Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yohtaro Kakitani

Hideo Kikuchi

Sunao Ikeda

Kunio Hibi

Tamaki Kaneko

Tugio Okuzawa

Akira Hirose

Tadashi Ikoma

A developing unit or similar recording unit which is removably mounted on an image recording apparatus is provided with a constant voltage device or similar level adjusting means which has a particular characteristic matching with recording color of the recording unit. The level adjusting means changes the level of a power supply (e.g. voltage) fed from a body of the apparatus to a level particular to the recording unit, i.e., to the color of toner stored therein. Identifying such a particular level, the apparatus body automatically sets up process conditions which are optimum for the identified level. Hence, the level detected by the apparatus body changes depending upon the kind of a recording unit actually mounted on the apparatus body, whereby optimum process conditions are set up.

Image recording apparatus with a removable developing unit

An automatic density control device in a copying machine combined with an automatic document feeder capable of feeding a document onto a document support table has a document density detector for detecting the density of a document placed on the document support table, a scanner means movable in a forward direction for exposure to the image of the document on the document support table and movable in a backward direction for enabling the document density detector means to read the density of the document on the document support table, a reference position detector for detecting when the scanner means reaches a reference position, and a controller for determining the density of the document from a document density signal from the document density detector means in a range prior to generation of a signal by the reference position detector means when the scanner means moves back to the reference position, for determining an amount of exposure or an image developing bias voltage based on the document density signal, and for producing an output indicative of the amount of exposure or the image developing bias voltage in response to a first signal from the reference position detector means after the document has been fed by the automatic document feeder.

Automatic density control device for use in copying machine

A sheet arranging system for use with a sorter, collator, etc., providing a sheet arranging section defined by receiving rollers, delivery rollers and a forward reference edge, wherein sheets fed on the basis of rearward reference are moved toward a forward reference. The sheet arranging section has sheet obliquely moving means located therein for obliquely moving toward the delivery rollers and the forward reference edge the sheet released from the receiving rollers in accordance with the rearward reference irrespective of the size of the sheet, while so rotating the sheet that a corner of the leading edge of the sheet near to the operator is moved away from the forward reference edge.

Sheet arranging system

A deflector (C) is movable relative to bin (E) to selectively deflect sheets into the bins (E) for collation. An enable signal for a next collation operation is generated when a sensor (94) senses that the required number of sheets for collation have been discharged into the bins (E). The sensor (94) in combination with a sensor (45) which senses sheets entering the collator (2) detect a sheet jam and enable computation of the number of jammed sheets by subtracting the number of sheets discharged into the bins (E) from the number of sheets entering the collator (2).

Collating apparatus for copying machine

An endless belt is disposed closely above and parallel to a transparent platen. The belt is rotatably driven to move an original document for electrophotography or the like from an inlet onto the platen into engagement with a stopper. Pressure means cause the belt to initially press against the document with a large force to ensure document transport across the platen. The belt drive means is de-energized and the pressure force reduced just before the document engages the stopper to prevent jamming of the leading edge of the document against the stopper as the belt overtravels the document due to its inertia. After an imaging exposure of the document, the stopper is retracted and the belts driven to discharge the document from the platen into a tray provided at an outlet. Means are provided to discharge static electricity from the document and facilitate document stacking in the tray. A spacer plate limits upward and lateral movement of the belt, thereby preventing rebound and lateral displacement of the document when the document engages the stopper. The document feed means is designed to ensure that one document will be discharged completely before a subsequent document engages the stopper. The inertia of the belt and drive means is selected such that, even though a predetermined error range is unavoidable in the timing of de-energizing the drive means before the document engages the stopper, the drive means will be de-energized before the document engages the stopper and said inertia will be great enough to carry the document to the stopper.

Sheet feed apparatus

A sorter for a copy machine is equipped with a portion adapted to receive sheets inserted manually for use as covers or partitions of the copies in the sorter. The sorter may be formed of one or more sorter portions arranged serially and is provided with a memory register for memorizing information corresponding to the number of sheets to be inserted manually, a count register for counting the number of sheets for manual insertion, and a circuit for inhibiting the manual insert operation for a predetermined period of time after the contents in the memory register becomes equal to the contents in the count register, thereby attaining the precise and reliable collation and sorting of the sheets to be inserted as covers and partitions.

Copier sorter with memory and counter controlled inlet gate for manually

A sheet distribution method is provided which, when a stop switch (20) to stop a copying operation of a copying machine (1) or an interrupt switch (21) to interrupt the copying operation is depressed during the copying operation in a collation mode or an assortment mode, inhibits any further copying operation while keeping only a copy sheet conveyor section operative to deliver already fed copy sheets to a collator 82). When the number of copy sheets stored in the collator (2) has coincided with the number of fresh sheets fed out of the copying machine (1) during that copying operation, the conveyor section is made inoperative and the next copy start and variation in the operating mode of the machine (1) or preset number of sheet to be copied are permitted.

Sheet distribution method and apparatus

A bin for receiving sheets arranged in an apparatus for collating or sorting of sheets fed successively, which includes a rear end portion, a front end portion and an intermediate inclination portion connected therebetween. The front end portion includes a stopper or stoppers extending substantially vertical for stopping a front end of the sheet fed into the bin and a straight guide portion, on which the stopper or stoppers attached. The rear end portion includes an upright plate extending substantially vertical used for stopping and aligning a rear end of the sheet and a plate inclined so as to go down forwards in sheet feeding direction. The intermediate inclination portion is connected at front and rear end with the straight guide plate and the inclined plate of the rear end portion direct or through curve portion. In this bin the sheet can be aligned by using falling motion of the sheet with the own weight.

Bin for receiving sheets

A sorter connection apparatus disposed between a copying machine and a sorter, which is capable of feeding individually copy sheets discharged from the copying machine into the sorter, comprising a lower guide plate connecting the sheet outlet of the copying machine to the sheet inlet of the sorter, an upper guide plate situated above the lower guide plate, mounted detachably on the lower guide plate through a detachment device, and a sheet transportation roller which is in contact with the lower surface of the upper guide plate and at least the outer peripheral portion of which is made of an elastic material which can be easily deformed under application of pressure thereto. The sheets are transported, while held between the upper guide plate and the sheet transportation roller.

Sorter connection apparatus

A system for successively distributing one sheet after another to sheet receiving bins having a sheet guide device including conveyor belts and having sheet separating claws and a guiding device. The guiding device includes a contacting member successively brought into engagement with the sheet separating claws of a plurality of layers as the guiding device moves downwardly, to move the claws to an operative position in which the claws separates a sheet from the conveyor belts. The contacting member is moved to a position in which it is prevented from engaging the claws when the guiding device is moved upwardly during operation of the system. The sheet separated by the claws from the conveyor belts is moved to each bin along lower and upper guide plates while having its curl taken care of by a rod-shaped guide. The sheet guide device can be pivotally moved relative to a main body of the system, and the guiding device can be pivotally moved relative to the sheet guide device. The upper guide plate movable relative to the lower guide plates to open or close a sheet passage defined thereby.

Sheet classifying system having deflecting device

A copying machine equipped with a collator for distributing copy sheets fed thereto from a copying machine body into its multiple bins and, upon the lapse of a determined period of time after a copying operation, changing the operating mode from a collation mode or an assortment mode, which may have been selected in the use of the collator, automatically to a normal copying mode. The collator is provided with a bin sheet sensor adapted to detect sheets in the bins thereof. The copying machine is also provided with means for cancelling the automatic mode changing function when the bin sheet sensor detects a sheet or sheets, that is, when the bins of the collator are not entirely empty.

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Yokohama, Japan

Yohtaro Kakitani