Laser actuated recording apparatus

Claim 2

A laser -- actuated recording apparatus comprising: recording member supporting means for supporting a recording member; an ink holding unit including a plurality of recording head cartridges, a plurality of ink vessels containing inks, and a plurality of ink supply pipes detachably connecting said ink vessels to said recording head cartridges, said ink holding unit selectively locating one of said recording head cartridges at a position opposite to said recording member supporting means, and each of said recording head cartridges forming a layer of ink, supplied from a corresponding one of said ink vessels through a corresponding one of said ink supply pipes, on its opposing surface which is opposite to said recording member supporting means when it is located at the opposing position; and means for heating the layer of ink on the opposing surface of one of said recording head cartridges to generate a bubble in the layer of ink and causing the ink to fly from one of said recording head cartridges toward the recording member supported by said recording member supporting means by a pressure of the bubble.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said recording head cartridges includes a base member, an ink-holding-chamber forming member mounted on said base member to form an ink holding chamber for storing a layer of ink, and a light guide means for guiding a laser beam onto said recording head cartridge into the ink holding chamber, said ink-holding-chamber forming member has a plurality of ink ejecting pores through which ink is ejected from the ink holding chamber by a pressure of the bubble.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said heating means has laser beam emitting means for emitting a laser beam onto one of said recording head cartridges located at the opposing position, and heating the layer of ink on the opposing surface of one of said recording head cartridges to generate a bubble therein, wherein said base member has a light-transmitting property and constitutes said light guide means.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said recording head cartridges includes a plurality of light-absorbing members mounted in the ink holding chamber so as to face the ink ejecting pores, said laser beam emitting means emits said laser beam to eject ink from at least a selected one of the ink ejecting pores, and the laser beam emitted into the ink holding chamber through said light guide means is applied onto at least one of said light absorbing members corresponding to at least said selected one of the ink ejecting pores.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said light guide means includes a plurality of laser-beam collecting lenses mounted to correspond to said plurality of light-absorbing members, so that the laser beam emitted into the ink holding chamber through said light guide means is effectively applied onto at least one of said light absorbing members corresponding to at least said selected one of the ink ejecting pores.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said heating means has laser beam emitting means for emitting a laser beam onto one of said recording head cartridges located at the opposing position, and heating the layer of ink on the opposing surface of one of said recording heat cartridges to generate a bubble therein, said base member has a light-transmitting property and constitutes said light guide means.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said ink-holding-chamber forming member includes a plurality of partition walls provided between the adjacent ink ejection pores so as to partition the ink holding chamber into a plurality of small sections each of which has one ink ejecting pore.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said heating means includes laser beam emitting means for emitting a laser beam onto one of said recording head cartridges located at the opposing position, and heating the layer of ink on the opposing surface of one of said recording head cartridges to generate a bubble therein, said base member has a light-transmitting property and constitutes said light guide means.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of said recording head cartridges includes a plurality of light-absorbing members mounted in the ink holding member so as to face the ink ejecting pores, said laser beam emitting means emits a laser beam to eject ink from at least a selected one of the ink ejecting pores, and the laser beam emitted into the ink holding chamber through said light guide means is applied onto at least one of said light absorbing members corresponding to at least said selected one of the ink ejecting pores.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said light guide means includes a plurality of laser-beam collecting lenses mounted to correspond to said plurality of light-absorbing members, so that the laser beam emitted into the ink holding chamber through said light guide means is effectively applied onto at least one of said light absorbing members corresponding to at least said selected one of the ink ejecting pores.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heating means has laser beam emitting means for emitting a laser beam onto one of said recording head cartridges located at the opposing position, and heating the layer of ink on the opposing surface of one of said recording head cartridges to generate a bubble therein, said base member has a light-transmitting property and constitutes said light guide means.

Claim 13

A laser-actuated recording apparatus comprising: recording member supporting means for supporting a recording member; an ink holding unit including a plurality of recording head cartridges, a plurality of elastic ink cartridges detachably attached to one side surface of said recording head cartridges so as to cover the one side surface thereof and containing inks, said ink holding unit selectively locating one of said recording head cartridges at a position opposite to said recording member supporting means, so that the other side surface of the selected recording head cartridge, which is located at the opposing side of said head cartridge to one side surface thereof, faces the recording member supported by said recording member supporting means, each of said recording head cartridges forming a layer of ink, supplied from corresponding one of said elastic ink cartridges, on the other side surface thereof; and means for heating the layer of ink on the other side surface of one of said recording head cartridges to generate a bubble in the layer of ink and causing the ink to fly from one of said recording head cartridges toward the recording member supported by said recording member supporting means by a pressure of the bubble.

Claim 14

A laser-actuated recording apparatus comprising: recording member supporting means for supporting a recording member; an ink holding unit including a plurality of recording head cartridges, a plurality of elastic ink cartridges detachably attached to one side surface of said recording head cartridges so as to cover the one side surface thereof and containing inks, said ink holding unit selectively locating one of said recording head cartridges at a position opposite to said recording member supporting means, so that the other side surface of the selected recording head cartridge, which is located at the opposing side of said head cartridge to one side surface thereof, faces the recording member supported by said recording member supporting means, each of said recording head cartridges forming a layer of ink, supplied from corresponding one of said elastic ink cartridges, on the other side surface thereof; and means for heating the layer of ink on the other side surface of one of said recording head cartridges to generate a bubble in the layer of ink and causing the ink to fly from one of said recording head cartridges toward the recording member supported by said recording member supporting means by a pressure of the bubble.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each of said recording head cartridges includes said heating means and said heating means includes laser beam emitting means for emitting laser beam onto one of said recording head cartridges located at the opposing position, and heating the layer of ink on the opposing surface of one of said recording head cartridges to generate a bubble therein, a base member, an ink-holding-chamber forming member mounted on said base member to form an ink holding chamber for storing a layer of ink, and a light guide means for guiding the laser beam emitted onto said recording head cartridge into the ink holding chamber, said ink-holding-chamber forming member having a plurality of ink ejecting pores through which ink is ejected from the ink holding chamber by a pressure of the bubble.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each of said recording head cartridges includes a plurality of light-absorbing members mounted on said light guide means in the ink holding chamber so as to correspond to the ink ejecting pores, said laser beam emitting means emits said laser beam to eject ink from at least a selected one of the ink ejecting pores, and the laser beam emitted into the ink holding chamber through said light guide means is applied on to at least one of said light absorbing members corresponding to at least said selected one of the ink ejecting pores.