Konica Corporation

Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd.

Hisashi Shoji

Satoshi Haneda

Seiichiro Hiratsuka

Masakazu Fukuchi

Shunji Matsuo

Kunihisa Yoshino

Shizuo Morita

Hiroshi Fuma

Masahiko Itaya

Akihiko Tamura

Shinobu Soma

Jun Yokobori

Hiroyuki Maruyama

Yoshiyuki Ichihara

Tadao Kishimoto

Toshifumi Isobe

Kazushi Hayakawa

Yuki Okuyama

Sizuo Morita

Masakuzu Fukuchi

A color image forming apparatus including a color image reader for optically scanning a document to produce blue, green, and red color separated information, a processor for processing the color separating information supplied by the reader and generating black, yellow, magenta, and cyan color information signals, a rotatable image retainer, and two latent image forming devices for forming latent images at a common region on the image retainer in accordance with the color information signals corresponding to two recording colors. The first latent image is formed by one of the latent image forming devices in synchronization with the scanning of the color image recorder to form a first latent image at a first writing position. The second latent image forming device is delayed to form the second latent image at a second writing position. The delay device compensates for the time necessary for the common region on the image retainer to travel between the first and second writing positions. The apparatus further includes a number of developers, each developer being used to develop one of the latent images, thereby forming a multicolor image composed of multiple toner images on the image retainer. Two color latent images, corresponding to two of the color information signals, are formed on the image retainer and developed by the developing means during the first rotation of the image retainer corresponding to a first optical scanning of the document, and the remaining two color latent images, corresponding to the remaining two color information signals are formed on the image retainer and developed by the developing devices during a second rotation of the image retainer corresponding to a second scanning of the document. All the toner images are then simultaneously transferred to the transfer sheet.

Color image forming apparatus

A multicolor image forming method includes a first step of optically scanning and color separating an original so as to obtain first image signals corresponding to R, G and B multicolor components, a second step of parallelly inputting the first image signals as address signals to a reference memory storing at least one reference table representative of at least two different types of color correction for converting the first image signals into second image signals corresponding to at least Y, M and C multicolor components, a third step of selecting second image signals corresponding to one color component from the second image signals corresponding to the multicolor components output from the reference memory, a fourth step of providing a latent image made by image exposure onto a moveable image carrier having a photoconductive property based on the second image signals corresponding to the color component selected in the third step, a fifth step of developing the latent image formed on the image carrier in the fourth step using a chromatic toner, a sixth step of repeating the third, fourth, and fifth steps while changing color components of the second image signals selected in the third step and the color toners used in the fifth step, and a seventh step of transferring a multicolor toner image formed on the image carrier to the transfer material.

Multicolor image forming method and apparatus

A color image forming apparatus wherein an image retainer and a transfer member are arranged unitarily in a process cartridge, the process cartridge being formed so that it can be inserted into and withdrawn from an apparatus body having a pluralilty of developing devices. The process cartridge has a cleaning device and a transfer member, and the apparatus body has a device for recovering waste toner. The waste toner scraped off from a surface of the image retainer by the cleaning device is recovered into a hollow in the transfer member.

Color image forming apparatus having interchangeable image forming

The invention provides a color image forming apparatus provided with an image carrying unit including a rotatable photoreceptor, a developing unit including a plurality of developing devices, and a cleaning unit. The apparatus is formed with a lower casing and an upper casing. In the upper casing, the image carrying unit, the developing unit and the cleaning unit are accommodated, in which at least two kinds of the units are incorporated in a cartridge capable of being detachably installed in the upper casing. The upper casing is adapted pivotal between an open position and an operation position around an axis which is disposed parallel to the rotation axis of the photoreceptor. When the upper casing is pivotted to the open position, the developing unit is so disposed that a side of the developing unit facing the photoreceptor becomes higher than other side of the developing unit.

Color copy machine with detachable process cartridge

A color image forming apparatus having an image retainer, a cleaning device for removing residual toner particles on the image retainer, and a device for releasing the cleaning device from the image retainer, which are integrally constructed as a process unit and can be taken out from an apparatus body. The cleaning device is in pressure contact with the image retainer when the process unit has been taken away. The device for releasing the cleaning device is mounted on the apparatus body.

Removable cartridge for a color image forming apparatus

A multicolor image forming apparatus includes an image input means for outputting at least a character, a character size, and character coordinate data on a screen as image code data on the basis of input image data, a font storage section for storing font data and outputting the font data in accordance with an input address signal, a font data conversion sectin having a function of converting the image code data into image data consisting of pixel data on the basis of the font data, and an image buffer memory for temporarily storing the image data output from the font data conversion section. Toner images are frame-sequentially formed in layers on an image forming body in units of color components on the basis of the obtained image data, thereby forming a multicolor toner image.

Multicolor imaging forming apparatus

The invention provides an apparatus for forming a latent image on a photoreceptor. In the apparatus, there are provided an image reader including a scanning device for performing a reciprocal movement along an original document, a reading device for reading an image on the original document and for outputting an image signal in the outward movement of the scanning device, and a memory for storing the image signal; and an image writing device for writing a latent image on the photoreceptor. The image writing device has a first writing mode in which a latent image corresponding to the image signal outputted from the reading device is written in synchronization with the outward movement of the scanning device, and a second writing mode in which a latent image corresponding to the image signal outputted from the memory is written. The scanning device is adapted to perform the backward movement in the second writing mode.

Multicolor image forming apparatus

A method of cleaning an image retainer by removing remaining toner particles from the retainer after transferring a multi-color toner image which is obtained by a multi-color toner image forming process wherein charging, image writing-in, and developing steps are repeated at least twice, abutting a cleaning member against the retainer after a final image writing-in step of the image forming process has been completed, and releasing the cleaning member from abutment after the cleaning has been completed but not during the image writing-in step for forming a next multi-color toner image.

Method of cleaning an image retainer

An electrostatic image forming apparatus for forming a color image wherein plural developers are located substantially under the image retainer, at least two of the image retainer, the developer, and the cleaner being formed as a detachable unit.

Color image forming apparatus having the developing means and cleaning

An image-forming apparatus of the electrophotographic type. Color images are made while also enabling formation of a sharp black image formed by utilizing a set of color toner development units, at least one of which is replaceable by a black toner development unit when black toner is required. This results in a simpler, more compact, and effective image-forming apparatus.

A method of forming a multicolor toner image on an electrostatic latent image carrying member wherein developer containing a carrier and toner is transported to a developing region on a cylindrically shaped outer sleeve member of a developer transporting unit. Inside the sleeve there is provided at least one pair of magnets, the magnetic poles of which face the inner surface of the sleeve and are so arranged as to be rotatable, relative to each other, around the center axis of the sleeve. The amount of transported toner is regulated so that the amount of toner on the sleeve [mt], in mg/cm.sup.2, the peripheral speed of the image surface [V.sub.d ] and the peripheral speed of the sleeve member [V.sub.sl ] satisfy the following formulas:

Method for the development of an electrostatic latent image

The invention provides a color image forming apparatus capable of forming a mono-color image and a multi-color image on a rotatable photoreceptor having a given circumferential length. In the apparatus, there are provided a selection switch for selecting either a mono-color mode for forming a mono-color image or a multi-color mode for forming a multi-color image, and a control circuit responsible to a selection signal of the selection switch so that, when the multi-color made is selected, an image size of a multi-color image is restricted within a maximum size corresponding to the circumferential length of the photoreceptor.

Image forming apparatus having a first mode for forming a multicolor

A multicolor image forming apparatus having an apparatus body and plural kinds of processing devices such as a photoreceptor, an electric charger for providing electric charge on the photoreceptor, an image exposure device for performing image exposure corresponding to multicolor image information on the charged photoreceptor, a developing device including a plurality of developing sub-devices for developing a latent image formed on the exposed photoreceptor into a toner image, a cleaner for cleaning a toner remaining on the photoreceptor after the toner image has been transferred to a copy paper, a plurality of supply devices for supplying toner to each of the plurality of developing sub-devices, and a color process cartridge for accomodating at least the photoreceptor and the plurality of developing sub-devices among the plural kinds of processing devices.

Multicolor image forming apparatus with separately removable and

A color image recording apparatus capable of detachably accommodating an interchangeable process cartridge incorporating plural kinds of developing devices. A plurality of kinds of interchangeable process cartridges are provided differing in the kind of developing devices incorporated therein, and each of such process cartridges has a predetermined operation mode corresponding to the kind of developing devices incorporated therein. Each of the plural kinds of process cartridges is adapted to be associated with a card-shaped memory storing data representing the predetermined operation mode. In the apparatus is provided an electric connection for forming an electrical circuit between the card-shaped memory associated with the accommodated process cartridge and the control device. The control device receives data from the card-shaped memory through the electric connection, and based thereon performs the predetermined operation mode of the accommodated process cartridge.

Apparatus for recording color images having interchangeable process

An apparatus having a plurality of developing devices for forming a multiple toner picture image composed of a plurality of layer toner picture images prepared from developed latent picture images formed on an image retainer by turning the image retainer a plurality of times. In the apparatus, latent reference images of different colors are formed on regions of the image retainer based on reference signals and the plurality of developing devices are used to develop the latent reference images to form a plurality of reference toner images. The data derived from the reference toner images is used to set up the image-forming conditions for forming a latent picture image on a common region of the image retainer, based on picture image signals received by the apparatus, when the toner picture image is formed on the image retainer.

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Hachioji, Japan

Hisashi Shoji