Kentek Information Systems, Inc.

Kentek Informatio Systems, Inc.

Kensuke Fukae

Shozo Kaieda

Keitaro Yamashita

Koichi Kinoshita

Toshio Muramatsu

Yoshiaki Matsunaga

An electrophotographic typewriter comprises a housing on which are mounted an alphanumeric keyboard, a flat-plane display unit, a paper feed tray and a paper output tray. A paper feed path is routed through an electrographic print unit, located in the housing, and comprises a photoconductive drum surrounded by a charging unit, an optical print head, a developing unit, a transfer unit, an erasing unit and a cleaning unit arranged in sequence about the photoconductive drum. An electronics package processes the alphanumeric input data to generate the flat-plane display and the outputs to the optical print head. Hard paper copy is produced where the paper feed path passes between the photoconductive drum and the transfer unit.

Electrographic typewriter

An electrographic printing apparatus capable of functioning as a copier, printer, and telefax machine is disclosed. The electrographic printing apparatus includes a photoconductive member, preferably a horizontally mounted photoconductive belt, a developer unit for developing an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive member, and a biased transfer roller to transfer the developed electrostatic latent image to a sheet of copy material. The apparatus also includes an optical print head which can receive information from a local or a remote source to form the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive member and thus act as a printer. The apparatus further includes a device for scanning an original document and for projecting the scanned image either onto the photoconductive member or onto a CCD linear array. When the scanned image is projected onto the photoconductive member, a copy of the original document is made. When the image is projected onto the CCD linear array, the scanned image is digitized and sent via the telephone lines in the manner of a telefax machine.

Combined electrographic printer, copier, and telefax machine

An electrographic printer/copier capable of producing color prints is disclosed. The color printer/copier comprises a housing, a source of paper and an output for the paper after it is imprinted, a photoconductive member, and a developer unit containing toners of multiple colors. On successive revolutions of the photoconductive member, the developer unit applies a different colored toner to the photoconductive member. After each revolution of the photoconductive belt, the image developed in a particular color is transferred to and retained on a transfer belt. When all of the different colored images have been transferred to the transfer belt, a sheet of paper is brought into contact with the transfer belt and the fully developed color image is transferred to the sheet of paper. In a preferred embodiment, the photoconductive member is a vertically aligned photoconductive belt. The transfer belt is horizontally aligned and located above the photoconductive belt. The sheet of paper travels along a substantially planar paper path located either above or below the transfer belt and the fully developed color image is transferred to the sheet of paper.

Electrographic color printer/copier

A multiple chip LED linear array including 2048 elements is achieved by a unique wafer dicing technique which allows LEDs in abutting chips to be separated by the same distance as adjacent elements on a single chip. The linear array is employed in photocopy apparatus to discharge a linear segment of a photosensitive drum.

Method for arranging chips each having an array of semiconductor light

An electrographic printing apparatus includes a housing, a source of paper, an output receptacle for receiving the paper after it is imprinted, a photoconductive member for storing a latent electrostatic image, a developer unit for developing the latent electrostatic image, and a charged transfer belt disposed opposite the photoconductive member. The charged transfer belt serves to transfer the developed image from the photoconductive member to the paper, and to transport the paper after it is imprinted to a fusing station. The paper path is located near the top of the housing for easy access in case of a paper jam. The paper path includes a sharp separation angle from the photoconductive member in order to decrease the dwell time of the paper against the photoconductive member. Desirably, the photoconductive member comprises a photosensitive drum of relatively small diameter, for example, on the order of 30-80 mm in diameter.

Electrographic printer with small diameter drum and charged transfer belt

A cleaning device for removing residual developer particles from a photoconductive element, such as a photoconductive belt, comprises a cleaning sleeve having a length substantially equal to the width of the photoconductive element. The cleaning sleeve includes a thin screen portion having apertures therein. The screen portion is maintained in contact with the photoconductive element. A biasing voltage is applied to the cleaning sleeve. Developer particles pass through the apertures in the screen portion. An auger is located in the interior of the cleaning sleeve. The auger transports the collected developer particles out of the cleaning sleeve where the particles may be either recycled or discarded.

Cleaning device for a photoconductive printer or copier

An electrographic printing apparatus capable of duplex printing comprises a housing, a source of copy material and an output tray for receiving such copy material after it is imprinted, and a photoconductive member for storing a latent electrostatic image of the information to be imprinted. The printer/copier has first and second paper paths located near the top of the housing so that access to the paper may be achieved from the top of the housing. A photoconductive member is located below the first paper path and comes into contact with a first side of the paper from below in a transfer zone located in the first paper path to imprint the first side of the paper. The second paper path is operative to receive paper after it has passed through the transfer zone and information has been transferred to the first side of the paper. As the paper travels along the second paper path, it is turned over and then returned to the first paper path prior to the transfer zone so that the second side of the paper is imprinted from below by the photoconductive member. The invention also encompasses a duplexing unit which is attachable as a module to the body of an electrographic printer to convert it from a simplex printer to a duplex printer.

Duplex printing module for an electrographic printer

An electrographic printing apparatus is capable of functioning as a copier, printer, and telefax machine, and is also capable of duplex printing. The electrographic printing apparatus includes a photoconductive member in the form of a disposable cassette which is mounted at an angle in the housing. The apparatus include an optical print head which can receive information from a local or remote source to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive member and thus act as a printer. The apparatus also includes a device for scanning and digitizing an original document. When the digitized image is transmitted to the optical print head, a copy of the original document is produced. When the digitized image is transmitted over the telephone lines to a remote receiver, the apparatus functions as a telefax machine. The electrographic printing apparatus also includes a first paper path along which a sheet of paper travels and is imprinted on one side by the photoconductive member, and a second paper path which receives the sheet of paper from the first paper path, turns the paper over, and returns it to the first paper path for imprinting on a second side. A paper tray with sidewalls is also provided. The paper tray acts as an alignment correction system before a sheet of paper being duplex printed is imprinted on its second side. Alternatively, the paper tray can serve as a second source of paper for introducing paper into the apparatus.

Combined electrographic printer, copier, and telefax machine with duplex

A device for removing residual particles from a photoconductive member comprises a fur brush in contact with the photoconductive member, a metal roller in contact with the fur brush, and a scraper blade in contact with the metal roller. The fur brush is maintained at a first biasing voltage, e.g., +50V, while the metal roller is maintained at a second biasing voltage which is of the same polarity but greater in magnitude than the first biasing voltage, e.g., +150V. The fur brush attracts residual particles from the photoconductive member while the metal roller attracts residual particles from the fur brush. The scraper blade scrapes the residual particles from the metal roller, the particles falling into a conveying auger for recycling.

Device for removing residual developer particles from a photoconductive

A paper cassette for storing and supplying paper to a smart printer or copier includes a frame for holding the paper, a movable longitudinal paper guide within the frame adjustable to the length of the paper, and a pair of movable horizontal paper guides within the frame adjustable to the width of the paper. The two movable horizontal guides are linked together so that they move symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal central axis of the frame. The longitudinal paper guide is adjustable independently of the adjustment of the pair of horizontal paper guides. The cassette further includes a first sensor connected to the longitudinal guide and a second sensor connected to one of the horizontal guides. These sensors travel along first and second predetermined paths in conjunction with movements of the longitudinal paper guide and the horizontal paper guides so that the positions of the paper guides are communicated to a controller which automatically formats the printing on the paper.

Paper feeding cassette for a printing apparatus

An electrographic printing apparatus capable of duplex printing comprises a housing, a source of copy material and an output tray for receiving such copy material after it is imprinted, and a photoconductive member for storing a latent electrostatic image of the information to be imprinted. The printer/copier has first and second paper paths located near the top of the housing so that access to the paper may be achieved from the top of the housing. A photoconductive member is located below the first paper path and comes into contact with a first side of the paper from below in a transfer zone located in the first paper path to imprint the first side of the paper. The second paper path is operative to receive paper after it has passed through the transfer zone and information has been transferred to the first side of the paper. As the paper travels along the second paper path, it is turned over and then returned to the first paper path prior to the transfer zone so that the second side of the paper is imprinted from below by the photoconductive member.

Electrographic printer/copier with duplex printing

An electrographic printing apparatus comprises a photoconductive member surrounded by a charging unit, an optical print head, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, and an erasing unit arranged in sequence about the photoconductive member. Paper travels along a planar path across the top of the photoconductive member and the developed image is transferred to the underside of the paper. In a preferred embodiment, the photoconductive member comprises a vertically mounted photoconductive belt. By providing a separate and independent cleaning unit, the electrographic printing apparatus is capable of producing one sheet of copy material per revolution of the belt.

Electrographic printer/copier with photoconductive belt

A device for recycling residual developer particles which are removed from a photoconductive element by a cleaning unit in an electrographic copier or printer is disclosed. The device comprises a first tube connected to the cleaning unit and a second tube which is connected to the first tube and leads to the developer unit. The second tube is disposed along the developer unit. The residual particles are transferred from the cleaning device through the first tube and into the second tube. The second tube is provided with holes spaced at predetermined distances from each other. The residual particles fall through these holes and co-mingle with developer material stored in the developer unit. In a preferred embodiment, the holes increase in size as one goes along the second tube. In another preferred embodiment, an auger is used to deliver the residual particles to the first tube. A second auger is disposed within the second tube to move the residual particles over the holes. An even distribution of residual particles within the developer unit is thereby attained.

Toner recycling unit

A multiple chip Led linear array including 2048 elements is achieved by a unique wafer dicing technique which allows LEDs in abutting chips to be separated by the same distance as adjacent elements on a single chip. The linear array is employed in photocopy apparatus to discharge a linear segment of a photosensitive drum.

Growing community of inventors

Monsey, NY, United States of America

Kensuke Fukae