Abstract: A laser beam printer includes a front face. The front face defines an opening for allowing attaching/detaching a paper feed cassette, an opening for allowing attaching/detaching a process unit, and an opening allowing manual paper feed. Accordingly, the laser beam printer has excellent operability since it allows the user to perform any operation from its front side. At the same time, valuable space at the lateral and upper sides of the laser beam printer is available for effective use.

Abstract: A photosensitive drum 25 is rotated counterclockwise by a predetermined angle upon completion of printing. A release belt 44 is caused to rotate in the same direction by surface friction between a nip release belt 49 and a surface of the photosensitive drum 25. At this time, a pitch roller 47 provided at both ends of a developing roller 27 is rotated clockwise while guided along a roller guide hole 61 of the release belt 44, runs onto an upper plane of the nip release belt 49, and releases the developing roller 27 from the photosensitive drum 25 with a clearance which is substantially equal to the thickness of the nip release belt 49.

Abstract: An image forming unit includes structure to prevent leakage of initial developer containing magnetic carrier and magnetic toner from a case. The image forming unit includes a photoconductive drum, a developing sleeve, and a trimming blade. Auxiliary sealing members are attached to the opposite ends of the trimming blade to stop up gaps between side sealing members in sliding contact with the opposite ends of the developing sleeve, and a protective sheet is removably inserted in the gap between the developing sleeve and the trimming blade. Ferromagnetic strips capable of being magnetized by the magnet roller are attached to the reverse side of the protective sheet at the opposite sides of one end of the protective sheet. The ferromagnetic strips magnetically attract the developer that is about to leak through the gaps to completely prevent leakage of the developer.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus having a sheet cartridge which stores therein an elongated photosensitive recording medium. A locking mechanism is provided selectively engageable with the sheet cartridge or a light shielding member which is positioned to prevent the cartridge from being exposed to light. A control means is provided to provide locking state of sheet cartridge or the light shielding member by controlling the locking mechanism to its locking position. This control is made in response to a signal indicative of the installation of the sheet cartridge at its predetermined position. The control means is also adapted to provide unlocking state of the sheet cartridge or the light shielding member by controlling the locking mechanism to its unlocking position. This control is made in response to a signal indicative of the complete discharge of the elongated photosensitive recording medium out of the sheet cartridge.

Abstract: A sheet supplying device for supplying an uppermost sheet of a stack of sheets in a sheet cassette used in an image forming apparatus includes suction cups movable into and out of contact with the uppermost sheet in the sheet cassette, an evacuator for developing a vacuum in the suction cups to enable the suction cups to attract the uppermost sheet, a moving member for upwardly and downwardly moving the suction cups to pick up the sheet from the sheet cassette, a sheet feeding member for feeding the sheet from the moving member along a sheet feed path, and a control system for judging on the basis of a detection signal from each sensor for detecting an image forming error provided in the image forming apparatus whether the error occurs during the sheet supplying operation, and when judging that the image forming error occurs during a sheet supplying operation, the control unit ceasing the sheet supplying operation and controlling the driving of at least one of the suction cups, the evacuator, moving member an

Abstract: An image recording apparatus having a sheet slack absorbing means pivotally movable between first and second positions. In the first position, a dancer roller of the sheet slack absorbing means is in contact with a microcapsule layer of the microcapsule sheet for absorbing sheet slack during exposure operation. In the second position, the dancer roller is out of contact with the microcapsule sheet. The second position is provided at a non-operative state of the apparatus, or at the standby state thereof. The second position is also provided for directing a leader portion of the microcapsule sheet toward a takeup shaft. In this case, the dancer roller serves as a guide means for guiding travel of the leader portion. The second position is further provided when unexposed zone of the microcapsule sheet is reversely fed to the upstream side of an exposure stand for a next exposure operation.

Abstract: A sheet feed device for feeding a sheet in a copying machine includes a sheet cassette storing a stack of sheets therein and removably positioned in a housing of the copying machine, and a plurality of suction cups for attracting one of the sheets at a time from the sheet cassette. The suction cups are movable toward and away from the sheet cassette. Locking fingers lock the sheet cassette against removal when the suction cups are moved toward the sheet cassette and are ready for or are feeding sheets from the sheet cassette. The locking fingers are angularly movably supported in the housing and lockingly fittable in recesses defined in side walls of the sheet cassette.

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: In a color image copying apparatus, a light-path change-over reflector is movable into and out of a light path extending from a light source to an exposing station where a color latent image is to be formed on a photosensitive recording medium according to color image information of an original image. When the change-over reflector is disposed in the light path, the light from the light source is oriented or shifted so as to display the color image information of the original on a monitoring screen. Filters are used for color correction. When monitoring the original image on the screen, the filters are moved away from the light path. Further, the filters can be superposed together for minute color control with respect to the photosensitive sheet.

Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism has an array of suction cups into and out of contact with an uppermost one of stacked sheets in a sheet cassette. After the suction cups are held against the uppermost sheet, a vacuum is developed in the suction cups to enable the suction cups to attract the uppermost sheet. Then, the suction cups are lifted with the uppermost sheet attracted thereto, and a leading end of the attracted and lifted uppermost sheet is nipped, and the sheet is delivered into a sheet feed path. When the suction cups are lifted, they are angularly moved about an axis to cause the leading end of the attracted uppermost sheet to be obliquely separated from other stacked sheets.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including a first holding device for positioning and holding a photosensitive recording medium at an exposing position, a light source for generating a radiation for exposing the recording medium, a second holding device for positioning and holding a contact-exposure original bearing a first image thereon, substantially in contact with the recording medium, a third holding device for positioning and holding a focus-exposure original bearing a second image thereon, at a position in an optical path between the exposing position and the light source, and a projector lens disposed in a portion of the optical path between the third holding means and the exposing position.

Abstract: A copyable blackboard has: a written member on which a picture including such as characters or figures is depicted a first carrier for carrying the written member, a light source for irradiating light to the picture on a portion of the written member located at a predetermined position on the written member to generate an optical signal corresponding to the picture, a photosensitive member which receives the optical signal from the written member and produces a latent image of the picture thereon. A second carrier is provided for carrying the photosensitive member, an image developing element for developing the latent image on the photosensitive member itself or on a copy paper to obtain a copy of the picture, and a control element for controlling the first and second carriers the photosensitive member and the light source.

Abstract: Disclosed is photo- and pressure-sensitive recording paper which comprises a support coated with first microcapsules each enclosing contents including a substance which has hardness changeable corresponding to a quantity of light irradiation thereon and which includes a dye precursor, and with second microcapsules each enclosing a developer which is a thermoplastic substance, and further disclosed is a pressure developing apparatus suitable for pressure developing such photo- and pressure-sensitive recording paper as described above.

Abstract: In a gas injection type plasma X-ray source, a through hole communicated with vacuum is provided in each one of a pair of plasma-forming electrodes. This leads to a decrease in the dose of charged particles, a high temperature gas, etc. reflected from the upper electrode and inflicting damage on an X-ray extraction window. Accordingly, the thickness of the X-ray extraction window can be so decreased as to raise the X-ray extraction efficiency. Besides, evacuation of a space between the electrodes can be quickened. Accordingly, X-ray emission can be effected at a high repetition frequency. When the normal line direction of the electrode is inclined relative to the direction of the X-ray extraction, the effects mentioned above are enhanced.

Abstract: A gas injection type plasma X-ray source has a gas plenum for storing a discharging gas at a pressure in the range of 150 Torr and 1000 Torr, the stored gas being injected between a pair of electrodes through a gas valve. The electrodes are opposed to each other in a vacuum vessel, so that a gas jet for the production of a plasma is formed. A voltage is applied between the electrodes, so that a discharge plasma is produced between said electrodes. A linear plasma with a high temperature and a high density is produced by the pinch of the plasma due to its own magnetic field produced by the current flowing through the plasma, so that X-rays are emitted from the linear plasma. The X-ray source has a high conversion efficiency and a high discharge timing margin, and accordingly the stability and reproducibility of discharges are improved and the X-ray output is increased.

Abstract: An X-ray absorber layer in the form of single layer of high melting point metal such as Ta, W is formed with granular crystal grains on a mask substrate, so that an internal stress of the layer is reduced. A fine pattern is formed from the absorber layer by reactive sputter etching using CBrF.sub.3 gas as an etchant, so that an X-ray absorber pattern is formed on the mask substrate. The X-ray lithography mask thus fabricated has a fine pattern such as submicron pattern with a high degree of pattern contrast and a high dimensional accuracy.

Abstract: A plasma deposition apparatus having a plasma formation chamber and a specimen chamber which are arranged separately. Gaseous material and microwave power are introduced to the plasma formation chamber to generate plasma by a microwave discharge through electron cyclotron resonance. The plasma is extracted to the specimen chamber from the plasma extracting orifice. In the specimen chamber, the plasma is accelerated by the effect of divergent magnetic field to irradiate the surface of the specimen so as to deposit a thin film on the specimen substrate. A high-quality thin film is formed with a high efficiency at a low temperature. Accordingly, a thin film can be deposited on a specimen substrate having a low heat resistivity. The plasma deposition apparatus is useful for manufacturing various kinds of electronic devices.

Abstract: There is disclosed a soft x-ray source comprising (a) a substrate formed of a thermally conductive material, such as copper or a copper alloy, which tends to generate predominantly hard x-rays upon the collision of an electron beam, (b) an intermediate layer formed on the substrate, the intermediate layer being at least one of rhodium, silver, palladium, and molybdenum, and (c) a silicon film formed on the intermediate layer. There is also disclosed an x-ray lithographic apparatus comprising (a) an electron beam source, (b) the soft x-ray source described above, and (c) means for irradiating an object with the emitted soft x-rays. The method for manufacturing the soft x-ray source comprises (a) preparing a substrate, (b) setting the substrate in a vacuum chamber, (c) introducing a gas or vapor-containing silicon in a vacuum chamber, and (d) forming a silicon film on the intermediate layer by generating a plasma within the vacuum chamber.