Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Hiroshi Tsuda

Kiyoshi Miyashita

Muneo Kasuga

Akira Shimizu

Masaji Nishikawa

Katsuhiko Kimura

Fumitaka Ozeki

Norio Amemiya

Masaru Yamazaki

Nobuoto Hattori

Osamu Ishimoto

Takashi Matsuyama

Heihachi Arima

Eiichi Sato

Toshimi Hayasaka

Toshio Nakatsubo

Shigo Fujie

Masazi Kanamaru

Shosaku Koseki

An original conveying apparatus includes a follower roller unit which is moved to its deployed position to define an extension of an original conveying path over the upper surface of the copying machine when a book carrier is used in order to convey an original having substantial thickness. A follower roller holding member is disposed within the unit and moves in interlocked relationship with the movement of the unit to its deployed position so as to maintain the follower roller in its position projecting above an original guide surface when the unit is moved to its deployed position.

Original conveying apparatus for electrophotographic copying machines

In a collator for use in combination with an electrophotographic copying machine which discharges copies of originals in succession at the same time interval, deflection claws for delivering successive copies of a manuscript into successive bins are provided at inlets of respective bins and two endless belts each having an actuator for driving the deflection claws are provided movably along the successive bins. The two endless belts are driven by two different controlling circuits, respectively in an independent manner. During the copy delivering operation by the first endless belt for a plurality of copies of a certain document, it is possible to initiate the copy delivering operation by the second endless belt for a plurality of copies of the next document.

Collator

A collator includes a series of twenty bins arranged in parallel with each other. A copy feeding member feeds copies supplied from a copying machine along inlets of the successive bins. First and second deflecting devices are arranged at uppermost two bins for delivering the copies into the uppermost two bins. A distributor is movable between the third bin and the twentieth bin for delivering the copies into the bins. An extra tray is provided separately from the bins. The collator further comprises a collate mode selecting member, a job separation mode selecting member and a non-collate mode selecting member. While the collator processes the copies of a certain document under any one of the collate, job separation and non-collate modes, for instance the collate mode, any one of the job separation and non-collate modes, for instance the job separation mode, to be effected for copies of the next document can be reserved, and the collator is automatically switched from the collate mode into the reserved job separation mode upon completion of the previous collate mode.

Collator with collate mode, non-collate mode and job separation mode

A collator includes a series of twenty bins arranged in parallel with each other, a copy feeding member for feeding copies supplied from a copying machine along inlets of the successive bins, first and second deflecting devices arranged at the uppermost two bins for delivering the copies into the uppermost two bins and a distributor movable between the third bin and the twentieth bin for delivering the copies into the bins. The collator can treat the copies in a job separation mode in which all copies of each documents are delivered into respective bins in succession, while the distributor is advanced bin by bin in response to a distributor advance signal produced by a variable timer which is actuated upon detection of the rear edge of the last copy of an Nth original by an entrance switch to set a time period represented by b+(N-1).times.a/V.sub.1, wherein a is a pitch between successive bins, b is a distance from the entrance switch to the first bin and V.sub.1 is a copy feed speed in the collator.

Collator with collate mode and job separation mode

A conveyor unit for a book carrier includes a book carrier on which an original having substantial thickness such as a book is placed, and conveys it to an exposure station in order to form an electrostatic latent image of the original in a copying machine. A driven member in the form of a rack is formed on the book carrier, and is driven by a drive member in the form of a pinion which is provided on the part of the copying machine. Elements are provided to maintain such drive relationship. In this manner, a book carrier is positively and reliably conveyed.

Conveyor unit for book carrier in electro-photographic copying machines

An electrophotographic apparatus for printing or forming at least one copy of a manuscript comprising a manuscript feed mechanism including upper and lower side feed mechanisms arranged above and below a rectilinear manuscript feed path including a slit light exposure portion at which a manuscript image is projected onto a photosensitive drum, said upper side feed mechanism being movable with respect to said slit light exposure portion to define thin and thick manuscript feed paths, respectively. A thick manuscript feed mechanism is provided in the lower side feed mechanism for feeding a thick manuscript carriage made of transparent plate. The apparatus further comprises a first movable edge guide for positioning an edge of a sheet manuscript and a second fixedly arranged guide for positioning the edge of the thick manuscript carriage. The first guide is preferably positioned inwardly with respect to the second guide viewed in a widthwise direction of the manuscript.

Manuscript feed device for an electrophotographic apparatus

An electrophotographic apparatus which makes use of a circuit arrangement connected and arranged such that unless a manuscript to be copied passes through a manuscript detector, a gate circuit functions to prevent a copy starting pulse from passing therethrough, thereby preventing initiation of a new copying operation.

Document feed control in an electrophotographic system

A cassette roll sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a roll sheet from a cassette after the roll sheet cassette is loaded in a copying machine employs a sheet guide. The sheet guide is near a sheet outlet having at least one opening. An assembly such as a roller rotatably journaled by a shaft, serves to assist the feeding of the roll sheet through the outlet and is urged against the sheet guide through the leading end of the roll sheet. A sheet feed roller is in the copying machine body and projects through the opening in the sheet guide to hold the sheet in cooperation with the roller, when the cassette is mounted in the copying machine body. The sheet is held at the leading end portion when the cassette is removed from the copying machine body.

Cassette type roll sheet feeding apparatus

An electrographic apparatus comprising a main body, a manuscript discharge tray, a slit light exposure portion, a manuscript feed mechanism including upper and lower feed mechanisms, the upper feed mechanism being arranged movably with respect to the lower feed mechanism, a photosensitive body, a sheet manuscript edge guide, a thick manuscript edge guide and means for automatically changing the two edge guides in response to a movement of the upper feed mechanism with respect to the lower feed mechanism; the apparatus being constructed and arranged such that in the case of obtaining copies of a sheet manuscript the sheet manuscript is fed by the manuscript feed mechanism under a condition that the upper feed mechanism is mounted on the lower feed mechanism and scanned by exposed light by one time and in the case of obtaining copies of a thick manuscript a thick manuscript carriage on which is disposed the thick manuscript is fed by the lower feed mechanism under a condition that the upper feed mechanism is moved from the lower feed mechanism and scanned by exposed light by one time.

Electrographic apparatus

A filter assembly for use in an electrophotographic copying machine to collect used toner which is swept off a member carrying an electrostatic latent image, by means of a rotating brush comprises a filter unit having a toner receiver and a filter holder which are integrally formed together. The filter holder carries a filter element or elements therein, and the toner receiver allows the toner which falls down in front of the filter element to form a pile thereon. The unit is detachably mounted on the copying machine. A labyrinth seal is formed between the unit and the machine when the unit is mounted in place.

Filter assembly for collecting used toner of electrophotographic copying

An apparatus for discharging a used and fatigued developing agent from a magnetic brush developing device installed in a main body of a copying machine, which developing device has a housing with an opening at a position which is opposed to a charge retentive member such as a photosensitive drum and a record paper, a sleeve made of non-magnetic material is rotatably arranged in the housing such that it exposes the outside of the housing through the opening and a magnet assembly arranged in a space within the sleeve. First and second shafts are secured to the respective sides of the magnet assembly, a third shaft secured to the sleeve at a side which is opposed to that of the magnet assembly to which the first shaft is connected, first and second bearing members are arranged between the first and second shafts and the sleeve, respectively, and a manually operable handle is secured to either one of said second and third shafts. Means guide the housing to a position removed from the main body and a scraper is then detachably secured to the housing in operative association with the sleeve. The handle is operated whereby the magnetic brush discharges said fatigued agent through the scraper and into a receiver.

Apparatus for discharging a fatigued developing agent in a magnetic

In the electrophotographic apparatus for printing one or more copies of a document, a photoconductive drum rotates at a constant velocity while being charged; a document feeding device advances a document through a light exposure portion at a constant speed and, an optical device projects an image of the exposed document onto the drum to form an electrostatic charge latent image thereon. A latent image is developed to form a toner image after which the toner image is transferred onto a record paper and the toner image is fixed on the record paper to form a final copy. Clock pulses in synchronism with the rotation of the photosensitive drum are produced, whereby master and slave timing pulse generators receive the clock pulses to produce timing pulses. Then a control device receives the timing pulses and produces control signals necessary to control the operation of the apparatus. The duplicating operation for forming a single copy is divided into two portions, each of which is respectively assigned to the master and slave timing pulse generators. During duplication and while under the control of the slave timing pulse generator, a new duplication for a next document can be initiated under the control of the master timing pulse generator.

Electrophotographic apparatus employing a control assembly for

An electrographic apparatus which can obtain any desired number of copies of a manuscript by scanning it only one time by exposed light and which comprises a manuscript feed mechanism including upper and lower side feed mechanisms arranged above and below a manuscript feed path defined by a slit light exposure portion which projects a manuscript image therethrough, said upper side feed mechanism being movable with respect to said slit light exposure portion to define thin and thick manuscript feed paths, respectively.

Electrophotographic copying apparatus for copying manuscripts without

A sheet holding cassette comprising a box-shaped main body open at its base and closed by a sheet receiving plate pivoted to the main body, means for releasably locking the sheet receiving plate, and means for resiliently locating the uppermost sheet of a stack of sheets charged into the main body at a given position irrespective of change of the number of the sheets.

Sheet holding cassette

A cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus including a cleaning brush for cleaning unnecessary residual toner particles adhered to an electrostatic latent image retentive member, a cleaning fan for obtaining an air flow to suck the toner particles scraped by the brush and a filter for collecting the sucked toner particles is disclosed. The cleaning device comprises a path of the air flow for sucking the toner particles being made thick at the vicinity of the filter thereby to slow down a speed of the air flow, to easily catch the toner particles by the filter and to drop down the toner particles in front of the filter, and a toner reservoir being provided for collecting the toner particles dropped in front of the filter.

Growing community of inventors

Mitaka, Japan

Hiroshi Tsuda