Abstract: A marking particle color blending device for use in an electrophotographic printing machine of the type having an electrostatic latent image recorded on a photoconductive member is provided. The device includes a first container for storing a first supply of marking particles defining a first color and a second container for storing a second supply of marking particles defining a second color. The device further includes a mixing chamber operably associated with the first container and the second container for receiving a least a portion of at least one of the first supply of marking particles and the second supply of marking particles. The device also includes a first metering device operably associated with the first container and the mixing chamber for accurately controlling the quantity of the first supply of marking particles entering the mixing chamber.

Abstract: A sensor detects the leading edge of the print medium. A position counter counts a time length required for the print medium to advance from where the print medium is detected by the sensor to the photosensitive drum. The position counter also counts a time length for the print medium to advance past the photosensitive drum. The distance of the toner image from the leading edge of the print medium is determined on the basis of the image data of print data. A row counter counts the number of dots in a direction in which the print medium is transported and a column counter counts the number of dots in a direction perpendicular to the direction the print medium is transported. The distance between the first line of an image data and the line in which a first dot to be printed in the image data is determined on the basis of the contents of the column counter and the row counter.

Abstract: In an electrostatographic reproduction machine having a charged imaging member and an optics assembly for forming a properly registered latent image on the charged imaging member, a quick and precise optics assembly realignment tool mounted removably within the machine for realigning the optics assembly, after repair or remanufacture of such optics assembly. The realignment tool includes a generally rectangular frame having four sides forming four corners, and three non-adjustable position leg members, that are formed integrally with the frame at three of the four corners for initially locating and referencing the frame relative to a reference surface within the machine. The tool also includes one adjustable position leg member mounted slidably for adjustable movement at a fourth corner for initially compensating for any runout of the reference surface, so as to achieve a properly aligned optics assembly within the machine.

Abstract: A printhead structure (106) for use in a DEP (Direct Electrostatic Printing) device is provided, made from an insulating material comprising control electrodes in combination with printing apertures, characterized in that:(i) the printhead structure comprises individual control electrodes (106a), each of the individual control electrodes being combined with at least one aperture (107), on one side of the printhead structure,(ii) each of the individual control electrodes (106a) is located on the same side of the insulating material and(iii) the apertures are rectangles with an aspect ratio (AR), defined as the ratio of the width of the apertures in their long axis (WL) over the width of the apertures in a direction perpendicular to this long axis (WD), larger than 1. In a preferred embodiment each single control electrode controls two printing apertures with AR>1 and these two apertures are separated by a portion of the control electrode controlling them.

Abstract: A photographic printing method and apparatus for producing photo prints from a plurality of separated negative film pieces of a negative film. The present invention enables efficient printing operation by allowing an operator of the photographic printing apparatus to subject all of the negative film pieces of the negative film, as a whole, to a data reading operation, a print determining operation, and a printing operation. Thus, the present invention eliminates delay times that exist when negative film pieces are individually subjected to the data reading, print condition determining, and printing operations.

Abstract: An image forming method includes forming an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member having a surface of which contact angle with water is at least 90.degree., forming a toner layer on a toner carrying member, bringing the toner layer into contact with the surface of the image bearing member on which the electrostatic latent image has been formed, while rotating the image bearing member and the toner carrying member reciprocally, and developing the electrostatic latent image by the use of the toner of the toner layer to form a toner image.

Abstract: Magnetic carrier particles are removed from a photoconductive image member by subjecting the carrier particles to a magnetic field while or after exposing the photoconductive image member to erasing radiation in the absence of a substantial electrical field affecting the carrier particles.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus with an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder), a conveyor mechanism sequentially conveys documents from a document feeding section to a document collecting section by way of a slit for scanning the documents. The feeding section and collecting section are disposed one above the other. The ADF including the feeding section and collecting section can be bodily pulled out toward the operator away from a scanner including a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, lens, and light source.

Abstract: An electrographic printer device for printing tape-shaped recording media (10) in duplex and simplex printing contains two transfer printing stations (15/1,15/2) that can be pivoted against and away from the photoconductive drum (11). The first transfer printing station (15/1) serves for transferring toner images allocated to the front side, the second transfer printing station (15/2) serves for transferring back side toner images. A mechanical buffer storage (29) and a turn-over means (28) with preceding intermediate fixing station in the form of a photoflash fixing station (31) are arranged between the transfer printing stations (15/1,15/2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an overall original-copy recording function for effecting image recording automatically in one simple operation without loss of any part of the overall original image. A scanner is used to scan an original copy to detect the original-copy size. In the absence of an original-copy skew, the original-copy size is assumed to be equal in size to the original image, whereas in the presence of the original-copy skew, the size of a square internally touched by the skewed original copy is made the original image. Selection is made of copying paper whose size is greater than a combination of the detected original-copy size and a copying paper skew and of a memory corresponding to the selected copying paper size, so that the original image that has been read is stored. The original image is formed on the selected copying paper before being output.

Abstract: In numerous applications of large-area patterning systems, the preferred image magnification is unity. However, in some applications, the size of the substrate may change slightly due to various thermal and/or chemical processing steps. To compensate for scale changes of the substrate, the magnification of the imaging system must vary slightly from unit magnification (typically by a fraction of a percentage) so that a layer already patterned on the substrate will have, after processing, proper image registration with the subsequent layer.This disclosure describes a lithography system for exposing large substrates at high imaging resolution and high exposure throughput, and specifically relates to a scan-and-repeat patterning system that employs a unitary mask-substrate stage and enables projection imaging of a substrate with capability to control the image magnification to compensate for changes of substrate dimensions occurring as a result of previous process steps.

Abstract: An electronic image processing apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of resources in an arbitrary configuration. Each of the resources provides an associated processor storing data related to operational capabilities of the associated resource. The controller is adapted to dynamically configure the image processing apparatus to operate in accordance with the the operational capabilities of each of the processors by defining job requirements as a combination of images defining a set of sheets and specifying compilations of sheets. The job requirement is converted into an assembly tree relationship for merging into additional assembly trees for formulating the job requirement.

Abstract: The present invention provides a film cartridge which can be looked up easily and a film image input system which can obtain a high quality image by using the film cartridge. The image signal of each frame image, of which the image quality is adjusted, is recorded in the EEPROM of the image record unit to be mounted on the film cartridge, in which the photo film is stored in a roll, so as to correspond to the frame number while the developed photo film is printed. And, the film image input system controls the adding circuit, the multiplying circuit and the gamma correction circuit based on the respective R, G, B color signals, which are respectively outputted to the black level controller, the white level controller and the gradation controller from the EEPROM, and outputs an image signal, which has the same gradation characteristics as that of the image signal which is recorded in the EEPROM, to the encoder.

Abstract: An electrostatographic liquid immersion development (LID) reproduction machine having an image bearing member and a multifunction image developer and conditioning apparatus that significantly reduces the number of components, size, costs, and shear-force related image defects of such machines. The multifunction apparatus includes a housing defining a sump portion, a recovery chamber, and an opening into the recovery chamber; liquid developer material contained in the sump portion for developing a latent image on the image bearing member; and a rotatable multifunction roller assembly for processing a developed image on the image bearing member. This roller assembly includes a rotatable roll having a porous metal core defining an inner surface, and a foam layer formed over the metal core defining a skin or outer surface. The rotatable roller is mounted partially within the recovery chamber and partially through the opening and into contact with the image bearing member to form an image processing nip therewith.

Abstract: A process and system for inhibiting toner offset in a electrostatographic apparatus of the kind wherein toner images are contact fused to a copy sheet. Drops of offset inhibiting liquid are discretely directed to predetermined locations on the contacting surface of the apparatus fuser member. For example, a drop on demand, piezoelectric drop generator can controllably jet drops of silicone oil to form desired offset inhibiting patterns in accord with apparatus control signals, indicative of particular copy sheet and image requirements.

Abstract: The conductive film (3) of a compliant doctor blade has dispersed particles of molybdenum disulfide, as well as dispersed particles of grit and conductive filler. The molybdenum disulfide eliminates filming of toner. The molybdenum disulfide may be a surface powder since the anti-film action occurs at the pre-nip and therefore is not lost by the molybdenum disulfide wearing away at the nip.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a developing device operable with toner or single component type developer has a hard first developing roller and a soft second developing roller. Fine magnetic N-S poles are formed on the periphery of the first roller. The second roller conveys the toner, electrostatically transferred thereto from the first roller, to an image carrier. The device frees a toner image from deterioration due to toner particles charged to a polarity opposite to an expected polarity. The toner forms a uniform thin layer on the first roller and is uniformly charged. Toner for use with this type of developing device is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image with liquid developing material. The apparatus includes a liquid developing material coating flow applicator for applying a substantially uniform coating of liquid developing material to a moving surface, wherein a housing, situated proximate to the moving surface, includes a fluid transport channel having a relatively narrow-width elongated outlet port for delivering a flow of liquid developing material to the moving surface, and an air flow channel having an elongated inlet aperture located adjacent the moving surface and immediately upstream from said outlet port for applying vacuum pressure to the flow of liquid developing material for varying the profile of the coating flow to provide variation of flow stability as well as thickness. A discussion of the effects of variations in the outlet port geometry, in particular, increasing the dimension between the downstream wall and the surface to be coated, has also been provided.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus is provided with a detecting means for detecting transfer efficiency when transferring a toner image from a photosensitive member to a transfer sheet, and a developing efficiency changing means for changing developing efficiency based on the transfer efficiency detected by the detecting means, and corrects the toner consumption predicted by the predicting means based on the transfer efficiency as detected by the detecting means, so as to determine the amount of toner to be replenished. When the developing efficiency is changed based on the transfer efficiency, toner consumption also changes, and does not match the predicted toner consumption. According to the present invention, toner concentration in a developer can be even more accurately controlled by correcting the predicted toner consumption by the change in transfer efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus capable of controlling the duration of voltages applied to line exposure elements in proportion to the gray levels of a color to produce a gentle gradation of the color. This is achieved in the present invention by converting exposure data into compensated exposure data in which the duration of the exposure operation is compensated according to predetermined characteristics. The duration of the exposure operation of the exposure device is then controlled according to the compensated exposure data to thereby produce a smooth, high quality gradation of color.