Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention has a photosensitive drum for carrying an electrostatic latent image, an image forming section for forming the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum, a developing unit for supplying a developing agent to the electrostatic latent image formed by the image forming section, a transfer charger for transferring a developing agent image which is developed by the developing unit to a sheet, supplying mechanism for supplying the sheet to the photosensitive drum, and a control section for allowing a plurality of electrostatic latent images to be formed at a time in a parallel sheet array on the photosensitive drum as required through an image forming mechanism, in which the supplying mechanism has a supplying section for holding sheets in a parallel array as required and first and second supply sections for allowing the sheets which are held in a parallel array to be picked up in units of one sheet in a parallel array at a time and supplying these par

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet containing cassette detachably mounted on a main body of an image forming apparatus to contain sheets to be supplied by a sheet supply means provided in the apparatus body, the cassette comprising a frame member, a sheet supporting member disposed within the frame member and adapted to support the sheets to be supplied by the sheet supply means, and a separation sheet provided on the sheet supporting member in an opposed relation to the sheet supply means. Character and/or a sketch are described on the separation sheet.

Abstract: A modular duplex media handling system used in conjunction with a simplex media handling print recording apparatus, includes a drive roller having a simple gear linkage. The simple gear linkage provides a fixed rotational relationship between the drive roller and a feed roller of the simplex handling apparatus. A media guide pivots about the drive roller's axle between a first position into which it is biased, and a second position into which it is deflected by a media sheet. From the first position, a media sheet retracting from a print zone can enter the duplex media handling system. From the second position, a media sheet can move from the input tray around the feed roller into the print zone, or move out of the duplex media handling system back into the input tray to await refeeding for second side printing.

Abstract: In a sheet pack hermetically containing sheets to be supplied to a recording apparatus in a box-shaped container, the container is provided with a plurality of feeding ports and a plurality of bearing ports for a sheet feeding device provided on the recording apparatus body side to feed the sheets from the feeding ports to bear against the sheets.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device comprises a sheet supporting means which is provided so as to be freely drawn out from the main body of an apparatus and supports sheets, a sheet feeding means abutting on the sheets supported by the sheet supporting means to feed the sheets, and a driving means for applying a driving force for feeding the sheets to the sheet feeding means, wherein the sheet supporting means is moved so as to be drawn out from the main body of the apparatus under the driving force of the driving means for driving the sheet feeding means while the sheets supported by the sheet supporting means are not present.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes a main body which has a printer engine which forms an image on a recording medium, a supply unit which supplies the recording medium to the main body, and a discharge unit which receives the recording medium, on which an image is recorded, discharged from the main body. The supply unit and discharge unit detachably connect to the apparatus and the units are stackable under the main body, and the supply unit and discharge unit have a relaying device for relaying the recording medium which is supplied or discharged from another unit or the main body.

Abstract: An electro-photographic apparatus including a photosensitive body, a plurality of developing units for forming a toner image on a surface of the photosensitive body by attaching toner on the surface of the photosensitive body, an intermediate transfer body for having the toner image transferred thereon and for transferring the toner image onto a print medium, and a paper cassette for containing the print medium. The paper cassette and the developing units are arranged to be horizontally detachable in the same direction.

Abstract: The telescopic structure which has a plurality of stages of sheet supporting bodies and all stages of the sheet supporting bodies are provided with top plates for covering the areas above the sheets, wherein the top plate for, at least, the last-stage sheet supporting body has of the plate member that is attached rotatably to an upper rear end part of the sheet supporting body of a stage previous to the last. The plate member can be pivoted so as to be placed on the top plate of the previous-stage sheet supporting body. The sheet feeder cassette is attached to an image forming apparatus and the top plates and such constitute the supporting body for the sheets which are discharged from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: There is disclosed a second cassette feeding apparatus for an electrostatic image-forming system employed to increase sheet feeding capacity, including a cassette frame for secondary paper feeding, formed on one side of a main body of the electrostatic image-forming system, and having a pickup roller for picking up a sheet of paper, and a driving roller forming a relay roller to convey the paper to a registration roller of the main body; and a second paper cassette inserted into the cassette frame to store sheets of paper, and having a passive roller forming the relay roller with the driving roller.

Abstract: A reading recording apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus is provided with a reading portion which causes an original conveying path to convey an original and reading image information, and a recording portion which causes a recording sheet conveying path to convey a recording sheet and effecting recording thereon, wherin an operating portion is disposed on the upper surface of an apparatus body, a lid member is provided openably and closably relative to the apparatus body, with the lid member, when in its closed position, covering the operating portion, and when in its opened position, supporting the original and the recording sheet so as to be guided by the original conveying path and the recording sheet conveying path, whereby the reading-recording apparatus has a well-balanced and compact structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus which has a sheet supporting device for supporting a sheet, a sheet absorbing device for absorbing the sheet supported by the sheet supporting device by utilizing an absorbing force generated by an absorbing force generating device, and a shift device for shifting the sheet absorbing device to bring the sheet absorbed by the sheet absorbing device to a sheet supply device disposed downstream in a sheet supplying direction. The sheet absorbing device and the shift device receive respective driving forces from the single or common drive source.

Abstract: A unit which detects a discharged condition of each of media with a simple and low-cost structure. For this purpose, this unit is designed to output a signal indicative of the passage of the medium, a signal indicative of a full accumulated condition of the media within the medium discharged section and a signal representative of the occurrence of a jam condition of the medium during the passage of the medium. This unit is applicable to printers such as an electrophotographic type printer.

Abstract: Paper moving rollers, for use in printer or duplicating machines, particularly those using an autocompensating feed system, are disclosed. These rollers have a long effective life and provide reliable single feed of paper while minimizing double and multiple feeds. The rollers are made from a rubber composition comprising isoprene rubber, at least one ozone-resistant rubber, such as EPDM, and a rubber curing system substantially soluble in the rubber mixture. The process for moving paper in a printer or duplicating machine using these rollers is also disclosed.

Abstract: A printing device that includes a paper tray having adjustability for any number of paper sizes and a dial indicator that includes a predetermined number of standard or precut paper sizes and a setting that invokes a menu from which a user can select from an extended list of standard or precut paper sizes. The menu for selection of extended standard/precut paper sizes includes a setting which invokes a second menu from which a custom cut page size may be entered. The printer retrieves selected paper size or custom cut page size based on inputs from the menu and stores the retrieved sizes in memory so that the paper tray has an identified paper size located therein.

Abstract: A paper detecting device is provided that may be constructed using a tray-rotatable-cam that can rotate around a shaft through a limited range. The tray-rotatable-cam is rotated into operating position by the insertion of the paper tray into the electrophotographic apparatus. A height-adjusting-beam is positioned substantially perpendicularly to the tray-rotatable-cam and is able to rotate on its own shaft through a limited range to raise the height of the shaft supporting the sensor-activating-blade. The shaft supporting the sensor-activating-blade is at a substantially perpendicular orientation to the height-adjusting-beam. A torsion spring installed on the same shaft as the height-adjusting-beam to provide the force to lift the shaft, and sensor-activating-blade to their operational height. The torsional spring also prevent the shaft and sensor-activating-blade from being caught in the paper tray when the paper tray is inserted or removed from the electrophotographic apparatus.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrostatic latent image carrying body, an electric charger for uniformly electrifying, the carrying body, an optical exposure unit to form an electrostatic latent image on the carrying body, a developer for developing the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image on the carrying body, a transfer unit for transferring the toner image from the carrying body onto a printing sheet, a fixing unit for fixing the toner image to the printing sheet, a cleaner for cleaning to remove residual toner from the carrying body and a toner returning mechanism for returning the residual toner removed by the cleaner to the developer. The developer includes a housing in which a toner chamber is defined, a developing roller rotatably mounted in the housing, an agitator rotatably mounted in the housing so as to be positioned in the toner chamber, a partitioning member provided in the housing for defining a carrier chamber adjacent to the developing roller.

Abstract: A copier has a plurality of paper trays for holding paper, and a housing having a front surface as cabinetry with shape-based indicators. The front surface includes a plurality of access panels adjacent to the paper trays, with each access panel allowing access to a respective paper tray, and each access panel has a curved exposed surface extending from the front surface. Each access panel includes a flat exposed surface extending from the respective access panel and having output indicators for indicating status conditions of a set of copying components.

Abstract: A method for improving feeding of a compilations of recording sheets in a printing process including the steps of forming a stack of the recording sheets having an in-ream curl value between 10 mm to 20 mm from the compilations of recording sheets; loading the stack of recording sheets in a sheet input station; feeding each recording sheet from the stack to a process station, the feeding step includes separating each recording sheet from the stack of recording sheets to be fed to the process station; recording an image on an imageable surface; developing the imaging with marking particles; transferring the developed image onto the recording sheets; and fixing the developed image onto a recording sheet at a fixing station.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the height of a stack of sheet media in a supply bin is provided. The apparatus includes a sensor and a substantially linearly extending member. The member is operatively associated with the optical sensor to permit relative motion between the sensor and the member. At least one of the sensor and the member moves with the supply bin. The sensor generates a signal indicative of the relative motion between the sensor and the member. The relative motion provides an indication of the height of the stack of the sheet media.

Abstract: A sheet stacking and lifting cassette tray assembly for reliably and effectively feeding sheets of different basis weight for use in a reproduction machine. The sheet stacking and lifting cassette tray assembly includes a cassette frame including a frame floor, and frame side walls; a plurality of sheet stacking and lifting subassemblies mounted within, and to, the frame side walls for applying selectable values of sheet lifting normal forces against a sheet feedhead. Each sheet stacking and lifting subassembly of the plurality of sheet stacking and lifting subassemblies includes a pivotable stacking and supporting plate, and a set of springs having a spring rate for providing a normal force having a particular value for lifting a stack of sheets.

Abstract: A media tray lifting mechanism for use with a driving mechanism to present sheet media for processing in a printing machine is provided. The mechanism includes a tray for supporting the sheet media and a cable affixed in at least three spaced apart positions to the tray to form cable connections. The mechanism also includes a plurality of support pulleys affixed to the printing machine and movably attached to the cable for supporting the cable within the machine. At least two of the support pulleys is associated with each of the cable connections to form pulley sets. At least one of the support pulleys within each pulley set subtends another pulley within the pulley set to provide a substantially vertical section of the cable between the pulleys. An adjustment pulley is movably secured to the printing machine and is movably attached to the cable. The adjustment pulley is positioned between adjacent sets of pulley sets.

Abstract: A container and liner combination includes an interlock feature. Multiple sheets of photosensitive material are placed on the liner. The container has a base in which the liner is positioned. The base has a interlock feature and the liner has a mating interlock feature. The interlock feature prevents movement of the liner in the feed direction as well as in a direction opposite the feed direction.

Abstract: A paper sheet feeding device in which paper sheets are supplied from above includes a bottom plate for accommodating paper sheets and springs which lift up the bottom plate. The springs are released in response to the removal of the paper sheet feeding device from the image forming apparatus so that the bottom plate assumes a position determined by the weight of the paper sheets thereon.

Abstract: Two stacked paper trays (43, 45) are connected electrically by cable (53) and are physically combined, as by bolts. The combined unit has a single microprocessor (49). The paper trays communicate status, such as paper size and paper amount to the microprocessor. The microprocessor reports upon interrogation from a control processor (61) of a printer (7) that it is a multiple tray unit and reports the status for each unit. This avoids the use of a microprocessor with each tray.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an imaging portion; a sheet storage portion including a sheet support member on which a stack of copy sheets are placed, the sheet support member being movable between a sheet replenishing position where copy sheets are replenished and a sheet dispense position where copy sheets are dispensed to the imaging portion one by one; a detector which detects the presence of the sheet support member at the sheet dispense position; a instructing portion which instructs an imaging operation to the imaging portion; and a controller which holds the instruction of imaging operation during a movement of the sheet support member from the sheet replenishing position to the sheet dispense position after receiving the instruction until the sensor detects that the sheet support member has reached the sheet dispense position and which controls the imaging portion to start the imaging operation upon the sensor detecting that the sheet support member has reached the sheet dispense position.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a sheet cassette installed within an insertion hole formed in a main body of the image forming system. The sheet cassette stores sheets of a printable medium that are operated upon by the image forming system. A window is formed along an outer surface of the sheet cassette to enable a user to visually detect a quantity of the sheets remaining within the sheet cassette without having to remove the sheet cassette from the insertion hole.

Abstract: A semi-automatic exit window cleaner which includes a wiper for contacting an exit window. The wiper attaches to a wiper operation mechanism which swipes the wiper across the exit window when an operator accessed compartment or drawer is moved. Beneficially, the wiper mechanism is comprised of a cable which is spaced between two pulleys, one of which also connects to a gear or other rotation train.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an apparatus body and an optional cassette feeder unit which is detachably mounted on the apparatus body. The optional cassette feeder unit stores sheets and feeds sheets to the image forming section of the body. The image forming apparatus is provided with locking sections which engage with leg sections provided at the lower surface of the apparatus body in order to connect the body to the optional cassette feeder unit.

Abstract: In a recording medium feeding apparatus for use in an electronic photography printing machine, an outer appearance of a popular paper feeding apparatus is formed to have the same outer appearance of an envelope feeding apparatus, thereby by exchanging the two feeding apparatuses the object to be recorded can exchange from the popular papers to the envelopes. The envelope feeding apparatus is formed to have the same height toward the right side and the left side of the envelopes when the envelopes are mounted and to make equal the force added to the right side and the left side. An envelope pressing member of the envelope feeding apparatus is constituted of a rod shape elastic member. A spring member supports the envelope pressing member as a fulcrum at one end portion of the envelope pressing member and opens or closes by the pressurized force and another end of the envelope pressing member is consistent with a tip end of the envelopes.

Abstract: A high capacity portable sheet cassette tray assembly for supporting and positioning a stack of sheets for feeding reliably, one at a time, in a sheet using machine. The high capacity cassette tray assembly includes a cassette frame for removing and reinstalling into a sheet supply station of the sheet using machine. The cassette frame has a front end over which sheets are fed into the machine, and forward feed corner snubbers that are mounted to the front end of the cassette frame. The high capacity cassette tray assembly also includes a liftable base plate mounted within the cassette frame for supporting a high capacity stack of sheets having a topmost sheet. Further, the high capacity cassette tray includes a constant angle parallelogram lifting assembly that has a rear end connected to the cassette frame, and a front end connected to the liftable base plate for lifting and supporting the base plate and a topmost sheet of a stack of sheets on the base plate.