect recording.

Claim 34

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a recording head for depositing ink onto a recording medium to effect recording; conveying means for conveying the recording medium from a supply position to a discharge position through a recording position where said recording head is disposed; said conveying means including feeding means for feeding the recording medium to the feeding position, moving means for moving the recording medium at the recording position relative to said recording head to the discharge position, and stacking means for stacking the recording mediums at the discharge position; wherein said apparatus is operable in a first position where said recording apparatus is so placed that the ink is ejected from said recording head substantially horizontally and in a second position where the ink is ejected from said recording head substantially vertically; wherein said feeding means and stacking means are above said recording head in said first position, and said feeding means and stacking means are disposed at opposite sides of said recording head in said second position; and wherein said stacking means is inclined upwardly in said second position, an upstream end portion of said stacking means, with respect to a direction of recording medium discharge, is below a sheet discharge outlet, and a downstream end portion of said stacking means is above the upstream end portion of said stacking means and below a horizontal extension of the outlet.

Claim 35

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a recording head for depositing ink onto a recording medium to effect recording; conveying means for conveying the recording medium from a supply position to a discharge position through a recording position where said recording head is disposed; said conveying means including feeding means for feeding the recording medium to the feeding position, moving means for moving the recording medium at the recording position relative to said recording head to the discharge position, and stacking means for stacking the recording mediums at the discharge position; wherein said apparatus is operable in a first position where said recording apparatus is so placed that the ink is ejected from said recording head substantially horizontally and in a second position where the ink is ejected from said recording head substantially vertically; wherein said feeding means and stacking means are above said recording head in said first position, and said feeding means and stacking means are disposed at opposite sides of said recording head in said second position; and wherein said stacking means is inclined upwardly in said second position, an upstream end portion of said stacking means, with respect to a direction of recording medium discharge, is below a sheet discharge outlet, and a downstream end portion of said stacking means is above the upstream end portion of said stacking means and below a horizontal extension of the outlet.

Claim 36

An apparatus according to Claim 28, wherein said stacking means has a length which is 70 - 80 % of a length of the recording medium.