Abstract: A printing system for printing a repeated pattern of esthetical and/or informative character on a substrate including a plurality of parallel webs is provided. The printing system comprises at least two overlapping non-impact printer units, each of which having a lateral elongation defining a maximum printing width, and a controller connected to each one of the printer units and configured to set an actual printing width extending between a start position and an end position of the lateral elongation, wherein the controller is configured to determine the actual printing width by receiving the lateral position of a non-printed area defined by the interface between two adjacent webs of the substrate and located laterally somewhere in the overlap between two printer units, such that the end position of a first printer unit and the start position of an overlapping printer unit is located within the non-printed area.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a pair of pulleys between which a belt is stretched, and a pin that rotatably supports a driving pulley, of the pair of pulleys; a mount for fixing the pin; a housing; at least two first fastening parts, respectively including first bosses that extend vertically from a bottom portion of the housing and first fastening members that are inserted into the first bosses via the mount to fix the mount to the housing; and a second fastening part disposed on an opposite side to, the first fastening parts with respect to the pin in the scanning direction, including a second boss that extends vertically from the bottom portion of the housing and has a different height from the first bosses and a second fastening member that is inserted into the second boss via the mount to fix the mount to the housing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a latent-image forming device; a developing device; a latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism; and a developing device contacting/separating mechanism, and the latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism allows the latent-image forming device to be movable to the latent-image forming device contacting position in a state where the developing device is moved to the developing device contacting position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a latent-image forming device; a developing device; a latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism; and a developing device contacting/separating mechanism, and the latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism allows the latent-image forming device to be movable to the latent-image forming device contacting position in a state where the developing device is moved to the developing device contacting position.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus is provided with: an image carrier; an exposure member that exposes the image carrier and forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developing member that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; and a contact-retracting unit that rotates the developing member taking a predetermined position as the rotational center, and brings the developing member in contact with or proximity to the image carrier or retracts the developing member from the image carrier.

Abstract: An original feeding apparatus is located above an image forming portion for recording an image on a recording medium and is constructed to convey an original to an image reading portion slidable in a shift direction relative to the image forming portion. The original feeding apparatus is slidable integrally with the image reading portion relative to the image forming portion and has its barycenter located on the rear end side with respect to the center in the shift direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: a latent image carrier whose surface includes an effective image region spanning across a predetermined width in a main scanning direction and is driven in a sub scanning direction approximately orthogonal to the main scanning direction; a latent image former which has a light source and a deflection mirror oscillating, and deflects a light beam from the light source using the deflection mirror so as to scan the effective image region with the deflected light beam; and a scanning mode controller which switches selectively between a single-side scanning mode and a double-side scanning mode, the single-side scanning mode being a mode in which the light beam is scanned only in a first direction included in the main scanning direction, the double-side scanning mode being a mode in which the light beam is scanned in both the first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein a condition to form latent images on the latent image carrier in the singl

Abstract: A scanner has a transport system for transporting a document along a transport path for scanning by at least a first camera. A first removable image guide is disposed between the first camera and a first side of the document. The first removable image guide has a first manifold with a first patter of holes for applying a first level of air pressure or vacuum to the document. Replacement of the first removable image guide with an upgrade removable image guide provides an alternate manifold with an alternate pattern of holes that provide a second level of air pressure or vacuum to the document, different from the first level.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus has a reader to read document images and has a stationary image reading position. A transporter transports a document at constant speed onto the image reading position. The transporter includes a guide member and a transport member. The guide member guides document transport and is provided adjacent to the upstream side of the document reading position in the direction of document transport by the transporter. The transport member transports a document with gripping between the guide member and itself. The transport member is provided above the guide member.

Abstract: The focused light incident from the light source on the document to be scanned has two different lengths of light path. The shorter light path is incident on the document near the light source. The longer light path is incident on the document away from the light source with a larger light spot and scans the document at a higher speed to yield a lower resolution. The high resolution light ray reflected from the document and the low resolution light ray reflected from the document pass through a set of transmitting lenses tilted at different angles to irradiate two different sets of charge coupled device sensors.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder for a copier has the position for reading the image of an original fed by the automatic document feeder disposed near the rear edge of the original table of the copier. In this automatic document feeder, essential parts such as a pickup roller, etc., for feeding originals to the reading position of the original table are arranged concentratedly on the rear side of the copier. Therefore, the center of gravity of the automatic document feeder resides near the rear side of the copier. This automatic document feeder is hinged at the rear side of the copier so as to cover the top surface of the original table in an openable and closable manner. Accordingly, the automatic document feeder is opened and closed with respect to the top of the copier, at a pivot which resides on the rear side near the center of gravity thereof.

Abstract: An image scanner arrangement having a scanner, a document feeder scanning portion and a flat scanning bed. A single white plate is provided between the document feeder scanning portion and flat bed. Before scanning, the scanner scans the white plate to provide image data for testing. If this image data contains white pixels not less than 90%, a controller determines that a lamp of a light source of the scanner illuminates appropriately. After confirming that the light source is in a good condition, the scanning starts. The single white plate is utilized regardless of scanning being performed with the document feeder scanning portion or the flat scanning bed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding unit for sequentially feeding a plurality of originals to an exposure plate, an exposure unit, which is movable along the exposure plate, for exposing the original on the exposure plate, an image forming unit for forming on a sheet an image on the original that is exposed by the exposure unit, and a control unit for providing either a first copying operation, in which the original is shifted by the feeding unit while the exposure unit is halted to perform copying, or a second copying operation, in which the exposure unit is shifted while the originals that are fed by the feeding unit are halted on the exposure plate. When the control unit executes a first mode in (e.g.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic original supplying apparatus which includes an original stacking plate on which originals can be rested, and an original conveyor for separating and supplying the original, one by one, and for conveying the separated original to a reading position. It operates in a flow reading mode in which a reader is fixed and the original is shifted with respect to the reader, a fix reading scan mode in which the original is fixed at the reading position and the reader is shifted with respect to the fixed original, and a count mode in which the number of originals is counted. The original conveying speed in the fix reading scan mode is faster than the original conveying speed in the flow reading mode, and, in the count mode, the original is conveyed under the flow reading mode.

Abstract: An image scanner with one lighting unit and one drive system for scanning both reflective and transparent objects includes a lighting unit, a reflect mirror unit, a lens and an image sensing unit. The planes for placing reflective objects and transparent objects are located on opposite sides of the lighting unit, and light of lighting unit reflecting from the surface of the reflective object or projecting directly through the transparent object to the image sensing unit by the reflect mirror unit and lens to match different modes of image scanning. The mirror unit may be driven to two different position by a lead screw drive mechanism.