Abstract: A development apparatus in association with an electrostatic record member is provided with a shroud surrounding a development electrode and a toner return including a vacuum source to increase circulation of the toner. The vacuum source also draws air around the shroud to strike the record member and remove excess toner.

Abstract: In a magnetic brush developer station for an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus, the developer station including a housing adapted to contain developer material, a mixer for such developer material, a magnetic brush for applying developer material to a charge pattern bearing member, and a mechanism for transporting developer material from the mixer to the magnetic brush. The transporting mechanism comprises a roller having members, located about the periphery of thereof, for picking up a quantity of developer material. The roller is mounted within a portion of the interior wall of the housing so as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The wall portion of the housing is a segment of a cylinder whose axis is offset in relation to the longitudinal axis of the roller, so that, in the direction of rotation of the roller, the respective pickup members are closest to the wall at the entrance thereto and farthest from the wall at the exit thereto.

Abstract: A paper separation charger for separating papers from a photosensitive member in an electrophotographic copier includes a grid member disposed between a corona wire and the photosensitive member. The grid member is constructed so as to have a higher aperture efficiency at the upstream side of the grid in the paper transport direction than at the downstream side of the grid.

Abstract: A developing apparatus wherein a developer is supplied to an exposed electrophotographic film to develop an image formed on the film has a developing section provided with an electrode which is disposed in opposing relation to the film. A bias voltage of the same polarity as that of the film which is electrically charged is applied to the electrode to prevent fogging of the image. The bias voltage is lowered or made opposite in polarity for a relatively short period of time, thereby momentarily improving the adhesion of the developer to the film, and thus allowing the developer to reliably adhere even to a relatively low density portion of the image.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copier of the type moving an original document and optics relative to each other to expose a photoconductive element imagewise via the optics to thereby form a latent image on the photoconductive element, developing the latent image to produce a visible image, and transferring the visible image to a paper sheet. The size of an original document which is positioned on a glass platen with one corner portion of the glass platen as a reference is sensed, and a lens included in the optics is displaced in response to the document size sensed. A paper sheet is transported with its center with respect to the widthwise direction registered aligned with the center of an image which is provided on the photoconductive element.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus provided with a positioning mechanism for positioning a process cartridge in the main assembly. The process cartridge is detachably mountable into the main assembly. The main assembly includes a bottom frame and a top frame which is capable of taking a closing position and an opening position. The process cartridge is loaded into the top frame or bottom frame. Prior to the start of image formation, the process cartridge is correctly positioned with respect to the bottom frame. The bottom frame contains the major part of the optical system, whereby the accurate relative position can be accomplished with an optical system of the cartridge.

Abstract: A drying apparatus for printers and copiers using liquid developers or toners having an air bar which is resiliently biased into contact with a supported surface having a developed image. The air bar has an air-release side that includes a bearing surface and a wedge edge spaced apart from the bearing surface by a plenum slit. The release of pressurized gas, preferably air, through the plenum slit overcomes the bias of the air bar against the surface until an equilibrium position is reached wherein the air bar is spaced apart from the tensioned surface by a predetermined slight distance. Gas escaping between the bearing surface and tensioned surface acts as an air bearing, while the portion of the gas which escapes between the wedge edge and tensioned surface provides a high velocity shearing stress in a slug flow fluid low mode which removes the excess liquid from the tensioned surface. The escaping pressurized gas is then captured and recycled for return to the air bar.

Abstract: In association with a blade cleaning arrangement supported for chiseling removal of toner from a charge retentive surface, an auger is provided to move toner to the edge of the charge retentive surface and simultaneously simulate a foam roll cleaner, known to have good abrasive characteristics in the presence of toner. An auger member having a roughened or sharpened surface in contact with a charge retentive surface is arranged slightly upstream and adjacent to a blade cleaning arrangement for the removal of residual toner accumulating adjacent to a cleaning blade after release from a charge retentive surface such as a photoreceptor in a reproduction machine. The auger member may be comprised of a foam material providing an abrading surface roughness. Other augering members simulate the abrading qualities of the foam roll cleaner, such as for example, a sharpened auger edge which lightly scrapes the charge retentive surface, or an auger of a polymeric material, with a roughed surface.

Abstract: A cleaning device for removing residual toner and paper dust from a photoconductive element of an electrophotographic copier includes a fur brush for removing the residual toner and paper dust in contact with the photoconductive element after the latter has been precharged. Then, a scavenger roller collects the toner and paper dust from the fur brush and, then, a scraper scrapes off the toner and paper dust from scavenger roller. The scavenger roller has surface roughness which is equal to or less than 0.5 .mu.m. An AC voltage is applied to the scavenger roller as a cleaning bias voltage. At least two flickers are provided for shaking off the toner and paper dust from the fur brush together with or independently of the scavenger roller. The fur brush and the scavenger roller are rotated in opposite directions to each other, and the peripheral speed of the scavenger roller is higher than that of the fur brush as measured at their point of contact.

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: A copying apparatus including a numeric value input device, a numeric memory, a numeric display unit, an arithmetic device, an operating device for actuating the arithmetic device, a control device for causing the numeric memory to store an arithmetic result obtained by an arithmetic operation of the arithmetic device, and a magnification control device for controlling operations of the copying apparatus on the basis of the arithmetic result.

Abstract: Highlight color imaging method and apparatus including structure for forming a single polarity charge pattern having at least three different voltage levels on a charge retentive surface wherein two of the voltage levels correspond to two image areas and the third voltage level corresponds to a background area. Interaction between developer materials contained in a developer housing and an already developed image in one of the two image areas is minimized by the use of a scorotron to neutralize the charge on the already developed image.

Abstract: A developing apparatus in which first to third transport passages are provided at the back of a developing section and developing material exceeding transport capacity of the first transport passage is fed to the second transport passage, while the excessive developing material which can not be transported to the first transport passage is transported to the third transport passage where variation of the amount of the developing material is adjusted.

Abstract: A cleaning device for electrostatic imaging apparatus is movable between a position engaging a transfer drum and a position out of such engagement. The device has a biased roller of a soft conductive silicone rubber which is rolled by the drum surface. A bias on the roller attracts toner from the drum to the roller and a blade scrapes it into a toner collection chamber. Adjustment of the bias on the drum is accomplished in response to movement of the cleaning device The device is readily removable and is of such simple construction it can be economically disposable.

Abstract: A control method of supplying toner to a developing device wherein a toner supply to the developing device is controlled so that a level of the toner density is increased in a range not more than a predetermined level at a predetermined interval of an integrated development period while the developing device continues its developing operations without any continuous interruption longer than a constant period, and the level of the toner density is decreased when the continuous interruption is longer than said constant period.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes movable image bearing member, a first charger means for charging the image bearing member, first electrostatic latent image forming device for forming a first electrostatic latent image in accordance with image information on the image bearing means charged by the first charger, first developing device for developing the first electrostatic latent image, a second charger for re-charging the image bearing member, second electrostatic latent image forming device for forming a second electrostatic latent image in accordance with image information on the image bearing member recharged by the second charger, second developing device for developing the second electrostatic latent image, a dector for detecting a surface potential of the image bearing member, the detector detecting at least the surface potential at that portion of the latent image formed on the image bearing member by the first latent image forming device which is developed, after the portion is charged by the seco

Abstract: A copying timing counting system for counting the rotation angle of a photoreceptor drum in an electrophotographic copying machine comprises a pulse generator, and a pulse counter. The pulse counter is responsive to the pulse generator for counting both the pulse rising edge and the pulse falling edge. Since the counter can count both the pulse rising edge and the pulse falling edge, the resolving power of the photoreceptor drum can be doubled as compared with the detection system of either of the pulse rising edge or the pulse falling edge taken alone.

Abstract: Disposable web cleaning device for backside of endless belt imaging element, includes a housing having an elongated aperture across which a cleaning web is stretched. A film ski guides the web from a supply spindle through the aperture into engagement with the belt and back to a take-up spindle.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing sleeve provided rotatably at a side of an electrostatic latent image support member, a supply member for supplying developer to the developing sleeve, a bristle height regulating member which confronts an upper portion of the developing sleeve so as to adjust an amount of the developer transported to a developing region and a plurality of magnets provided in the developing sleeve. The magnetic poles of the magnets not only extend in an axial direction of the developing sleeve but are arranged in a circumferential direction of the developing sleeve. The magnetic poles include a weak magnetic pole disposed adjacent to the upper portion of the developing sleeve and two strong magnetic poles between which the weak magnetic pole is interposed. The strong magnetic poles have a polarity different from that of the weak magnetic pole.

Abstract: A process head for an electrophotographic apparatus is adapted to charge an electrophotographic film, expose the thus charged film to image light so as to form an image on the film, develop the thus formed image by means of a liquid developer in a developing section, and dry the film then fix the thus developed image. The processing head is capable of supplying a rinsing liquid to the developing section after the completion of the developing. Therefore, any liquid developer adhering to the developing section can be removed.