Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Takayuki Ariyama

Hirofumi Hasegawa

Kiyoshi Emori

Masamichi Kishi

Hiroya Sugawa

Takashi Gonda

Koji Shakushi

Motohiro Yamada

An image forming apparatus which includes an electrophotographic copying machine operable to form an image on a recording paper and a laser printer operable to form an image on a recording paper independently of the copying machine. The copying machine includes a paper feeder from which the recording papers are selectively supplied to an electrophotographic image forming station in the copying machine and to a paper supply unit in the laser printer. The image forming apparatus also includes a paper recirculating unit operable at a specific timing to replenish the recording paper, supplied from the paper feeder, onto the paper supply unit in the laser printer.

Image forming apparatus having two image forming units

A paper feed path is formed along a substantially vertical plane whereby a transfer sheet is subsequently passed through image forming units vertically stacked for subsequent image forming process in each image forming unit. An opening and closing portion of each image forming unit is separated from a main body portion by the paper feed path and is arranged to move about the vertical rotating axis on one side of the paper feed path to open and close the paper feed path in the horizontal direction irrelevant to the vertical stack of the image forming units.

Image forming apparatus having a plurality of vertically stacked image

The improvement of a complex machine comprises a host computer, a duplicator, a laser printer, and a sheet supply unit. In a first sheet supply mode a sheet is supplied from the sheet supply unit to the duplicator; and in a second sheet supply mode a sheet is supplied from the sheet supply unit to the printer. The complex machine further comprises sheet transfer mode selecting means for selecting one of an interruption mode wherein the sheet supply mode currently set up is interrupted to proceed to a selected sheet supply mode, a wait mode wherein the selected sheet supply mode is effected after completing the process of the sheet supply mode currently set, and a rejection mode wherein proceeding to the selected sheet supply mode is rejected when either one of the first and second sheet supply modes is currently set up and the other one of the two sheet supply modes is selected concurrently. With the above-mentioned operation, an arbitrary selection among the interruption mode, wait mode, and rejection mode is enabled.

Complex machine comprising a host computer, a duplicator, a laser

An image forming apparatus is provided with a host computer, a copier, and a printer operable in response to instructions from the host computer. Upon receipt of image information from the host computer, the printer forms an image on a first sheet whereas the copier forms on a second sheet an image of a document placed on a document platform. The apparatus is further provided with a document conveying device for conveying to the document platform the first sheet as a document on which the image has been formed by the printer. The apparatus has at least two drive modes: a single drive mode at which all the transcripts are prepared by sole use of the printer and a double drive mode at which the first sheet having the image formed by the printer is conveyed by the document conveying device so that the rest of transcripts are prepared by the copier.

Image forming apparatus capable of minimizing time required for

An upper unit relative to a unit positioned lower than the upper unit is movably supported between an operating position above the lower unit and a non-operating position retracted from the lower unit.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming units and a sheet transporting unit for transporting sheets discharged from an arbitrary one of the image forming units to a discharge portion of its own or to that of other image forming unit. When one of the image forming units is incapable of continuous operation during the execution of an operation thereof, another image forming unit is operated in place thereof which feeds recording sheets of the same size as those of the former image forming unit and forms images with toner of the same color as that of the former image forming unit, and the image bearing sheets discharged from the latter image forming unit are discharged onto the same discharge portion as that of the former image forming unit.

An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming device for forming a toner image on a photosensitive member; a transfer device for transferring the toner image to a recording paper sheet; a fixing device for fixing the toner image onto the recording paper sheet, which is so provided as to be spaced a predetermined distance from the transfer device; a guide member which has first and second inclined faces for guiding the recording paper sheet obliquely upwardly and downwardly to the fixing device, respectively; the first and second inclined faces being, respectively, formed with first and second suction openings; a transport belt device for transporting the recording paper sheet to the fixing device along the first and second inclined faces, which is wound along the first and second inclined faces and is formed with a plurality of holes; and a suction device which sucks air above the first inclined face through the holes of the transport belt device and the first suction opening and sucks air above the second inclined face through the holes of the transport belt device and the second suction opening so as to bring the recording paper sheet into close contact with the first and second inclined faces, respectively.

Growing community of inventors

Toyokawa, Japan

Takayuki Ariyama