Abstract: A cleaning device is provided with a cleaning unit (35) disposed downstream from a position at which a toner image is transferred to a paper. The cleaning unit (35) is provided with a cleaning blade (35c) for scraping off residual toner attached to an image bearing member and a toner catching sheet (35e) for preventing the residual toner or paper dust which have been scraped off from falling outside the cleaning unit. The free length in the toner catching sheet (35e) between affixed positions of a first end portion which is affixed to the cleaning unit (35) and a second end portion which abuts an outer circumferential portion of the image bearing member is determined by an amount of paper dust buildup on the outer circumferential portion of the image bearing member.

Abstract: A cleaning device is provided with a cleaning unit (35) disposed downstream from a position at which a toner image is transferred to a paper. The cleaning unit (35) is provided with a cleaning blade (35c) for scraping off residual toner attached to an image bearing member and a toner catching sheet (35e) for preventing the residual toner or paper dust which have been scraped off from falling outside the cleaning unit. The free length in the toner catching sheet (35e) between affixed positions of a first end portion which is affixed to the cleaning unit (35) and a second end portion which abuts an outer circumferential portion of the image bearing member is determined by an amount of paper dust buildup on the outer circumferential portion of the image bearing member.

Abstract: A document platen driving device is provided with an endless gear connected to a document platen, whereon a document is placed, which reciprocates. A sun gear is secured to a fixed station within a space surrounded by the endless rack, and a planetary gear meshing with the endless rack and with the sun gear is also provided within the space. The planetary gear is a double gear composed of a large gear and a small gear having different pitch circle diameters. It is arranged such that the document platen is moved forward by meshing the small gear with the endless rack, and moved backward by meshing the large gear with the endless rack. In this arrangement, the backward moving speed of the document platen can be set faster than the forward moving speed, thereby permitting a reduction of the entire time required for a copying process, especially for a successive copying process.

Abstract: A document platen on which a document is placed is movably installed on the main body of a copying machine. A motor for producing a driving force is provided. An input gear to which the driving force is transmitted is located in a fixed position. A planetary gear is positioned such that it engages with and moves around the input gear. An endless gear is connected to the document platen. The endless gear has internal teeth in the form of a closed loop which engages with the planetary gear. When the planetary gear, which engages with both the input gear and the endless gear, moves around the input gear once, one reciprocating movement of the document platen is caused. With this configuration, since there is no need to provide a switching mechanism including clutches and solenoids that is used in a conventional device, the number of components is reduced, and thereby decreasing the manufacturing costs.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the formation of images are disclosed. The method utilizes a photosensitive sheet on which image-forming areas are successively allocated. The image-forming areas are successively transported into a light-exposure section to be subjected to entire surface exposure and then into a buffer section to be temporarily stored there. Then, the storage image-forming areas are successively transported into a pressure-transfer section to be subjected to a pressure-transfer process while one of the subsequent image-forming areas is subjected to the entire surface exposure at the light-exposure section. The apparatus includes transport rollers for transporting the photosensitive sheet. The transport rollers are so located that they come into contact with the intermediate areas between the image-forming areas of the photosensitive sheet when one of the image-forming areas remains stationary at the light-exposure section to be subjected to the entire surface exposure.

Abstract: A method for the formation of images utilizing a plurality of optical image memories into each of which image information is written and from each of which said image information is read out sequentially to obtain image-information light that is used for the formation of images; wherein said image information written into one of said optical image memories is read out therefrom at the time when other image information is being written into another predetermined optical image memory.

Abstract: A copying machine with a charger including a charging wire for charging the surface of a photosensitive drum and a convergent optical system for forming a focused image of an original on the surface of the drum. The copying machine further includes a waste toner unit, a cleaning unit for cleaning the charging wire and optical system which consists of a first cleaning member for grasping therebetween the charging wire stretched in the charger during cleaning, and a second cleaning member kept in contact with the surface of the convergent optical system, wherein the cleaning members are supported as to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the charging wire and the convergent optical system when cleaning the charging wire and the optical system.

Abstract: A pressure roller device includes upper and lower roller holders and small diameter upper and lower pressure rollers which are supported by the upper and lower roller holders, respectively. Upper and lower backup rollers, which are, respectively, provided at upper and lower sides of the upper and lower pressure rollers, remote from a point of contact of the upper and lower pressure rollers are rotatably supported by the upper and lower roller holders, respectively. The upper roller holder is rotatably supported, at one end of the upper and lower roller holders, by the lower roller holder. A pressing mechanism presses the upper roller holder against the lower roller holder, which is provided at the other end of the upper and lower roller holders, with the upper roller holder being rotated so as to be pressed against the lower roller holder, such that the upper and lower pressure rollers are brought into pressing contact with each other by the upper and lower backup rollers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus with comprises a pair of pinch rolls operable to press a web of donor sheet, supplied from a roll thereof, a receptor sheet together to accomplish an image development by an application of a pressure thereto, and an automatic loader operable to set a leader sheet, secured to a radially outermost end of the roll of donor sheet, in a sheet transport path including the pinch roll pair and then to secure the leader sheet to a take-up spool having an adhesive region formed thereon for connection with the leader sheet. The take-up spool is driven in a first direction about a longitudinal axis of the take-up spool during an automatic loading and in a second direction counter to the first direction about the longitudinal axis of the take-up spool during an image forming operation.

Abstract: An exposure device has a bar-like lamp with a filament having luminescent and non-luminescent members connected in alternating series. A filter is disposed in the vicinity of the lamp and is composed of a plurality of filter plates arranged in a longitudinal direction of the filament. Seams between the filter plates are positioned vis-a-vis with the non-luminescent members of the filament of the lamp to reduce disturbances by the seams to the light emerging from lamp.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a carriage freely attached and removed containing a photosensitive sheet, copy paper whereon a latent image that was formed on the photosensitive sheet is transferred by pressure developing rollers, a winding shaft whereon the used photosensitive sheet is wound, a loading guide plate, capable of pivoting freely, incorporated in the carriage and installed on the opposite side of a jam processing operation section on the transportation path of the photosensitive sheet, a tension spring mounted on the loading guide plate that maintains the loading guide plate in a loading position guiding the photosensitive sheet toward the winding shaft, and in a retreat position creating a transportation path for the copy paper between the loading guide plate and a copy paper guide plate, a horizontal shaft mounted over the surface of the loading guide plate that drives the loading guide plate to a retreat position in accordance with the tension of the photosensitive sheet when the photosen

Abstract: A projection unit, which is mounted in a copying machine and used to project an image of a light permeable original onto a prescribed exposure point on a photosensitive material, comprising a light source for exposure in a box, an original holding means which holds the original in a prescribed position with respect to the light source and the photosensitive material and is disposed movably in the box so that the image of the original is scanned in a prescribed direction with respect to the photosensitive material, a driving means for moving the original holding means in the scanning direction, a transmission means provided between the original holding means and the driving means which is capable of moving between an engaged position in that the transmission means is coupled to the original holding means and driving means so as to transmit power of the driving means to the holding means and a disengaged position in that the transmission means is not coupled to the original holding means and the driving means,

Abstract: A method of loading a media sheet, in which after a rolled media sheet coated with photo-setting microcapsules has been mounted on a supply portion, a front end portion of the media sheet is taken up by a take-up shaft from the supply portion through a pair of pressure rollers, comprising the steps of: taking up the front end portion of the media sheet by the take-up shaft; cancelling a pressing force of the pressure rollers such that a predetermined amount of the media sheet is further taken up by the take-up shaft; and recovering the pressing force of the pressure rollers.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the scanning operation of an original can be controlled independently from the pressing transferring operation of an image of an original, so that both the scanning speed and the pressing-transferring speed can be adjusted respectively at the optimum speed. Moreover, the suspension roller for suspending a photoreceptive sheet has a common driving source with the optical system, it is advantageous that no special driving means or no special synchronizing means for the suspension roller is needed, and manufacturing cost can be reduced with a simple easy design.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus passes a photosensitive sheet between a pair of pressure rollers which are normally pressed against each other. A pressure relieving mechanism is provided so as to release the pressure between these rollers if it is detected that the photosensitive sheet is not being properly transported to the pressure rollers such that the operator can remove the cause of the abnormal condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a pair of rollers normally in contact with each other. An invisible image is formed on a light-accepting sheet in the form of a roll sheet coated with microcapsules which harden when exposed to light. The image carrying sheet is kept half-way wrapped around one of these rollers and compressed between them together with an image receiving sheet such that microcapsules remaining soft are ruptured and a visible image is formed on the image receiving sheet. After each cycle of image forming processes is completed, the roll sheet is moved backward by a specified distance to reduce waste and the rollers are moved apart so that the roll sheet can correct itself if it is beginning to wrinkle or to move sideways.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming an image comprising a unit for forming a selectively cured image on a light-receiving sheet coated with a layer of microcapsules containing colorless dye and photopolymerization agent by exposing the sheet to light, an image forming unit for forming a colored image on an image-receiving sheet coated with a layer of a developing material by laying the image-receiving sheet on top of the light-receiving sheet and compressing these sheets, the light-receiving sheet being provided in a roll sheet form and the image-receiving sheet being provided in either a cut-sheet form or roll sheet form, and a cutter disposed on the downstream side of the compression portion for cutting the light-receiving sheet and image-receiving sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an original document reader for respectively reading the each duplex face of the document from each side face; a means for filling-in the document images read respectively, with elements capable of being filled-in with laser heat through an electric-heat optical effect a device for optically reading each of the document images filled-in on the elements to focus the images on a photoelectric member; and a device for projecting the images onto a photosensitive member and to transfer them onto transfer paper, whereby both side faces of the original document are reproduced.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus superposes an image receiving sheet on a light receiving sheet and presses them together such that a selectively hardened image formed on the light receiving sheet is transferred to the image receiving sheet to form a visible image. The used portion of the light receiving sheet is wound up around a take-up shaft after separated from the image receiving sheet by means of a separator. A retracting mechanism is provided to the separator such that the separator is retracted from the normal position on the travel path of the light receiving sheet when the front end of the light receiving sheet is initially wound around the take-up shaft.

Abstract: A cartridge containing a roll of photosensitive sheet and set inside an image formation apparatus has both an outlet and an inlet. Its interior is divided by a flexible sheet into a chamber originally containing the roll of unused photosensitive sheet and another chamber into which used portion of the sheet is collected through the inlet. A roller near the outlet for contacting the photosensitive sheet to thereby pull it out of the cartridge operates only for a specified length of time or until a specified length of an uncoated leading section of the photosensitive sheet is pulled out and thereafter the roller is removed from the contacting position with the photosensitive sheet so as not to contact and damage the microcapsule-coated part of the photosensitive sheet which follows the leading section.