Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Ricon Company, Ltd.

Toyokazu Satomi

Yasuhiro Tabata

Yutaka Koizumi

Tamaki Kaneko

Isao Nakamura

Seiichi Miyakawa

Nobuo Sakuma

Toshiyuki Andoh

Masanori Saitoh

Yoshiaki Kanmoto

Tetsuo Sakurai

Kunio Kudoh

Mitsuru Ohminato

A direct driving mechanism moves, in a direct drive manner, at least one of a sheet, on which an original image to be read is realized, and an image reading system for reading the original image so that the image reading system progressively reads all of the original image accordingly. The image scanning mechanism has an arrangement for reading the original image realized on the sheet either in a first mode of sensing light reflected by the sheet or in a second mode of sensing light transmitted by the sheet. The arrangement includes at least two different kinds of driving mechanisms, each being used for a respective one of the first and second manners. At least one of the two different kinds of driving mechanisms includes the direct driving mechanism.

Image scanning mechanism using direct drive mechanism

A drive device for a travel assembly for use in an optical system of an image read scanner, a printer head, etc. The drive device includes a wire rope for driving the travel assembly at each side thereof, one end of each wire rope being fastened to the travel assembly through a spring and a one-way clutch. This one-way clutch is so designed that it cannot rotate when the wire rope is tight for driving the travel assembly, which results in no fluctuation in motion of the travel assembly caused by an elongation or contraction of the spring. The one-way clutch can rotate for permitting the spring to absorb the aforesaid elongation or sagging of the wire rope only while the travel assembly is at rest.

Drive device for travel assembly

A support device for supporting on a guide shaft a travel assembly moving along the guide shaft, comprising at least two sliding bearings equipped with V shaped grooves, and separate bearings disposed opposite the respective sliding bearings across the guide shaft. The support device supports the travel assembly on the guide shaft by pinching the guide shaft between the sliding bearings and the separate bearings.

Support device for travel assembly

An optical system for directing a light image of a scanned original to a charged photosensitive surface of an electrophotographic copying apparatus, includes an imaging lens located between the original and the photosensitive surface. The optical axis of the imaging lens is directed normally to the original and the lens is movable in a direction substantially parallel to the original during scanning of the original. At least one mirror is disposed to receive the imaging rays from the imaging lens to reflect them onto the photosensitive surface, and each mirror is moved synchronously in a different direction from the lens to maintain the rays reflected from the original at a proper position during scanning.

Slit exposure optical system in electrophotographic copying machine

An electrophotographic copying machine capable of making a two-dimensional copy either from a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object is provided. In accordance with the present invention, if a three-dimensional object has portions which cannot be brought into contact with the top surface of the contact glass plate of the copying machine, adjusting means adjusts the focal distance to the location of such non-contact portions. The adjusting means may be any element of the optical system which is constructed to be shiftable to change the focal distance to a point of interest above the contact glass plate. Alternatively, the adjusting means may include a new element additional to the optical system.

Electrophotographic reproduction of a three-dimensional object

A variable magnification and reciprocal exposure copying method in which the image of an original is introduced onto a photoconductor which is moved in a predetermined direction by reciprocating mirrors relative to the original, so that the photoconductor is exposed to the light image of the original during the forward movement and backward movement, and an auxiliary lens for variable magnification is disposed in such a manner that it can be shifted from or into the optical path in front of or behind an inverted optical system for use in the forward movement or an erecting optical system for use in the backward movement, so that reciprocal, variable magnification copying can be performed. The inverted optical system can be shifted in such a direction as to cross the optical axis thereof, and by the shifting of the inverted optical system, even if a copy sheet smaller than the maximum copying size is used and copying is performed under reciprocal exposure copying or reciprocal magnification copying or both at the same time, images to be copied can be copied within the small copy sheet.

Variable magnification and reciprocal exposure copying method

An alarm system for the copying machine for giving the audio or visual alarm signal when an operator leaves a copying machine without taking a master or original out of it after a copying operation. The alarm system includes a master detection means for detecting whether or not a master or original is set on a master or original stand and either a copy detection means for detecting whether or not one or more copies are present in a copy discharge tray or an operator detection means for detecting whether an operator is within a predetermined range from the copying machine. The alarm system is activated if, after a predetermined number of copies have been printed, the copy detection means detects the absence of a copy in the discharge tray or the operator detection means detects that the operator is out of a predetermined range when the master or original detection means detects the presence of the master on the master or original stand, whereby the audio or visual warning signal is given to the operator so as to take out the master or original.

Alarm or warning device for signaling left-behind master or original

The surface of a photoconductor is moved in a predetermined direction and the original is scanned reciprocally by the relative movement of an optical system relative to the original. The photoconductor is exposed not only at the forward original scanning, but also at the backward original scanning through an exposure optical path which is different from that at the forward original scanning. The relative shifting of the original and the optical system is performed regardless of the size of the original and can be always performed in the full area in the scanning direction for the maximum size original, and the shift distance can be changed depending upon the size of the original. The original is placed on an original stacking surface in conformity with the two references in the scanning direction and in the transverse direction by use of the two end edge portions. For making copies from originals other than the maximum size original and locating the copy image at the proper position in the recording sheet, there is provided a position adjustment device for adjusting the relative positions of the copy image and the recording sheet in the recording position with respect to the longitudinal direction. This position adjustment device is operated selectively in conjunction with the forward and backward scannings of the optical system. With respect to the transverse direction, the relative positions of the copy image and the recording sheet in the recording position are adjusted by the shifting of the image formation lens system or the recording sheet in the transverse direction.

Electrophotographic copying method and apparatus of reciprocal original

A glass pane on which an original is placed and a focusing lens are stationary in the space of a copying machine. An original to be copied is placed on the glass pane in planar form. A pair of reflecting mirrors disposed on the image side of the focusing lens successively reflect exposing light flux from the focusing lens to pass it onto an exposure station on the photosensitive member. The surface of the photosensitive member moves in a given direction at a uniform rate while the pair of reflecting mirrors move in independent directions to achieve a slitwise exposure of the photosensitive member at a given location.

Method and apparatus for slitwise exposure of photosensitive member in

An original feeding system having a rotary drum provided with sheet original hold-down claws for clamping the leading edge of the sheet original against the surface of the periphery of the rotary drum and with a control mechanism for keeping the claws in clamping engagement with the sheet and releasing the claws from clamping engaging therewith. A belt drive is provided for feeding the copy sheet by holding same between the rotary drum and the belt. The rotary drum is adapted to be stopped in its rotation before it completes one revolution, while the belt drive continues to be driven to feed the sheet original, which is subjected to the frictional force exerted by the belt and slides along the surface of the rotary drum. Therefore, it is possible to feed a sheet original having a length larger than the circumferential length of the rotary drum.

Original feeding system

An improved electrophotographic copying apparatus is described, which permits, during automatic copying of a desired number of copies from the same original document, the setting of the number of repeated uses of the same latent electrostatic image, thus obviating the lowering and unevenness of image quality of the copies. In another embodiment of the improved electrophotographic copying apparatus, the timing of the formation of successive latent images of the same original document is controlled in accordance with the total number of copies to be made of the same original document so that the number of repeated uses of each respective latent image is made approximately equal. Also, in the latter embodiment, a signal indicating the timing for the exchange of successive original documents is generated at the time of formation of the last electrostatic image from the prior original document.

Electrophotographic copying apparatus for the production of multiple

A variable magnification optical system focusses an image of a portion of an original document on a platen through a variable aperture or slit onto a rotating photoconductive drum. Various members of the optical system or the document are moved at a speed corresponding to the surface speed of the drum to scan the document and form an electrostatic image thereof on the drum. The slit is defined by a fixed aperture plate and a movable aperture plate disposed upstream of the fixed aperture plate in the direction of rotation of the drum. A variable transmission connected between an exposure knob and the movable aperture plate transmits rotation of the knob to the movable aperture plate at a rate corresponding to the magnification. In addition, a side edge of the document is aligned at the same position for all magnifications. The movable aperture plate is formed with a curved edge facing the fixed aperture plate, the center of the curved edge being aligned with the center of the image at all magnifications. As end plate is positioned by a sheet feed mechanism to prevent image formation on a portion of the drum in which the image would not be transferred to an undersized copy sheet.

Electrostatic copying machine

First and second original documents are copied on the opposite sides of a copy sheet in superposition in such a manner that the centers of the two copied images on the opposite sides of the copy sheet are coincident with each other. The two copied images are offset from the center of the copy sheet, leaving a blank area at one edge of the copy sheet for binding a number of copy sheets together in book form. The present copying machine is further provided with two sheet cassettes containing copy sheets of different sizes, a device for selecting the desired copy sheet size and intermediate sheet holder for temporarily holding the selected copy sheet between the copy operations of the first and second original documents.

The auto document feeder is for use with duplex copying machines, and is capable of inverting duplex sheet originals, having images on both surfaces, automatically and feeding the originals to an exposure station automatically. The feeder comprises trays for stacking a plurality of sheet originals to be copied, sheet feeding devices for feeding the sheet originals individually from the trays to the exposure station, a platen belt mounted on the exposure station and operable to transport a sheet original across the exposure station and to maintain each sheet original in close contact with the exposure station during exposure of the sheet original, from either side of the exposure station, sheet inverting devices for inverting sheet originals received from the exposure station, and a sheet transport device for transporting inverted sheet originals to the exposure station for completing the duplex copy. In one preferred embodiment, two substantially identical sheet original tables are disposed on opposite sides of the exposure station, and each original table has a sheet feeding device, a sheet inverting or reversing device, and the associated elements. In another embodiment, a single sheet original cassette is used as a tray and is combined with a single upright sheet inverting or reversing device, whereby sheet originals are automatically inverted and fed to the exposure station.

Auto document feeder for use with duplex copying machine

A duplex copying machine has an auto document feeder and is capable of duplex copying from originals having images on one side, originals having images on both sides and combinations of the aforementioned two types. In a preferred embodiment of the duplex copying machine, whether an original has images on one side only or on both sides is detected so as to obtain a duplex copy from a duplex original and a one-side copy from a one-side original.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Toyokazu Satomi