Control circuit in an electrophotographic copying machine

Abstract

In a copying machine comprising a photoconductive belt (5) that is moved past a number of processing stations in order to make copies, the belt (5) is divided relative to a reference point into a plurality of imaging sections each of which is capable of copy formation. Each imaging section is subject to deterioration as a function of the number of times a copy has been made with the use of that imaging section. A control circuit (100, 110) is provided comprising a counter memory (102) that for each imaging section stores the number of copies made with the use of that imaging section. The control circuit (100, 110) further comprises means (103, 105, 106, 107) which, as a function of the count in the memory (102) for a particular imaging section, adjust one or more of the processing stations when a processing station is acting on that imaging section. The control circuit (110) further comprises means (116, 120, 121, 122, 123) to prevent copy formation on a particular imaging section when that imaging section is no longer suitable for copy formation either because having been used a maximum number of times in copy formation or because of having been damaged.