Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Sakae Ota

Susumu Tatsumi

Kenji Kojima

Toyoo Okamoto

Akira Midorikawa

Takashi Yano

Tatsuo Tani

Toshio Watanabe

Seiichi Miyakawa

Kenzo Ariyama

Sunao Ikeda

Mitsuo Tanaka

Akio Katsumata

Tadao Koike

Masao Kono

Ichiro Fukushima

Toshiaki Kameyama

Toshio Hayashi

Tatsuo Tani Formerly Nishikawa

Tatsuo Tani, Formerly Nishikawa

Youtarou Kakitani

A cleaning device for a photoelectrostatic copying apparatus has a cleaning blade and a cleaning roller adapted to be brought into pressing engagement with a photosensitive member to effect cleaning thereof after transfer printing. The cleaning blade is brought out of contact with the photosensitive member and the cleaning roller is either brought out of contact with the photosensitive member or has its contact pressure reduced when the apparatus is inoperative, whereby damage to the photosensitive member due to the pressing engagement of the photosensitive member with the blade and the roller can be avoided or minimized.

Cleaning device for photoelectrostatic copying apparatus

A multi-mode copying machine capable of effecting copying in accordance with a sheet mode copying system and a book mode copying system is provided with an original feed apparatus having means for guiding conveyor belts to deflect away from an original irradiation position in their travel, the conveyor belts being adapted to transport an original in sheet form. Further, the original feed apparatus has means for transporting an original in sheet form exactly at a predetermined rate in the sheet mode copying system and for transporting the original without deformation or breakage while being fed at a high rate in the book mode copying system.

Original feed apparatus for electrophotographic copying machine

An auto-bias developing process for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member which includes the step of storing a detected potential in order to apply a fixed bias potential to a developing electrode plate wherein the surface potential of a photosensitive member is detected through a developing solution by a sensor electrode, and is stored in a memory circuit for subsequent conversion to a fixed bias potential which corresponds to the detected potential and is applied to the developing electrode. The process also includes the step of removing any toner which attaches to the developing electrode plate, by the application of a reverse bias potential thereto when the developing process is not taking place and the step of rendering the developing electrode plate electrically floating for removing toner from the plate and preventing deposition of toner onto the surface of the photosensitive member.

Auto-bias developing process and an electrophotographic copying machine

An apparatus for cleaning an endless photosensitive surface includes a photoreceptor rotatable around a horizontal axis in an electrophotographic copying machine. A cleaning roller and an edge of a blade are maintained in frictional engagement with the upper run of the rotating surface and into the space between the roller and the blade, a cleaning liquid is continuously supplied onto the surface between the blade edge and the cleaning roller, thereby achieving an effective cleaning function. The liquid within the space tending to flow over the other edge of the blade remote from the photosensitive surface and to then drip on the cleaned surface, is effectively prevented in accordance with the invention.

Apparatus for cleaning a photosensitive member of an electrophotographic

A squeeze roller retraction assembly for use with electrophotographic copying machines of the type in which a photosensitive drum is removable from the machine, for inspection or other purposes, through an opening formed in a sidewall which opening is normally covered by a coverplate. A squeeze roller which normally engages with the peripheral drum surface has its engagement therewith automatically released once the coverplate has been dismounted from the sidewall, and also is returned to its operative position as the coverplate is remounted, to thereby prevent damage of the drum as well as a wrong usage of the machine which may be caused by forgetting to replace the squeeze roller to the operative position.

Squeeze roller retraction assembly

The electrophotographic copying machines are of the type in which a photosensitive drum is removable from the machine, for inspection or other purposes, through an opening formed in a sidewall, which opening is normally covered by a coverplate. Plural cleaning devices which are normally maintained in pressing engagement with the peripheral drum surface, are automatically released from such engagement once the coverplate has been dismounted from the sidewall and also returned to the original position as the coverplate is remounted, thereby preventing damage of the drum as well as a wrong usage of the machine which may be caused by inadvertently failing to reset each cleaning device. The construction is further effective to adjust the respective forces with which the cleaning devices are pressed against the peripheral drum surface and moreover to deenergize a motor or motors, for driving the drum and/or other movable parts, as the cleaning devices are lifted from engagement with the drum surface, thereby permitting an inspection of such movable parts in operation even after the coverplate has been dismounted from the sidewall.

Construction of electrophotographic copying machines with a cleaning

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Tokyo, Japan

Sakae Ota