Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a printer section and a control section which controls the printer section. The control section controls a developing roller driving section to stop the rotation of a developing roller when an image on a recording medium is erased when the printer section operates in an image erasing mode, alternatively, the control section includes an image formation fee counter and an erasure fee counter provided separately from the image formation fee counter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: an attachment of a cartridge configured to accommodate a color material; a memory configured to memorize a current cartridge information which shows whether the cartridge attached to the attachment is a first cartridge which accommodates a first color material or a second cartridge which accommodates a second color material; and a controller configured to read the current cartridge information from said memory when the current cartridge attached to the attachment is exchanged to a new cartridge, further said controller configured to judge the new cartridge based on the current cartridge information read from said memory, further said controller configured to temporary stop initiating of a supply of the color material from the new cartridge until the color material supplied from the current cartridge remains in the image forming apparatus when the new cartridge is different from the current cartridge and said controller configured to initiate a supply of the color materia

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reading section for fetching first color image data subjected to color separation, a circuit for converting the first color image data into second color image data, a unit for forming a duplicate image of the first color image data by using recording materials of different types based on the second color image data, a unit for calculating the consumptions of the recording materials used for image formation in the image forming unit, and a unit for calculating a charge value for image formation based on the consumption.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes a platen for transporting a recording medium at a prescribed speed, a ribbon drive for transporting a thermoplastic ink ribbon which has a thermoplastic agent and thermal expansible particles contained in the thermoplastic agent in parallel with the recording medium at a speed slower than the transporting speed of the recording medium and a heater for selectively heating the thermoplastic ink ribbon so as to transfer the thermoplastic agent onto the recording medium.

Abstract: A thermal transfer color printer for printing color images on individual sheets of paper. One sheet of paper at a time is removed from a stack of paper stored in a cassette and this sheet is transported by a reversible platen roller in a first or forward direction at a first predetermined rate. While the sheet of paper is gripped between the reversible platen roller and one or more pinch rollers, slack is removed by a slack removing device. A multicolored ink ribbon with successively arranged color segments also is transported in the first direction at the same predetermined rate. A thermal printhead presses against the reversible platen roller to press the ink ribbon and sheet of paper together as they move in the first direction. Energization of the thermal elements on the thermal printhead by color component signals corresponding to the current color of the ink ribbon causes the particular current color to be thermally and selectively transferred to the sheet of paper.

Abstract: To reduce the areas of a display panel and an input panel of a copying machine, for instance, the two panels are combined at the same place. The combination panel comprises a liquid crystal display panel for displaying various data thereon in response to a display signal indicative of x- and y-coordinates, and a transparent electrode-matrix touch panel superposed upon the display panel to enter operation data related to the displayed data when a user touches the surface thereof at the position under which the data is being displayed to generate an operation signal indicated by the same x- and y-coordinates. A Fresnel lens is placed on the display unit or under the touch panel to deflect light toward the user. Further, a sensor is disposed in the touch panel so that when an original is sandwiched between the two panels, the touch panel is usable to determine any desired rectangular image area to be trimmed or masked, while shifting the display area to the side thereof.

Abstract: An image reading device having a document handling system is suitable utilized on a modified standard office copier as electronic copying machine. In particular, the document presser plate is composed of a presser plate which is provided on the cabinet of the device. The document presser plate is held selectively over the exposure glass surface in two or more positions and used as the document feed tray in automatic document feed. When using this invention, the document presser plate functions as a document feed tray and a document dispense tray, there is no requirement for special feed and dispense trays. A compact and light-weight unit can therefore be achieved.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus with a color agent coated supply medium, a first recording medium and a second recording medium. The color agent is transferred selectively to the first recording medium to form a first pattern on the color agent supply medium and a second pattern on the first recording medium. One of the patterns is used for displaying and the other is transferred to the second recording medium for recording.

Abstract: A microfilm reader printer has a reader unit which projects a microfilm image onto a screen and a printer unit which reproduces copies of the microfilm image. The printer unit has an optical device for forming an electrostatic image on a photoreceptor by exposing the microfilm image onto the photoreceptor and a developing device for visualizing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor. The developing device has a first developing unit for achieving direct development, a second developing unit for achieving reversal development and driving device for activating one of the developing units. A positive copy may be reproduced from both positive and negative types of a microfilm by selectively operating one of the developing units.

Abstract: An image information input apparatus used for a copying machine and a facsimile apparatus, which comprises a support device for supporting an original thereon with a recording surface thereof up, a cover device for covering the original supported on the support device such that the cover device faces the recording surface of the original and a reading device for reading out the image information on the original through the cover device. The cover device has a surface capable of recording an additional image.

Abstract: A thermal transfer color printer is disclosed for printing color images on individual sheets of paper. One sheet of paper at a time is removed from a stack of paper stored in a cassette and this sheet is transported by a reversible platen roller in a first or forward direction at a first predetermined rate. While the sheet of paper is gripped between the reversible platen roller and one or more pinch rollers, slack is removed by a slack removing device. A multicolored ink ribbon with successively arranged color segments also is transported in the first direction at the same predetermined rate. A thermal printhead presses against the reversible platen roller to press the ink ribbon and sheet of paper together as they move in the first direction. Energization of the thermal elements on the thermal printhead by color component signals corresponding to the current color of the ink ribbon causes the particular current color to be thermally and selectively transferred to the sheet of paper.

Abstract: A feeding apparatus comprises a sheet cassette which stores and supports sheets P therein so that the sheets P can move between a feeding position and a non-feeding position, and is inserted into a housing of a copying machine, coil springs provided in the sheet cassette for biasing the sheets P from non-feeding position toward the feeding position, sheet feeding rollers provided in a fixed position and engaging a sheet P brought to the feeding position by the coil spring to feed the sheet P in the sheet cassette to the housing, engaging rollers at a fixed position in the housing, and levers defining cam surfaces which cooperate with the engaging rollers to move and thus isolate the sheets P from the sheet feeding rollers as the cassette is inserted into the housing, by engaging the cam section with the engaging roller.

Abstract: A paper feed device according to the invention comprises a paper feed cassette accommodating paper sheets and a paper feed mechanism for feeding out paper from the cassette. It also comprises a manual paper supply guide provided on top of the cassette for advancement and retreat therealong and having a paper guide surface for guiding manual supply paper. The detection of whether paper is present in the paper feed cassette and also the detection of a paper sheet being fed over the manual paper supply guide in a manual paper feed supply mode are effected by a single detecting switch.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copier includes a housing having a lower frame and an upper frame pivotally connected to the lower frame. A lower paper supplying device and an upper paper supplying device are provided on the housing. The lower and upper paper supplying devices include first and second paper guide plates, respectively. A third paper guide plate is pivotally mounted on the first side of the lower frame and it defines a first paper feed guide path of the lower paper supplying device with the first paper guide plate and a second paper feed guide path of the upper paper supplying device with the second paper guide plate.

Abstract: An electrostatic copying apparatus comprises a photosensitive drum, a transfer roller and a tape. The photosensitive drum includes first and second drum portions and a photosensitive layer which is laid on the outer periphery of the first drum portion and on which an image has been developed. The transfer roller in contact with the photosensitive layer, and cooperates with the photosensitive layer to clamp a sheet of paper to transfer the developed image onto the sheet of paper. The tape is in slidable contact with the outer periphery of the second drum portion for peeling the sheet of paper from the photosensitive drum after the image developed has been transferred to the sheet.