Patent ID: 6947168

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an image read/write head providing an image read line and including an image sensor for reading a document at the image read line, the image read/write head further including a substrate carrying a row of heating elements; a document transfer mechanism for transferring the document across the image read line; a recording paper transfer mechanism for transferring a recording paper across the row of heating elements; and an ink ribbon transfer mechanism for transferring an ink ribbon from a first winding core to a second winding core across the row of heating elements, the first winding core being rotatable for paying out the ink ribbon, the second winding core being rotatable for winding in the ink ribbon, the ink ribbon being sandwiched between the heating elements and the recording paper in passing across the row of heating elements; wherein the first winding core is arranged on one side of the image read/write head thicknesswise of the substrate, the second winding core being arranged on an opposite side of the image read/write head thicknesswise of the substrate.