Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Kenichi Mizuma

Yoshihiro Sakai

Hideya Furuta

Kazunori Bannai

Noriyuki Kimura

Mitsuru Mamizuka

Yutaka Koizumi

Katsuo Sakai

Kazushige Taguchi

Yasunori Kawaishi

Nobuo Kasahara

Nobuyuki Yanagawa

Tamaki Kaneko

Masao Hosaka

Kazuo Murai

Minoru Sugiyama

Tugio Okuzawa

Tatsuo Hirono

Hideki Kamiyama

Makoto Ohsaki

Leo Munakata

Kazusige Taguchi

Shinju Nagatsuna

An image forming apparatus of the type forming a toner image on a photoconductive drum or similar image carrier, transferring it to a paper or similar transfer medium via an intermediate transfer body, e.g., belt, and fixing it on the medium by a fixing device is disclosed. Just after the transfer of a toner image of the last color which is to lie over the other toner images on the intermediate transfer belt, the peripheral speed of the belt is switched to a comparatively low speed matching a fixing and paper transport speed. At this instant, the belt is moved away from the drum. The length of the transfer medium and the distance between a paper transfer position and a fixing position is compared. For a relatively short transfer medium, the peripheral speed of the belt is not switched to the low speed.

Image forming apparatus for fixing a toner image at a first speed or at

In a case where facsimile communications are executed via a communication line according to a specified communication protocol, in a machine in the receiving side, expanded functional information indicating the receiving form of the machine is stored in an expanded functional information memory, the expanded functional information stored in the expanded functional memory is returned by a control section to a machine in the transmitting side according to a request from the machine in the transmitting side, and then a facsimile message is received in the receiving form according to the expanded functional information notified from the machine in the transmitting side after a response is returned for controlling an output operation of a color printer.

Facsimile machine and facsimile communication system

An image forming apparatus has a plurality of developing containers for developing an electrostatic latent image of a latent image carrier by toners having colors different from each other except for black; a black developing container for color for storing black toner for color and operated when the developed image on the latent image carrier every color is overlapped and transferred onto a transfer material to provide a color image; a black developing container for a monochromatic image for storing black toner for a monochromatic image and operated when the monochromatic image is obtained; and a device for arranging the respective developing containers such that the developing containers are opposite to the latent image carrier. The other image forming apparatuses are also shown.

Image forming apparatus having a separate black developer stored for a

An image forming apparatus having an image carrier for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon, and a plurality of developing units each facing the image carrier and movable toward and away from the image carrier. A developing roller driving mechanism serves two different functions at the same time, i.e., causing any of the developing units to move between a developing and a non-developing position and driving the developing roller associated with the developing unit. When the developing roller driving mechanism is operated, the developing unit is moved to the developing position in the event of development and to the non-developing position in the event of non-development.

Image forming apparatus having a plurality of developing unit

A device for use in electrostatographic image recording equipment for retaining and transporting a paper sheet, document or similar sheet member. A transporting member is implemented as an endless belt. An AC voltage is applied to the belt to form a charge density pattern on the surface of the belt, while the charge density pattern sets up a non-uniform electric field in close proximity to the surface of the belt. The non-uniform electric field urges the sheet member against the belt and thereby allows it to be surely transported by the belt to a predetermined position without being dislocated.

Device for transporting sheet members using an alternating voltage

A color recording apparatus has an electric charge carrier which is circulatingly movable, an electrostatic latent image forming unit for forming a latent image which corresponds to an original image on the carrier, a development unit for developing the latent image; a transfer unit for transferring the developed image formed on the carrier to a record paper in a transfer process, a conveyor for conveying the record paper forward and backward with respect to the transfer unit, and a control unit which repeats control operations for controlling the latent image forming unit to form a latent image on the carrier, for controlling the development unit to develop the latent image, for controlling the conveyor to convey the record paper forward, for controlling the transfer unit to transfer the developed image to the record paper, and for controlling the conveyor to convey the record paper backward at least for one time. The control unit controls the conveyor prior to the transfer process so that the record paper is positioned at a point which is a predetermined distance before a transfer point and that a forward movement of the record paper is started on the basis of an information signal which is output in response to a state of starting an electrostatic latent image forming operation each time the transfer process is carried out.

Color recording apparatus

A duplex tray is provided for an automatic duplex copying machine, or the like, for receiving and stacking thereon one-side-copied and for re-feeding those sheets into the machine in order to perform printing on the other side of each sheet, having, a gate for switching the sheet transportation directions from a sheet path for discharging sheets outside the machine to a sheet path for discharging sheets onto the duplex tray, and vice versa; a tray pressure application member means for moving the tray between (i) a reference position and (ii) a position deviated outwards from the reference position; an inclined roller which is movable upwards and downwards and can line up the sheets discharged onto the tray; whereby, at the time of sheet discharging, the gate is moved to the side of the sheet discharging path of the tray, and the tray pressure application member is moved to a non-pressure application position, and the tray is moved to a position deviated from the reference position and the inclined roller is moved to a descended position. In this duplex tray, by selecting either a sheet discharge mode or a sheet re-feed mode, a single solenoid is energized or deenergized, whereby a single half-turn cam is controlled through a spring clutch, and by that cam, the gate, the tray pressure application member and the inclined roller are displaced through a linkage mechanism to their respective positions for discharging sheets onto the tray or for re-feeding sheets.

Duplex tray for duplex copying machine and the like

A sheet paper transporting and aligning apparatus is provided with a sideline reference wall for aligning one side edge of a paper sheet before transporting it to a desired position. The apparatus is further provided with rollers which bring the paper sheet in contact with the reference wall. The apparatus is characterized by conveying the paper sheet in the direction away from the reference wall with a predetermined angle prior to engagement between the paper sheet and the rollers. This insures faultless paper sheet aligning operation and prevents occurrence of paper jamming.

Apparatus for aligning a paper sheet with a reference line

An apparatus for receiving sheets of paper from a copying machine or the like includes a tray receiving a stack of sheets on a bottom plate. A side reference plate and a front reference plate are provided on portions of the plate to align the sheets of paper properly within the tray. A roller inclined relative to the side and front reference plates is rotated in contact with the sheets entering the tray to assure they are properly positioned, and means are provided for selectively discharging sheets from the tray.

Sheet paper stacking apparatus

A stack of sheets (59) are placed on a movable bottom plate (53) of a cassette (52) and aligned with a leading edge and a side edge of the cassette (52). A corner separator (66) is provided at the corner of the leading and side edges. The bottom plate (53) is raised so that the top sheet (59) engages with a single feed roller (61) which is disposed adjacent to the corner separator (66). A skew preventing roller (68) engages with the top sheet (59) upstream of the feed roller (61)in a feed direction of the sheet (59). A manual lever (88) is provided to move the skew preventing roller (68) and an arm (56) for raising the bottom plate (53) clear of the cassette (52) for the purpose of detaching or inserting the cassette (52) in a frame (94). In a released position of the lever (88), a portion (122) of the lever ( 88) blocks insertion and detachment of the cassette (52) while the skew preventing roller (68) and raising arm (56) are in operative positions.

Sheet feed apparatus

A plurality of feed units feed a copy sheet (13) down a sheet feed path (41) along which various operating units (18), (37) are disposed. The operating units (18), (37) function to transfer and fix a toner image to the copy sheet (13). Sensors (42), (43), (44), (46), (47) sense for the presence of the copy sheet (13) in the feed units at respective times. Absence of the copy sheet (13) indicates that the copy sheet (13) is jammed or stopped in the previous feed unit. In such a case, all feed units downstream of the feed unit in which the jam is sensed are driven to feed out prior copy sheets (13) in the downstream units. All feed units upstream of and including the feed unit in which the jam is sensed are de-energized to enable the operator to clear the jam.

Electrostatic copying machine comprising jam sensors

Upper and lower sheet carriages are rollingly supportable on upper and lower pairs of horizontal rails respectively. Each carriage supports a stack of sheets for a copying machine or the like. A drive comprising endless chains rolls one of the carriages to a lift position above an elevator and the other of the carriages to a loading position spaced from the elevator. The elevator is raised to lift a carriage from the lift position to a sheet feed position above the upper rails. The spacing between the lower rails is sufficiently smaller than that between the upper rails that the lower carriage may be raised through the upper rails by the elevator.

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Yokohama, Japan

Kenichi Mizuma