Abstract: An image-forming apparatus is provided which includes a document reading section for reading image information from a document, and an image-forming section for forming an image on a sheet of paper based upon the image information of the document read by the document reading section. A space section is formed below the document reading section, which accommodates the image-forming section and serves as a discharge section to which the sheet of paper bearing the image formed in the image-forming section is discharged. The space section is surrounded by peripheral walls of an apparatus main body including the image-forming section. The image-forming apparatus further includes a paper post-treatment section that subjects the sheet of paper bearing the image to post-treatments, such as an adjustment process and a stapling process, in a virtually horizontal state, and that is placed between the document reading section and the space section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a drum having a hollow polyhedron cylinder of which facets have windows. A liquid crystal cell is attached to each window of the drum for receiving image light from out side the drum on the one surface thereof to pick up a document image therein, and for receiving second light on the back surface thereof inside the drum to cause the image to be read out. The drum is rotated so that the liquid crystal cell provided on each window of the drum can sequentially receive first light reflected by the document on the one surface thereof out side the drum and second light irradiated by a second irradiating device on the back surface thereof inside the drum. A photoreceptor for receiving second light reflected by the back surface of the liquid crystal cell forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a document image, which is developed, transferred onto a copy paper and fixed.

Abstract: A document platen driving device is provided with an endless gear connected to a document platen, whereon a document is placed, which reciprocates. A sun gear is secured to a fixed station within a space surrounded by the endless rack, and a planetary gear meshing with the endless rack and with the sun gear is also provided within the space. The planetary gear is a double gear composed of a large gear and a small gear having different pitch circle diameters. It is arranged such that the document platen is moved forward by meshing the small gear with the endless rack, and moved backward by meshing the large gear with the endless rack. In this arrangement, the backward moving speed of the document platen can be set faster than the forward moving speed, thereby permitting a reduction of the entire time required for a copying process, especially for a successive copying process.

Abstract: A document platen on which a document is placed is movably installed on the main body of a copying machine. A motor for producing a driving force is provided. An input gear to which the driving force is transmitted is located in a fixed position. A planetary gear is positioned such that it engages with and moves around the input gear. An endless gear is connected to the document platen. The endless gear has internal teeth in the form of a closed loop which engages with the planetary gear. When the planetary gear, which engages with both the input gear and the endless gear, moves around the input gear once, one reciprocating movement of the document platen is caused. With this configuration, since there is no need to provide a switching mechanism including clutches and solenoids that is used in a conventional device, the number of components is reduced, and thereby decreasing the manufacturing costs.

Abstract: In a method of transporting a photosensitive sheet for image forming operation, the photosensitive sheet is transported forward through an exposure section where a latent image is formed thereon, and then through a pressure-developing section where the photosensitive sheet is pressed against an image receiving sheet to develop the latent image and form a visible image on the image receiving sheet. In this pressure-developing process, the length of the photosensitive sheet which is drawn out from the sheet-feeding rod is measured. Then, the photosensitive sheet is further transported forward until the image receiving sheet is separated therefrom. Thereafter, the photosensitive sheet is transported backward by the length measured in the pressure-developing process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pressure development unit having a pair of press rollers, an eccentric cam for regulating the pressure, and a power transmission unit for transmitting a driving force to the eccentric cam, in which the power transmission unit includes a one-way clutch providing only one directional path for the power transmission.

Abstract: A speed control device used in an image forming apparatus which includes a detector for checking whether the backing of an image receiving sheet is made of ordinary paper or OHP film, and is capable of controlling the rotating speeds of the motors depending upon the type of the image receiving sheet, i.e., an ordinary paper type or an OHP film type, thereby ensuring that the thermoplastic resin is molten to achieve optimum fluidity irrespective of the type of image receiving sheet.

Abstract: A copying machine using a slide projector, in which the slide projector is situated such that its light path does not coincide with that of the optical device so as to secure a smooth circulation of cooling air through the copying machine. The lack of coincidence of the optical paths is compensated by adjusting the position of a photosensitive sheet with respect to that of an exposure plate so as to effect the reliable formation of an image whether light is reflected from a document placed on a document table or projected through a slidefilm by a slide projector.

Abstract: A pressure roller device includes upper and lower roller holders and small diameter upper and lower pressure rollers which are supported by the upper and lower roller holders, respectively. Upper and lower backup rollers, which are, respectively, provided at upper and lower sides of the upper and lower pressure rollers, remote from a point of contact of the upper and lower pressure rollers are rotatably supported by the upper and lower roller holders, respectively. The upper roller holder is rotatably supported, at one end of the upper and lower roller holders, by the lower roller holder. A pressing mechanism presses the upper roller holder against the lower roller holder, which is provided at the other end of the upper and lower roller holders, with the upper roller holder being rotated so as to be pressed against the lower roller holder, such that the upper and lower pressure rollers are brought into pressing contact with each other by the upper and lower backup rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus for the formation of images comprising a lamp which is disposed below a photosensitive sheet staying at a buffer section and which is turned on during the period of a light-exposure step, and a light-blocking plate which directs the light from the lamp into a portion of said photosensitive sheet between a pressure-transfer section and the front end of a latent image, whereby pressure-rupturable capsules on a non-image area of the photosensitive sheet are hardened and do not rupture when pressurized at the pressure-transfer section, thereby preventing chromogenic materials contained therein from flowing out onto the pressure rollers ore other devices, preventing the pressure rollers and/or the inside of the apparatus body from being stained with the chromogenic materials, and preventing the photosensitive sheet from becoming crumpled or from causing jamming.

Abstract: A copying machine including a first light source for illuminating an original on an original table, a second light source for illuminating a slidefilm, a slide projector having a slidefilm support which supports a slidefilm movably and the second light source, a mirror which is movable to a reflecting position for reflecting the light reflected from the original onto the photosensitive member as well as to a retracted position for allowing the light from the slide projector to be directly projected onto the photosensitive member, a detector for detecting whether the mirror is in the reflecting position or in the retracted position, and a light regulator for regulating power supply to either one of the first light source or the second light source which is selectively put into operation on the basis of the detected result of the detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a main body and an optical device provided in the main body for producing an exposure light of an image signal. The image forming apparatus also has a media cartridge detachably mounted to the main body. The media cartridge includes a supplying shaft on which unused photosensitive and pressure sensitive sheet is rolled for continuously supplying the unused sheet, an exposure section where the supplied unused sheet is exposed by the exposure light for forming a latent image on the supplied unused sheet, a pressure developing section to which an image receiver sheet is supplied and at which the receiver sheet is superposed and pressed onto the exposed sheet for pressure-developing an image onto the receiver sheet from the latent image, and a winding-up shaft for winding up the used sensitive sheet.

Abstract: A stirrer roller of a developing device for electrophotography has elliptical plates obliquely attached to an axis such that they are mutually parallel and their projections in the directions of the axis are circular. Each plate has notches or holes symmetrically positioned with respect to the center such that the trajectories of these notches do not overlap when the roller rotates around its axis.

Abstract: A projection unit, which is mounted in a copying machine and used to project an image of a light permeable original onto a prescribed exposure point on a photosensitive material, comprising a light source for exposure in a box, an original holding means which holds the original in a prescribed position with respect to the light source and the photosensitive material and is disposed movably in the box so that the image of the original is scanned in a prescribed direction with respect to the photosensitive material, a driving means for moving the original holding means in the scanning direction, a transmission means provided between the original holding means and the driving means which is capable of moving between an engaged position in that the transmission means is coupled to the original holding means and driving means so as to transmit power of the driving means to the holding means and a disengaged position in that the transmission means is not coupled to the original holding means and the driving means,

Abstract: A method of loading a media sheet, in which after a rolled media sheet coated with photo-setting microcapsules has been mounted on a supply portion, a front end portion of the media sheet is taken up by a take-up shaft from the supply portion through a pair of pressure rollers, comprising the steps of: taking up the front end portion of the media sheet by the take-up shaft; cancelling a pressing force of the pressure rollers such that a predetermined amount of the media sheet is further taken up by the take-up shaft; and recovering the pressing force of the pressure rollers.

Abstract: A copying apparatus in which a light receiving sheet is used is provided with a density level setting switch for setting the density level of a copy image, and an illuminance controller for adjusting both the luminous intensity and scanning speed of an optical system, in accordance with the density level. A copying apparatus may be provided with an input switch for inputting the sensitivity of a light receiving sheet, and a controller for adjusting both the scanning speed of said optical system and the speed of the process for forming a copy image, in accordance with the sensitivity of the light receiving sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting the photosensitive sheet, including a first controller for controlling a buffer roller to move it into a loading position at the time of automatic loading of the photosensitive sheet, and a second controller for controlling the buffer roller at the time of an image-forming process so that the buffer roller moves to and from a starting position, thereby preventing the jamming of the photosensitive sheet and attaining the forming of a distinct image without a blur.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising a photosensitive sheet cartridge in which the photosensitive sheet is accommodated in a rolled form, a leader sheet being connected to the leading edge of the photosensitive sheet and numerous positioning holes being provided at regular intevals on both sides of the leader sheet in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive sheet; the body of the image forming apparatus onto which the photosensitive sheet cartridge is detachably mounted; and a guide roller for transporting the photosensitive sheet, which is drawn from the photosensitive sheet cartridge, toward the pair of pressure rollers when the cartridge is installed into the body of the image forming apparatus, the guide being provided with guide protrusions, at regular intervals on the outer surface thereof, which engage with the positioning holes of the leader sheet, thereby providing an image forming apparatus that is capable of easily and accurately loading into the body of the image forming apparatus a phot

Abstract: A pressure device for use in image forming apparatuses comprises a pair of pressure rollers by which a media sheet with microcapsules encapsulating a colorless dye and a light-curable agent which hardens by exposure to light is pressed together with an image receiving sheet with a developing agent having a chromogenic effect on the colorless dye after the media sheet is exposed to an image-forming light, a pair of guides by which the pair of rollers are rotatably supported, the pair of guides being rotatable at one end relative to each other about a fulcrum, a roller-pressing means that is installed through the guides, said roller-pressing means pressing the pair of rollers to be pressed against each other, and a pressure changing means that is installed on both the guides, the pressure-changing means changing pressure to be applied to the rollers by the roller-pressing means according to the length of the image receiving sheet that is measured in the direction perpendicular to the transporting direction of t

Abstract: An apparatus for the formation of images, in which a photosensitive sheet coated with pressure-rupturable capsules that are hardened by light is first transported through a light-exposure section to be illuminated by an illuminating means to obtain a latent image, and then temporarily stored in a buffer section, and transported through a pressure-transfer section consisting of a pair of pressure rollers to be pressed against an image-receiving sheet to obtain a colored image on the image-receiving sheet, and is finally wound around a take up rod, the illuminating means selectively illuminating the photosensitive sheet so as to harden some of the pressure-rupturable capsules thereon to form the latent image, and the apparatus comprising: a secondary illuminating means for entirely illuminating a predetermined portion of the photo-sensitive sheet so as to harden all the pressure-rupturable capsules thereon when said portion of the photosensitive sheet is being transported alone through the pressure-transfer sec