Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Shunji Yamamoto

Osamu Okada

Yukio Tokura

Kenji Shibazaki

Tomoji Murata

Yutaka Irie

Hiromitsu Saijo

Takashi Hikosaka

Yoshihisa Kawai

Masamichi Hayashi

Yasuhiko Doi

Akio Kimura

Shin Miyata

Shigemitsu Shimizu

Koji Imaizumi

Takeji Morikawa

Shigemitu Shimizu

Hideji Hayashi

A developer supplying device includes: a substantially cylindrical developer container having on its peripheral surface a spiral groove, and being rotatable to transport a developer therein by the groove; a supplying element in a form of an opening provided at the peripheral surface of the container to supply the developer therethrough; and a regulating device provided in the container, regulating an amount of the developer supplied from the supplying element, and being so formed to reduce a sectional area between the regulating device and an inner surface of the container in the vicinity of the supplying element. The supplying device can have a container-supporting device having a guide device for guiding the developer supplied by the supplying element; and a supplying element-covering device provided at the peripheral surface of the container, and being opened to uncover the supplying element when the latter confronts the guide device for supplying the developer. The supplying device also can have a ball-like stirring device included in and movable within the container in accordance with rotation thereof to stir the developer. The supplying device further can have a holding device capable of being inserted thereinto the container and having the guide device; a transporting device for transporting the developer supplied through the guide device for development; a drive device for rotating the container; and a connecting device provided at one side of the container for rotation of the container within the holding device by the drive device.

Substantially cylindrical developer supplying container for supplying

A detachable imaging unit is provided in an image forming device. The detachable unit includes an image bearing member, one of a pair of registration rollers and a developing device. A relative position between the image bearing member and the one of the pair of registration rollers is provided so as to permit precise transport of a recording sheet against the image bearing member.

Drive transmission system for a process cartridge used in an image

An electrophotographic copying apparatus which includes a rotatable photoreceptor member having a photoconductive surface for repeated formation of an electrostatic latent image of an original thereon. A casing is disposed around the photoreceptor member and included a corona charger for uniformly charging the surface. An exposure device is provided for exposing the charged surface to image light of the original through an optical assembly including an illuminating light source so as to form the electrostatic latent image of the original thereon. A system is provided for eliminating harmful gases generated by the corona charger disposed within the copying apparatus.

Electrophotographic copying apparatus with gas evacuating means

Protection and safety device by which damage due to undesired exposure of photosensitive medium in a photocopying machine when the photocopying machine is switched off is prevented. A light blocking member is moved into the optical path for exposing the photosensitive medium when the light source and power source, respectively, for the copying machine are turned off and a cover portion for the machine is unlatched to prevent an undesired exposure of the medium and moved out of the optical path when the cover portion is latched and the light source and power source, respectively, are turned on to permit an exposure to take place.

Protection and safety device for a photocopying machine

An electrophotographic copying apparatus including a wet developing unit of the one-side face developing type which is equipped with a developing unit having an improved excessive developing solution removing device associated with a transfer paper drying device. The excessive developing solution removing device includes a pair of spaced excessive developing solution removing members contacting the latent image bearing surface of the transfer paper fed from the developing unit, and a rotary member rotatably disposed in the vicinity of the removing members and out of contact with the latter for efficient removal of the excessive developing solution from the transfer paper without soiling the paper.

Excess developing solution removing apparatus

A transfer type electrophotographic copying apparatus of scanning system compact in size and efficient in copying operation and maintenance which is equipped with an improved copying sequence control arrangement through which an exposure lamp for an original to be copied, corona charger for a photoreceptor and also copy paper feeding device are adapted to be simultaneously turned ON by signal from one detecting means, while the number of detecting switches for operating various components of the copying apparatus in association with the copying operation is reduced to minimum by disposing such components at predetermined distances from each other, with the circuit for the control being also extremely simplified.

Electrophotographic copying apparatus

An electrophotographic copying apparatus incorporating therein an improved developing material supplying device which supplying device includes a copy paper detecting unit for detecting the length of the copy paper, an integrating circuit for integrating the length of the copy paper detected by the detecting unit and a supply tank driving unit which operates the supply tank to supply a concentrated developing material into the developing tank through a valve, upon receipt of a signal from the integrating circuit, by which arrangement, the concentrated developing material can be supplied to the developing tank every time after a predetermined length of the copy paper is fed through the developing tank.

Toner dispensing device with electrical integrating circuit

In an electric safety switch circuit for use in apparatus having at least one safety switch for detecting at least one abnormal condition of the apparatus, switching elements are connected between a power source and the apparatus. The voltage of the main power source is transformed to a lower voltage and the switching elements are opened or closed by control circuitry in the low voltage circuit. The at least one safety switch is connected to the voltage transformer and the control circuitry such that the actuation of the at least one safety switch upon detection thereof of an abnormal condition actuates the control circuitry to open the switching elements and disconnect the apparatus from the power source. In one embodiment a primary switch is interconnected between the power source and the electric safety switch circuit, and in a modified embodiment the primary switch is connected in the electric safety switch circuit itself. The reduction in the voltage and current in which the primary switch and/or the at least one safety switch are interconnected results in improved reliability, durability, and operating life of the electric circuit as well as providing commensurate decreases in the cost of the electric circuit.

Electric safety switch circuitry

A printing paper cutting device for use in an electrophotographic copying apparatus employing a roll of printing paper which comprises a control device for cut length associated with a paper feeding and cutting device. The paper feeding and cutting device includes a pair of first rollers, a pair of second rollers, a cutting device disposed between the first and the second rollers and a pair of third rollers, and is adapted to cut the printing paper in a stretched state between the first and the second rollers with a loop of printing paper formed between the second and the third rollers, while the control device has contraction scale marks corresponding to the length of the original to be copied for compact size and easy operation of the cutting device.

Printing paper cutting device for an electrical copier

In a transfer type electrophotographic copying apparatus which comprises a reciprocating platform for supporting an original to be copied, a rotatable photoreceptor drum of a small diameter, and processing devices of small size disposed around the photoreceptor drum for compact size of the copying apparatus, an improved transfer device and a transferred image disturbance prevention device are further included for efficient copying operations.

Growing community of inventors

Shinshiro, Japan

Shunji Yamamoto