Abstract: An image forming apparatus, for forming and fixing a visible image on a recording medium including a heat-fixing unit for heat-fixing the visible image on the recording medium, a gas purifying unit for removing foul and harmful components from gas emitted from the recording medium in the image fixing process, a counter for accumulatively counting every image fixing process to produce an accumulative number of recording mediums subjected to the image fixing process, a weighting unit for weighting a count value of the counter in accordance with the type of recording medium to be being subjected to the image fixing process and adding a weighted count value to a just-previously accumulated count value to obtain a present accumulative number, and a control unit for monitoring the present accumulative number of the counter and indicating a time for exchange of the gas purifying unit on the basis of the monitored present accumulative number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a thermal fixing unit which includes a heater to thermally fix an image on a recording medium. The temperature in the apparatus goes down when a replaceable unit is exchanged. A temperature sensor detects the reduction in temperature. A status sensor detects an exchanging state in which the replaceable unit is exchanged and outputs a detection signal indicating the exchanging state. A CPU judges that the heater is properly operating even if the temperature signal indicates the reduction in temperature when the detection signal is outputted.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image of an original on a photosensitive recording medium. Light emitted from a light source is irradiated onto the original to optically scan the original, and light reflected from or transmitted through the original is applied to the recording medium to thereby record the image on the recording medium. The density of an image to be recorded on the photosensitive recording medium is adjusted by changing the scanning speed while maintaining an amount of light emitted from a light source at constant, whereby a load imposed to the light source is reduced which may otherwise be increased if an amount of light emitted therefrom is changed to adjust the image density.

Abstract: Motor-control device for an image forming apparatus includes a motor, an encoder, a microcomputer, and a driving circuit. The encoder generates a pulse signal in response to rotation of the motor. The microcomputer includes a CPU, a RAM and a ROM. The CPU detects actual rotational speed of the motor based upon the pulse signal generated by the encoder. The CPU cyclically provides a driving signal by comparing the actual rotational speed with a predetermined target rotational speed of the motor. An operating cycle is proportional to a cycle of the pulse signal generated by the encoder. The driving circuit drives the motor based upon the driving signal provided by the CPU. The CPU determines the operating cycle based upon the predetermined target rotational speed. The CPU also determines whether the motor condition is normal or abnormal by comparing the driving signal with a predetermined reference driving signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for performing a series of image forming operations, comprising an exposure unit for exposing the photosensitive recording medium to an image light to form a latent image thereon in a first exposure process, a pressure-developing unit for superposing the photosensitive recording medium over a developer medium under pressure to form a visible image on the developer/medium, sheet feeding rollers for feeding the photosensitive recording medium through the exposing unit and the pressure-developing unit in forward and reverse directions to thereby perform sheet feeding and rewinding operations, respectively, the photosensitive recording medium being fed back in the rewinding operation after pressure-developed by the pressure-developing unit to dispose an unexposed area of the photosensitive recording medium in the first exposure process to a predetermined position where the unexposed area is subjected to a second exposure process subsequent to the first exposure process, and a control un

Abstract: In an image recording apparatus for recording an image of an original document on a photosensitive recording sheet, a light source such as a halogen lamp is provided which emits a light and applying it to the image face of the original document while moving the latter. The photosensitive recording sheet is exposed to the resultant image bearing light, in which the photosensitive recording sheet is moved at a speed equal to the moving speed of the original document. A light intensity sensor detects the intensity of the light applied to the original document, and when the intensity of the light applied thereto is lowered than a required level, the moving speeds of both the photosensitive recording sheet and the original document are lowered to thereby maintain an exposure rate at substantially constant.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a first motor for feeding one of two sheets and a second motor for feeding the other sheet. The amounts of feeding of the sheets is detected and used to control the motors to maintain a predetermined relationship between the sheets.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image corresponding to an original on a recording medium including a photosensitive recording medium and an image forming sheet. The apparatus comprises a light source for irradiating the original, scanning device for moving the light source and the original relatively to each other during exposure, moving device for moving the photosensitive recording medium during exposure, transferring device for transferring an image on the photosensitive recording medium to the image forming sheet, thermal fixing device for fixing the transferred image on the image forming sheet, temperature detecting device for detecting temperature of the thermal fixing device, first control device for controlling the quantity of current to be supplied to the light source, and second control device for controlling speeds of the scanning device and the moving device.

Abstract: An imaging device for forming a visible image by pressurizing and feeding an exposed recording sheet with a developing sheet detects that the recording sheet and the developing sheet are accurately overlapped with each other before the pressurizing operation is begun. The position of the sheets is monitored and the pressurizing rollers are controlled in accordance with the detected positions.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image of an original on a developer sheet with the use of a microcapsule, in which the developer sheet and the microcapsule sheet having a surface coated with immense number of photosensitive and pressure-rupturable microcapsules are subjected to pressure development by a pair of pressurizing rollers. To ensure that the pressure development is performed under the condition where the developer sheet and the microcapsule sheet are superposed one on the other, the nip and retract timings of the pressurizing rollers are determined properly according to the present invention. For example, the developer sheet is conveyed at a speed asynchronous with the microcapsule conveying speed and the conveyance of the developer sheet is stopped after its leading edge is introduced between the rollers held in spaced apart condition.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus of exposing a photosensitive medium for forming thereon a latent image which corresponds to an original image to be reproduced and which is developed into a visible image. The photosensitive medium has a basic minimum amount of exposure to a radiation, below which a density of the visible image remains constant and above which the density varies with an amount of exposure to the radiation. An entire recording surface of the photosensitive medium is evenly exposed to a first radiation by a predetermined first exposure amount determined by the basic minimum amount, and each label area of the recording surface is exposed to a second radiation by a second exposure amount which corresponds to a density in a corresponding local area of the original image, so that the first and second exposure amounts cooperate to form the latent image.

Abstract: In an image recording apparatus utilizing a photo and pressure sensitive recording medium, an exposure unit emits a light to shine upon an original, and directs the light reflected from the original, toward the recording medium to expose the same thereby forming a latent image. A pressure developing unit is provided for pressurizing the exposed recording medium to develop the latent image thereon. A transport arrangement transports the recording medium from the exposure unit to the pressure developing unit. A regular reflection unit is provided for regular-reflecting the light from the exposure unit to expose the recording medium to the regular reflection light, thereby curing the recording medium.

Abstract: In an imaging device such as a copying machine employing a continuous-form photo and pressure sensitive recording medium, a pair of rollers are adapted to be brought into and out of contact with each other for executing a pressure developing operation.At least one of the rollers is being rotated when that the pair of rollers are being closed or opened to each other.

Abstract: An imaging device employing a continuous recording sheet which carries thereon a plurality of photo and pressure sensitive microcapsules. Each microcapsule contains therein a dye precursor and a photo-curable resin. By exposing the recording sheet to an optical image, a corresponding latent image is formed thereon with hardened and unhardened microcapsules. The unhardened microcapsules are ruptured by a pressure-developing means and dye precursors streamed out of the ruptured microcapsules react to developer coated on a separate cut-sheet type developer sheet. In order to prevent the pressure-developing means from being polluted by components of microcapsules of the recording sheet, all over the portion of the recording sheet, on which an optical image is not exposed, is fully exposed to a light to harden substantially whole microcapsules carried thereon.