Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a cassette for containing copy sheets, the cassette being releasable responsive to the opening of an upper cover to cover an upper portion of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus may be further provided with a cartridge for carrying at least one of an image carrying body, developing units and a cleaning unit, and the cartridge is also released responsive to the opening of the upper cover of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: The invention provides a color image forming apparatus provided with an image carrying unit including a rotatable photoreceptor, a developing unit including a plurality of developing devices, and a cleaning unit. The apparatus is formed with a lower casing and an upper casing. In the upper casing, the image carrying unit, the developing unit and the cleaning unit are accommodated, in which at least two kinds of the units are incorporated in a cartridge capable of being detachably installed in the upper casing. The upper casing is adapted pivotal between an open position and an operation position around an axis which is disposed parallel to the rotation axis of the photoreceptor. When the upper casing is pivotted to the open position, the developing unit is so disposed that a side of the developing unit facing the photoreceptor becomes higher than other side of the developing unit.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus wherein a belt-shaped image retainer faces an image forming device. The image forming device includes a charging device, exposure device and a plurality of developing devices which are juxtaposed with each other. The belt-shaped image retainer is in the form of a cartridge which is mounted removably in the apparatus body. The cartridge has a closable cover divided into several sections which are arranged at the positions facing the image device. The belt-shaped image retainer has a transversely movable shutter member for protecting spaced apart surface portions of the image retainer which would be otherwise exposed when the upper casing of the apparatus body is opened or when the image retainer is removed from the upper casing, by moving the shutter member transversely to cover the spaced apart exposed surface portions of the image retainer.

Abstract: A multicolor image forming apparatus includes an image input means for outputting at least a character, a character size, and character coordinate data on a screen as image code data on the basis of input image data, a font storage section for storing font data and outputting the font data in accordance with an input address signal, a font data conversion sectin having a function of converting the image code data into image data consisting of pixel data on the basis of the font data, and an image buffer memory for temporarily storing the image data output from the font data conversion section. Toner images are frame-sequentially formed in layers on an image forming body in units of color components on the basis of the obtained image data, thereby forming a multicolor toner image.

Abstract: A camshell type photoelectric color image printer includes a photoreceptor for holding a latent image on its surface, a charger for charging the surface of the photoreceptor, a laser writer for forming a latent image on the charged surface of the photoreceptor, plural developers for developing the latent image with color toners, a transfer drum for holding a recording sheet on which the developed latent image is transferred, a cleaner for cleaning residual toner on the photoreceptor, and a cartridge which holds the photoreceptor, the developers, the cleaner and the transfer unit. The developers are located under the photoreceptor, and the cartridge is removable from the color image printer. An upper part of the color image printer is movable relative to the main body of the printer.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for forming a latent image on a photoreceptor. In the apparatus, there are provided an image reader including a scanning device for performing a reciprocal movement along an original document, a reading device for reading an image on the original document and for outputting an image signal in the outward movement of the scanning device, and a memory for storing the image signal; and an image writing device for writing a latent image on the photoreceptor. The image writing device has a first writing mode in which a latent image corresponding to the image signal outputted from the reading device is written in synchronization with the outward movement of the scanning device, and a second writing mode in which a latent image corresponding to the image signal outputted from the memory is written. The scanning device is adapted to perform the backward movement in the second writing mode.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus has a plurality of developing devices and an automatic paper feed unit and a manual paper feed unit, each paper feed unit having a paper feed cassette. The paper feed units are provided below a belt-shaped image retainer. Paper ejection ports are provided above the image retainer for ejecting transfer materials which are fed from a paper feed unit, one of the paper ejection ports being selected according to the thickness of the transfer material. A thermal fixing condition is varied according to the transfer material thickness.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for forming a color toner image on a photoreceptor belt. The photoreceptor belt is stretched to form a loop around a plurality of rollers and installed in a cartridge which is made to be detachable from the apparatus. The cartridge is made to additionally house a container for collecting residual toner removed from the photoreceptor belt or a toner supply unit for supplying toner to a plurality of developing devices.

Abstract: The invention provides a color image forming apparatus with photoreceptor belt. In a roll of the photoreceptor belt provided two pieces of rotatable rollers and guide plate with a curved surface so that the photoreceptor belt is moved while slidably coming in contact with the curved surface of the guide plate. Along the outer surface of the roll of the photoreceptor belt provided a plurality of developing devices at the curved surface to form a color toner image on the photoreceptor belt.

Abstract: A developing apparatus for supplying a developer to a photoreceptor so that an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor is developed with the developer. The developing apparatus comprises a developer conveyer, having a rigid surface, for conveying the developer to a developing zone; a developer layer-thickness regulator, shaped like a bar and having a rigid surface portion of the curvature radius between 0.5 mm and 15 mm, for regulating the thickness of the developer to be conveyed to the developing zone; and a supporter for supporting the developer layer-thickness regulator.

Abstract: An electrostatic image forming apparatus for forming a color image wherein plural developers are located substantially under the image retainer, at least two of the image retainer, the developer, and the cleaner being formed as a detachable unit.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus for forming a plurality of toner images on a rotating image retainer, wherein the image retainer, a group of developing devices disposed below the image retainer and a cleaning device disposed above the image retainer are integrated to constitute a process unit, toner recovered by the cleaning device is stored in the process unit, and the image retainer can be removed from the process unit.

Abstract: The invention provides a color image forming apparatus capable of forming a mono-color image and a multi-color image on a rotatable photoreceptor having a given circumferential length. In the apparatus, there are provided a selection switch for selecting either a mono-color mode for forming a mono-color image or a multi-color mode for forming a multi-color image, and a control circuit responsible to a selection signal of the selection switch so that, when the multi-color made is selected, an image size of a multi-color image is restricted within a maximum size corresponding to the circumferential length of the photoreceptor.

Abstract: A multicolor image forming apparatus having an apparatus body and plural kinds of processing devices such as a photoreceptor, an electric charger for providing electric charge on the photoreceptor, an image exposure device for performing image exposure corresponding to multicolor image information on the charged photoreceptor, a developing device including a plurality of developing sub-devices for developing a latent image formed on the exposed photoreceptor into a toner image, a cleaner for cleaning a toner remaining on the photoreceptor after the toner image has been transferred to a copy paper, a plurality of supply devices for supplying toner to each of the plurality of developing sub-devices, and a color process cartridge for accomodating at least the photoreceptor and the plurality of developing sub-devices among the plural kinds of processing devices.

Abstract: A color image recording apparatus capable of detachably accommodating an interchangeable process cartridge incorporating plural kinds of developing devices. A plurality of kinds of interchangeable process cartridges are provided differing in the kind of developing devices incorporated therein, and each of such process cartridges has a predetermined operation mode corresponding to the kind of developing devices incorporated therein. Each of the plural kinds of process cartridges is adapted to be associated with a card-shaped memory storing data representing the predetermined operation mode. In the apparatus is provided an electric connection for forming an electrical circuit between the card-shaped memory associated with the accommodated process cartridge and the control device. The control device receives data from the card-shaped memory through the electric connection, and based thereon performs the predetermined operation mode of the accommodated process cartridge.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for forming a color image on a photoreceptor, in which along the rotation direction of the photoreceptor there are provided an imagewise exposure process to form a latent image, a development process including a plurality of developing devices to form a color toner image, each of the plural developing devices having a toner hopper, and a transfer process to transfer the formed color toner image onto a copy paper. The apparatus comprises a housing for including at least the photoreceptor, the plural developing devices and the plural toner hopper as one unit, and a support guide for supporting the housing to be movable in the axial direction of the photoreceptor so that the unit is attached to and detached from the apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming method wherein a latent image is formed by one of plurality of latent image forming devices and developed by one of plurality of developing devices. The above steps are repeated to form an image. An image forming apparatus having a first latent image forming device, a first developing device, a second latent image forming device, and a second developing device sequentially arranged in face of an image retainer in this order.

Abstract: A multicolor image forming apparatus wherein a plurality of developing devices for forming a multicolor image are integrally supported by a support member which can be inserted into and withdrawn from an apparatus body, and a plurality of resupply devices for replenishing toner particles are mounted on each of the developing devices. Each of the developing devices and each of the resupply devices corresponding to each of the developing devices are automatically connected to and disconnected from each other, when the support member is inserted into and withdrawn from the apparatus body. The support member further supports an image retainer and if necessary a cleaning member integrally.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus wherein document information is separated by using an optical device into two colors that are complementary to each other, converted photo-electrically and processed by using a photo-electric conversion device, and extracted on the basis of the result of processing by using a color extraction information generation device, and a color information designated by the color extraction information of the color extraction information generation device is stored in a color information storage device.

Abstract: A method of forming an electric signal wherein the signal level corresponding to the selected color in the original indicates the maximum or minimum value. The original is exposed to the light and the reflected light is introduced into a photoelectric converting means through two different paths, each of which has a filter corresponding to a different selected color. These two signals are multiplied by a predetermined ratio, and are combined to obtain the final image signal.