Abstract: An electrophotographic color image forming process wherein three light beams each representing image information of one of three primary colors or yellow, magenta and cyan of a color document to be recorded obtained by color separation are projected against an electrophotographic photosensitive member to form electrostatic latent images which are developed by toners of the three different colors, respectively, and printed by transfer-printing, to record a color image. The image information of three colors is simultaneously written to a surface of the photosensitive member as three scanning lines either by successively writing a plurality of sets of three scanning lines each representing image information of one color or by writing image information of different colors of the same set separately in three different zones, so that the scanning lines representing image information of different colors form a repeating series of three stripes of different colors.

Abstract: A toner mixture comprising ferromagnetic carrier particles and non-magnetic toner particles are caused to flow through a conduit for measuring the toner density which is the ratio of toner particles to carrier particles in the mixture. The effective inductance of an electromagnetic coil disposed in the conduit varies in accordance with toner density. The coil is designed so that the magnetic lines of force thereof are substantially confined within the conduit and are not influenced by external bodies.

Abstract: An image transfer unit provided with cleaning means for use in an electrophotographic copying machine comprising an electrically conductive transfer roller disposed in abutting relationship with a photosensitive member, an electrically conductive, rotatable cleaning means disposed in abutting relationship with the transfer roller, and electrical bias means connected with the cleaning means and having a switchable polarity. During a transfer step, a bias voltage of opposite polarity to that of the toner is applied to the transfer roller through the cleaning means. At this time, toner attaching to the transfer roller is electrostatically transferred onto the cleaning means. During a cleaning step, a bias voltage of the same polarity as the toner is applied to the cleaning means, whereby the toner attaching thereto is transferred back to the photosensitive member through the transfer roller. The toner which is transferred back to the photosensitive member is removed by separate cleaning means.

Abstract: An electrostatic potential is induced onto an electrode from a photoconductive member such as a drum in accordance with the electrostatic potential of a background area of an electrostatic image on the drum. An intensity of light radiation of the drum is controlled in accordance with the induced potential. The light radiation may be radiation of a light image to form the electrostatic image or subsequent uniform radiation. The induced electrostatic potential may be used to control an exposure aperture device such as a device defining a variable width slit. In another embodiment of the invention the electrode is in the form of an occluder plate and is positioned by electrostatic force to block the light radiation to a variable degree in accordance with the induced electrostatic potential.

Abstract: A photoconductive sheet is wrappingly attached to an electrically conductive, grounded rotary drum so that part of the drum is covered by the sheet and another part of the drum is exposed. A magnetic brush developing member comprises a magnetic core and an electrically conductive sleeve surrounding the core. An electrically insulative layer is formed on the periphery of the sleeve. The core and/or sleeve are rotated to pick up toner particles which brushingly engage with the sheet to develop an electrostatic image formed thereon. A bias voltage is applied to the sleeve to prevent adherence of toner particles to white areas of the image. A regulator device maintains the bias voltage constant to prevent detrimental effects of charge buildup and dissipation across the electrically insulative layer on the sleeve of the magnetic brush.