Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a scanner device and an image forming apparatus body to which the scanner device is attached. The scanner device has a document inlet and a document outlet respectively formed in mutually opposed surfaces thereof, and is configured to read an image of a document fed thereinto through the document inlet and discharge the document through the document outlet. The scanner device is detachably attached to a top surface of the image forming apparatus body. The top surface of the image forming apparatus body functions as a guide surface guiding the document when the scanner device is used.

Abstract: A hand-held printer assembly includes a print media cartridge configured to store a stack of sheets of print media. A printer is configured to releasably engage with the print media cartridge and print on respective sheets of the print media passing there-through. A print media transporter is arranged to transport respective sheets of the print media from the stack in the cartridge and through the printer during printing.

Abstract: A near-field photomask includes a light shield film having openings to constitute a light shield portion. The photomask can be used to expose an exposure target with near-field light generated through the openings. The openings formed in the light shield film include two or more parallel rows of first slit openings each having a width smaller than 100 nm, and two or more parallel rows of second slit openings each having a width smaller than 100 nm, which extend perpendicularly to the rows of first slit openings while interlinking at least two of the rows of first slit openings. A near-field exposure apparatus includes the near-field photomask with a positioning unit and a source for illuminating polarized light parallel to the first slit openings for forming a latent-dot-image on an exposure target only where a second slit opening crosses the light shield portion on the near-field photomak.

Abstract: A photomask for near-field light exposure includes a transparent substrate, and a shading member on the substrate, a mask pattern including at least two apertures with different widths not greater than the wavelength of light from a light source. The shading member has a constant thickness that is set such that differences between light intensities directly below each of the apertures of different widths is 20% or less based on a largest light intensity of the light intensities directly below each of the apertures of different widths. A near-field light exposure apparatus includes a stage that holds the photomask, a light source, a sample table that holds a work substrate provided with a photoresist having a thickness that is less than the wavelength of exposure light, and a means for controlling the distance between the work substrate and the photomask.

Abstract: A multifunctional image processing apparatus which is capable of coping with changes expected to take place in office environment in the future, includes image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, image reading means, disposed above the image forming means with a void space part formed between the image forming means and the image reading means, for reading image information from an original having the image information recorded thereon, and a sheet delivery part arranged to deliver the sheet having the image formed thereon by the image forming means into the void space part formed between the image forming means and the image reading means, wherein the image reading means is supported by a support part provided on a frame body in which the image forming means is housed, and is arranged to be horizontally swingable around the support part.

Abstract: A digital camera capable of performing accurate document reading, and a document processing system utilizing the digital camera. In the document processing system, a document is divided into blocks and each block is sensed by a CCD 103; perspective correction is performed on the image data of each of the plurality of images obtained by divisionally sensing the document; and OCR process is performed on the corrected image data to convert the corrected image data to text data. The converted text data, corresponding to the image data of each of the plurality of images, is combined into one text data, and the combined text data is outputted for printing.

Abstract: A film feeder/winder is capable of winding films compactly, feeding films backward and keeping films damage-free. A plurality of films wound in a magazine case are fed one by one into a film guide. The film guide is partially openable, so that a film being fed backward can be looped by protruding from the film guide. Films are fed into a scanner/exposure unit for scanning and printing. After printing, films are fed into another magazine case and wound into a roll. It is possible to print any additional films by inserting them into an inlet opening of an extra passage branching from the film feed path. Also, a film being fed backward may be guided into this extra passage until it protrudes from the inlet opening. Both magazine cases have guides and rollers for smoothly winding films around their respective film take-up cores.

Abstract: A notch is formed in a lateral edge of a contact printing plate. An arresting lever is pivotally mounted in a plate guide path for guiding the contract printing plate into a printing position. The arresting lever is urged to protrude into the plate guide path, such that when the contact printing plate is inserted in a normal state into the plate guide member, the arresting lever is not engaged in the notch of the contact printing plate, but if the contact printing plate is inserted in the reversed state, the arresting lever engages in the notch and thus prevents the contact printing plate from moving further into the plate guide member. The contact printing plate has a pushing surface for pushing the arresting lever aside from the plate guide path.

Abstract: The feeding of a photosensitive material is automatically controlled to a desired length corresponding the size or volume of an additional image to be printed so that manual data input operations can be minimized. The volume of the additional image is estimated from attribute data detected by an attribute data detector and used for determining the location of printing the image on the photo-sensitive material. Also, the orientation of the image to be printed is determined from data of a vertical position detector. With reference to those information, the length of feeding and the location of cutting marks for the photosensitive material are calculated. Resultant signals are fed to a double exposure means, a cutting-mark applying means, and a photosensitive material transfer means for optimum control of exposure actions.

Abstract: An image combining printer including: a photographic picture stationary surface exposure unit for exposing a photosensitive material to an image projected from a negative film by illumination of a light source, a stationary surface contact exposure unit for conducting a contact exposure on the photosensitive material which stops running and comes into direct contact with another negative, and a PLZT line exposure unit of a linear shape arranged at a right angle to a pass line of the photosensitive material for performing a line exposure so arranged so that the photosensitive material can be exposed to light in at least one, a selected two, or all three of the exposure units as desired.

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 recording device such as an electronic blackboard has a transparent and flexible drawing sheet in an endless form which stretches around a pair of parallel rollers and on which characters and figures can be erasably drawn. A uniformly charged photosensitive sheet is disposed behind this stretched drawing sheet and light is made incident thereon through the drawing sheet such that a latent image is formed on the photosensitive sheet corresponding to the characters and figures on the drawing sheet. A printed copy of this latent image is obtained by the known electrophotographic technique.

Abstract: In a film card camera the processing unit is not only employed for developing the original film cards exposed in the film card camera but also for developing duplicate cards. The duplicate cards are preferably exposed and developed in a contact-exposure unit of the film card camera, employing the film card original generated in the film card camera. The film card camera can also be of the CAD-type. Its processing unit is in this case employed for generating original film cards as well as for manufacturing duplicate film cards. In addition, both types of cards can be labeled.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copying system includes a contact reflection exposure type electrophotographic photosensitive member received in an open-bottomed portable casing to be moved back and forth with respect to the open bottom of the casing. The copying system is placed on an original to be copied with its open bottom being directed to the original. The photosensitive member is charged while in a position remote from the open bottom and then moved toward the open bottom until it is brought into contact with the original. The photosensitive member is exposed to light from the backside thereof, whereby an electrostatic latent image of the original is formed on the photosensitive member. The photosensitive member is then returned to the position remote from the open bottom of the casing and the latent image is developed to form a toner image of the original.

Abstract: A data storage and retrieval system is provided utilizing digital or analog data input signals to energize one or more data recording heads which can produce a selection of sizes of alpha-numeric, pictorial or digital coded images on a recording medium. Where alpha-numeric or pictorial images are produced, the images are both human and machine readable. Such alpha-numeric or pictorial images can be sequentially or simultaneously selectively produced full sized and/or reduced substantially in size to form at least 24:1 or greater size reductions of these images on the same or different recording media. Thus, for example, X-ray pictures or letters and the like can be simultaneously produced in reduced form on a microfilm recording medium for record storage purposes and full sized simultaneously on a recording medium for direct examination and delivery to third parties.

Abstract: A data storage and retrieval system is provided utilizing digital or analog data input signals to energize one or more data recording heads which can produce a selection of sizes of alpha-numeric, pictorial or digital coded images on a recording medium. Where alpha-numeric or pictorial images are produced, the images are both human and machine readable. Such alpha-numeric or pictorial images can be sequentially or simultaneously selectively produced full sized and/or reduced substantially in size to form at least 24:1 or greater size reductions of these images on the same or different recording media. Thus, for example, X-ray pictures or letters and the like can be simultaneously produced in reduced form on a microfilm recording medium for record storage purposes and full sized simultaneously on a recording medium for direct examination and delivery to third parties.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for continuously patterning a photosensitive tape or foil wherein a master pattern and the tape or foil are synchronously coupled. An optical system comprising a plano-convex lens, a concave spherical mirror, and a pair of right-angle prisms is optically-coupled between the master pattern and the tape or foil for projecting an image of the pattern onto the tape. The optical system is such that the movement of the image is in the same direction as the movement of the tape. The apparatus is such that patterning can take place through projecting an image on one or on both sides of the tape. Alternatively, projecting an image on one side of the tape and contact printing of a pattern on the other side of the tape is also made possible by the apparatus.

Abstract: A group of separate large-size color or black-and-white pictures to be recorded on a master as very finely-screened (e.g. 10 micrometer period) micropictures in a given format, such as microfiche, are first reduced to a continuous-tone first recording at an intermediate size on a medium, such as 70 millimeter film. Then a relatively fine-screened (e.g. 40 micrometer period), high-contrast second recording, made from the first recording by contact printing, is reduced to micropicture size in the given format.

Abstract: Light reflected from hard copy is reduced to microimage size and applied at an imaging and developing station to a dry-process mask film strip which is photosensitive to the reflected light and which is developed by heat to provide microimaged transparencies therein. Such microimaged transparencies in the mask film strip are transferred in an image transferring station to a dry-process microform film to provide imaged microform records therein which conform to the transparent microimages in the mask film strip and which have archival properties. The imaging and developing station includes a platform for receiving the hard copy and a projection means for applying the reduced microimage of the hard copy to the mask film strip. Projection means are provided for expanding and projecting an image of said desired imaged microform record in the microform film in expanded normal size onto the platform for viewing the same.

Abstract: A dry-process method and apparatus for producing archival microform records from light reflecting hard copy utilize a dry-process mask film strip which is photosensitive to and microimaged by light reflected and reduced or condensed from the hard copy and developed by heat to provide microimaged transparencies therein as the mask film strip is moved to an imaging and developing station. It also utilizes a dry-process microform film which has archival properties and which is sensitive to and microimaged and developed by short pulses of electromagnetic energy above a threshold value applied thereto through the microimaged transparencies of the superimposed mask film strip when it is moved to an image transferring station to provide in the microform film imaged microform records which conform to the transparent microimages in the dry-process mask film strip and, hence, the hard copy and which have achival properties. The microform film is preferably in the form of a microfiche.