Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
416 words
An electrostatic copying apparatus comprising a housing (2), a rotary drum (12) mounted rotatably within the housing and having a photosensitive member (70) on at least a part of its peripheral surface, an original-support mechanism (4) disposed on the top surface of the housing and including a transparent plate for receiving an original document to be copied, a charging corona-discharge device (22) for applying corona discharge to the photosensitive member in a latent electrostatic image-forming zone located along the peripheral surface of the rotary drum, an optical unit (32) disposed above the rotary drum within the housing for projecting the image of the original document placed on the transparent plate onto the photosensitive member in the latent electrostatic image-forming zone, a copying paper transfer unit (46) for transferring a copying paper through a transfer passage which extends from one end portion of the housing to its other end in the lower portion of the housing through a transfer zone located below the rotary drum, along the peripheral surface of the rotary drum and downstream of the latent electrostatic image-forming zone viewed in the rotating direction of the rotary drum, and a fixing mechanism (58) disposed downstream of the transfer zone within the transfer passage and having an electric heater (202), the apparatus further including a partitioning wall (228) which divides the interior of that part of the housing lying on the side of the rotary drum facing said other end of the housing into an upper portion containing the optical unit (32) and a lower portion containing the fixing mechanism (58), said upper portion of the housing also containing a fan (230) which is drivingly connected to a main electric motor (232) which is itself also drivingly connected to the rotary drum (12), characterised in that a second fan (240) is disposed so as to bridge said upper and lower portions of the housing and is drivingly connected to another, auxiliary motor (242), the second fan (240) being adapted to discharge air from said upper and lower housing portions through said other end of the housing, the arrangement being such that, when a main power control switch of the electrostatic copying apparatus is closed, an energising current is supplied to the electric heater (202) of the fixing mechanism (58) and, simultaneously, an energising current is supplied to the auxiliary motor (242) to drive the second fan (240), an energising current for the main electric motor (232) being initiated upon subsequent initiation of an actual copying process.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
416 words
An electrostatic copying apparatus comprising a housing (2), a rotary drum (12) mounted rotatably within the housing and having a photosensitive member (70) on at least a part of its peripheral surface, an original-support mechanism (4) disposed on the top surface of the housing and including a transparent plate for receiving an original document to be copied, a charging corona-discharge device (22) for applying corona discharge to the photosensitive member in a latent electrostatic image-forming zone located along the peripheral surface of the rotary drum, an optical unit (32) disposed above the rotary drum within the housing for projecting the image of the original document placed on the transparent plate onto the photosensitive member in the latent electrostatic image-forming zone, a copying paper transfer unit (46) for transferring a copying paper through a transfer passage which extends from one end portion of the housing to its other end in the lower portion of the housing through a transfer zone located below the rotary drum, along the peripheral surface of the rotary drum and downstream of the latent electrostatic image-forming zone viewed in the rotating direction of the rotary drum, and a fixing mechanism (58) disposed downstream of the transfer zone within the transfer passage and having an electric heater (202), the apparatus further including a partitioning wall (228) which divides the interior of that part of the housing lying on the side of the rotary drum facing said other end of the housing into an upper portion containing the optical unit (32) and a lower portion containing the fixing mechanism (58), said upper portion of the housing also containing a fan (230) which is drivingly connected to a main electric motor (232) which is itself also drivingly connected to the rotary drum (12), characterised in that a second fan (240) is disposed so as to bridge said upper and lower portions of the housing and is drivingly connected to another, auxiliary motor (242), the second fan (240) being adapted to discharge air from said upper and lower housing portions through said other end of the housing, the arrangement being such that, when a main power control switch of the electrostatic copying apparatus is closed, an energising current is supplied to the electric heater (202) of the fixing mechanism (58) and, simultaneously, an energising current is supplied to the auxiliary motor (242) to drive the second fan (240), an energising current for the main electric motor (232) being initiated upon subsequent initiation of an actual copying process.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first fan (230) is a silocco-type fan for discharging air sucked in through said other end of the housing out of the housing through said upper portion, and the second fan (244) is an axial flow-type fan.