Abstract: A photographic printer for monoline printing on a photosensitive paper comprises an assembly for feeding and positioning the paper, a printing device for printing on the paper and a shearing member for shearing the paper. The feeding and positioning assembly comprises a first pair of opposed loading rollers and a second pair of opposed drawing rollers defining a paper transporting path of the photosensitive paper. At least the second pair of drawing rollers is mounted for rotation in forward and reverse directions and independently actuable in a stepwise manner. A buffer-stock chamber is disposed between the first and second pairs of rollers and is located in cooperation with the paper transporting path. A supporting member cooperates with an open end of the buffer-stock chamber to support the paper.

Abstract: An illumination system includes an optical system for receiving light from a light source, a barrel for accommodating the light source and the optical system therein, the barrel having an inside gas containing a material which may cause blur of an optical element of the optical system, and a transparent protecting member demountably mountable on the barrel, for protecting the optical system against the material.

Abstract: A toner station for use in single-pass or multi-pass electrostatic printers includes two or more toner applicators for each color, thereby increasing the printing speed without degrading print quality.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising:an endless belt that is wrapped around and so transported by a plurality of rollers;rotating members which are disposed adjacent to the endless belt such that an image is transferred onto a sheet while the sheet passes between the rotating members and the endless belt;pressing means that are disposed in a crosswise direction of the endless belt so as to be opposite to the rotating members with respect to the endless belt and press the endless belt against the rotating member in the vicinity of the position where the endless belt is in close proximity to the rotating member; andedge reinforcing means for increasing pressing forces of the pressing means that act on both edges of the endless belt in the crosswise direction thereof so as to become greater than a pressing force of the pressing means that acts on the center of the endless belt in the same direction.

Abstract: A transfer means has a film lightly contacting a back surface of a transfer medium and applying a transfer field thereto. The film rises rapidly with respect to a contact portion with the back surface of the transfer medium on the upstream side of the direction of movement of the transfer medium relative to the film, and slopes gently from the contact portion in a continuous curve on a downstream side of the direction of movement. The film is capable of displacement between a support and an image carrier, and contacts and disengages the transfer medium according to the presence or absence of electrostatic adsorptive force due to the supply or withdrawal of an electric current.

Abstract: A method for controlling an image forming apparatus which has a photoreceptor and a writing system to write a latent image on the photoreceptor with plural laser beams. The method includes the steps of: correcting positional deviations among the plural laser beams; conducting at least one of maximum density correction and gradation correction for image forming operation of the image forming apparatus by providing at least one standard density pattern on the photoreceptor with the plural laser beams; and repeating the correcting step of positional deviations among the plurality of laser beam. All of the steps are conducted when the image forming apparatus is in a warm-up state in succession to a turn-on operation thereof.

Abstract: A device for driving a charge roller, charge belt, image transfer roller, image transfer belt or similar contact type charging member used to charge an image carrier of an image forming apparatus in contact with the image carrier. The charging member is driven by an exclusive motor independent of a motor for driving the image carrier. A drive gear and a driven gear are formed of metal and resin, respectively. A flywheel is mounted on a drive roller for causing the charging member to rotate. The drive side has greater rotation energy than the driven roller side. A flywheel is also mounted on the drive gear.

Abstract: A frame for a developing device for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, includes a developing frame having a mounting portion for mounting a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, the developing frame having a projection on a side opposed from a side provided with the mounting portion; a toner frame having a toner container portion for containing a toner usable for developing operation of the developing roller, the toner frame having an opening for supplying toner to the developing roller and a recess adjacent a longitudinal end of the opening; wherein the projection and recess are engageable with each other to couple the developing frame and the toner frame.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the cartridge comprising a photosensitive member, a developing means for developing a latent image formed on the photosensitive member, a first frame containing the developing means; and a second frame coupled with the first frame, the second frame including a developer containing portion for containing a developer to be supplied to the developing means to develop the latent image, wherein the second frame is a selected one of plural secondary frames engageable with the first frame and having different developer containing capacities.

Abstract: An electronic image processing apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of resources in an arbitrary configuration. Each of the resources provides an associated processor storing data related to operational capabilities of the associated resource. The controller is adapted to dynamically configure the image processing apparatus to operate in accordance with the the operational capabilities of each of the processors by defining job requirements as a combination of images defining a set of sheets and specifying compilations of sheets. The job requirement is converted into an assembly tree relationship for merging into additional assembly trees for formulating the job requirement.

Abstract: The present invention is a film housing device comprising a film housing member that houses developed film; a driving mechanism that feeds the film housed in said housing member to a position outside the housing member where the film may be visually observed by the naked eye; and an operating member to operate said drive mechanism. Using said construction, when the operating member of the film housing device is operated, the drive mechanism operates and the developed film is fed to a position outside the housing member where the film may be visually observed by the naked eye. Therefore, the photographic content of the film may be confirmed with the naked eye using only the film housing device where it is not necessary to connect the device to a film reading device such as film scanner.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a measuring device for measuring the elapsed time for feeding a sheet of paper from its top edge to its bottom edge by feeding a first paper; a paper size calculating device for calculating a paper size on the basis of the measured time and the paper feeding rate which is determined by the printing apparatus; a calculated result transmitting device for transmitting the paper size calculated by the calculating device and informing an operator of the paper size; a comparing device for comparing the paper size calculated by the calculating device with the paper size specified by an external apparatus; a size setting device for setting within the printing apparatus the calculated paper size as a specified paper size for printing a second and later sheets when the above comparison indicates that both sizes match each other; a display device for displaying a mismatch of the paper size in order to inform an operator of the mismatch when the above comparison indicates that the paper size

Abstract: A toner containing device includes a toner body having a toner exhaust port, a shaft rotatably mounted to rotate within the toner body, an agitating blade on each end of the shaft on opposite sides of the toner exhaust port and a central agitating blade arranged on the shaft and disposed in substantial alignment with the toner exhaust port, wherein the central agitating blade is flexible such that a free end of the central agitating blade extends outside the toner body to flick toner through the toner exhaust port upon rotation of the central agitating blade past the toner exhaust port.

Abstract: An apparatus for exposing a semiconductor wafer to light, includes a light source, a glass substrate, a mask having thereon a first pattern composed of light-impermeable material, a projection lens, and an illumination optical system for radiating light derived from the light source to said mask to thereby transfer the pattern on a semiconductor wafer. The glass substrate constitutes a part of the illumination optical system and has a plurality of second patterns which are light-permeable and each of which has a different dimension from each other. The second patterns preferably are square in shape, and also preferably a combination of squares and equilateral triangles in shape.

Abstract: A character-detecting section detects characters from an image that has been read from a document. In order to allow a character-recognizing section to make a judgement as to whether or not the character is identical to any character of specific documents such as paper money and securities stored in a RAM, a discrimination-level setting section generates discrimination patterns corresponding to the discrimination level, and supplies them to the character-recognizing section. As a result of the judgement based on the discrimination at a low level, if the document is judged as one of the specific documents, a specific-document judging section controls the discrimination-level setting section in order to allow the character-recognizing section to make a re-judgement for identification. Thus, the discrimination-level setting section supplies discrimination patterns at a higher level to the character-recognizing section.

Abstract: A sheet guide mechanism is provided with a guide path along which a sheet-like member is guided and which is defined between one and the other guide surfaces. A stationary guide member has a first surface defining the one guide surface, and a movable guide member having a second surface defines the other guide surface, which is shiftable relative to the stationary guide member. Protrusions are formed on one of the first and second surfaces, protruding toward the other of the first and second surfaces by a predetermined distance. A shiftable member is shiftable relative to the stationary guide member between a guide position and a remote position. A spring is provided between the shiftable member and the movable guide member allowing the elastic contact between the protrusions and the other of the first and second surfaces, when the shiftable member is located in the guide position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for retracting the cleaner from an imaging surface and preventing toner leakage. An apparatus and method that describes a DESB (i.e. dual electrostatic brush) cleaner in a multi-pass operation that not only has to clean the toner from the photoreceptor, but has to retract from the photoreceptor. The two brushes pivot about two defined pivot points in the cleaner housing during the retraction cycle to disengage from the photoreceptor during multi-pass operations. The first brush is pivoted up and the second brush is pivoted down. A further disclosure is the apparatus and method of using thin sliding and flexible plastic seals for a dual ESB that has moving (e.g. camming in and out) housings. The seals prevent leakage of the toner particles from the cleaner housing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic image; a developer carrying member, opposed to the image bearing member, for carrying a developer containing toner; bias voltage applying device for applying a developing bias voltage to the developer carrying member, the bias voltage satisfying: ##EQU1## V1 (V): a voltage applying force to the toner toward the developer carrying member away from the image bearing member;T1 (sec): a time period of application of the voltage V1;V2 (V): a voltage applying force to the toner away from the developer carrying member toward the image bearing member;T2 (sec): a time period of application of the voltage V2;T3 (V): a time period of application of a voltage V3 which is (V1+V2)/2;d (m): distance between the image bearing member and the developer carrying member.

Abstract: A developing apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductive member has a plurality of developer units supported by a rotatable supporting device, an elastic member such as a spring which rotates the supporting device through a predetermined angle to sequentially position the developer units in a developing position, and a switching device which switches the position among the developing units. The switching device has an accumulating device such as an electric motor which accumulates the energy in the elastic member, and a releasing device which releases the energy accumulated in the elastic member to effect the rotation of the supporting device and substantially instantaneous switching of the developer units.

Abstract: An new and improved developing device for use in an image forming apparatus formed in a unitary structure constructed with a developing chamber disposed adjacent to the rotating electrostatic latent image carrying member, and a toner supply chamber for containing new toner. A developing roller is disposed in the developing chamber, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the rotating electrostatic latent image carrying member during operation of the image forming apparatus. An agitating roller is disposed in the developing chamber and adjacent to the developing roller, for charging the new toner as supplied from the toner supply chamber. A toner supply roller is arranged at a toner supply outlet of the toner supply chamber, for supplying the new toner from the toner supply chamber to the developing chamber during operation of the image forming apparatus.