EP0247602A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Image-forming machine
Assignee: Kyocera Mita Industrial Co Ltd
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Filing: 1987-05-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-05-27
Abstract
Abstract An image-forming machine comprising a main body (204) of the machine and an image bearing member (26, 222) disposed within the main body (204) and adapted to form an image on a photographic material disposed on the surface of the image bearing member. According to a first aspect, the main body of the image-forming machine includes a lower supporting frame (4) and an upper supporting frame (6) mounted on the lower supporting frame (4) for free pivotable movement between an open position and a closed position, and a cover member (102) mounted on the upper supporting frame (6), in which when the upper supporting frame (6) is held at the open position, the cover member (102) covers part of the image bearing member (26). According to a second aspect, an image-forming area (224) and a non-image-forming area (226) exist on the surface of the image bearing member (222), and when an image-forming step is over, the non-image-forming area (226) is positioned at a transfer opening formed (292) for image transfer. According to a third aspect, a transfer zone (52) in which to transfer the image to a sheet material (P) and a peeling zone (144) in which to peel the sheet material from the image bearing member (26) are kept in a predetermined relationship so as to ensure accurate peeling of the sheet material (7).
Inventors
- 👤 Junichi Takamatsu
- 👤 Kazunori Akiyama
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 00:28
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G5/00; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; G03G15/6532; G03G21/00; G03G21/16; G03G21/1604; G03G21/1623; G03G21/1628; G03G21/1642; G03G21/1647; G03G21/1661; G03G21/1671; G03G2221/00; G03G2221/16; G03G2221/1606; G03G2221/1609; G03G2221/1615; G03G2221/1651; G03G2221/1672; G03G2221/1675; G03G2221/1678; G03G2221/1687
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
An image-forming machine comprising a lower supporting frame (4), an upper supporting frame (6) mounted on the lower supporting frame (4) for free pivotable movement between an open position and a closed position around a central axis (8) of pivoting extending in the front-rear direction, and an image bearing member (26) having a photographic material thereon, said image bearing member being mounted on the upper supporting frame (6) and adapted to be moved in a predetermined direction, said machine further comprising a cover member (102) disposed for free movement between a covering position at which it covers part of the image bearing member (26) and an open position at which it keeps said part of the image bearing member (26) open, said cover member (102) being adapted to be held at the open position when the upper supporting frame is at the closed position and to be moved in substantially the same direction as the moving direction of the image bearing member and brought to the covering position when the upper supporting frame is brought to the open position from the closed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
An image-forming machine comprising a lower supporting frame (4), an upper supporting frame (6) mounted on the lower supporting frame (4) for free pivotable movement between an open position and a closed position around a central axis (8) of pivoting extending in the front-rear direction, and an image bearing member (26) having a photographic material thereon, said image bearing member being mounted on the upper supporting frame (6) and adapted to be moved in a predetermined direction, said machine further comprising a cover member (102) disposed for free movement between a covering position at which it covers part of the image bearing member (26) and an open position at which it keeps said part of the image bearing member (26) open, said cover member (102) being adapted to be held at the open position when the upper supporting frame is at the closed position and to be moved in substantially the same direction as the moving direction of the image bearing member and brought to the covering position when the upper supporting frame is brought to the open position from the closed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The image-forming machine of claim 1 wherein a process unit (20) frame is detachably mounted on the upper supporting frame (6), the image bearing member (26) is mounted on the process unit frame (20), and the cover member (102) is movably disposed on the process unit frame (20).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
65 words
The image-forming machine of claim 2 wherein a transfer opening for bringing a sheet material into intimate contact with the photographic material on the image bearing member (26) is formed in the process unit framce (20), and the cover member (102) covers the transfer opening when it is at the covering position and keeps the transfer opening open when it is at the open position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
88 words
The image-forming machine of claim 3 wherein a developing device (32) and a cleaning device (34) are mounted on the process unit frame (20), the developing device (32) being at one side portion of the process unit frame (20) and the cleaning device (34) being at the other side portion of the frame (20), and when the upper supporting frame (6) is brought to the closed position from the open position, the cover member (102) moves away toward the developing device (32) to keep the transfer opening open.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The image-forming machine of claim 1 wherein part of the cover member (102), when at the open position, defines part of a sheet material conveying passage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The image-forming machine of claim 5 wherein a plurality of guide ribs (140) extending in the front-rear direction in spaced-apart relationship are provided on the outside surface of the cover member (102), and define part of the sheet material conveying passage when the cover member is at the open position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The image-forming machine of claim 1 wherein in relation to the cover member, biasing means (130) for biasing the cover member toward the covering position and a stop piece (128) for hampering the movement of the cover member beyond the covering position are provided
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
177 words
An image-forming machine comprising a main body (204) of the image-forming machine and a process unit (210) to be detachably mounted on the main body (204), said process unit (210) including a process unit frame (216) to be mounted on the main body (204) and an image-bearing member (222) mounted on the process unit frame (216) and adapted to be moved in a predetermined direction, wherein an image-forming area (224) on which to form an image exists on a greater portion of the surface of the image bearing member (222) and a non-image-forming area (226) on which substantially no image is to be formed exists in the remainder of said surface, a transfer opening (292) for bringing a sheet material into intimate contact with the image-forming area (224) of the image bearing member (222) is formed in the process unit frame (216), and said machine is constructed such that when an image-forming step is over, the non-image-forming area (226) of the image bearing member (222) is positioned at the transfer opening (292) of the process unit (210).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
177 words
An image-forming machine comprising a main body (204) of the image-forming machine and a process unit (210) to be detachably mounted on the main body (204), said process unit (210) including a process unit frame (216) to be mounted on the main body (204) and an image-bearing member (222) mounted on the process unit frame (216) and adapted to be moved in a predetermined direction, wherein an image-forming area (224) on which to form an image exists on a greater portion of the surface of the image bearing member (222) and a non-image-forming area (226) on which substantially no image is to be formed exists in the remainder of said surface, a transfer opening (292) for bringing a sheet material into intimate contact with the image-forming area (224) of the image bearing member (222) is formed in the process unit frame (216), and said machine is constructed such that when an image-forming step is over, the non-image-forming area (226) of the image bearing member (222) is positioned at the transfer opening (292) of the process unit (210).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The image-forming machine of claim 8 wherein a photographic material is disposed on the image-forming area (224) of the image bearing member (222), and substantially no photographic material is disposed on its non-image-forming area (226).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
93 words
The image-forming machine of claim 8 wherein the machine further comprises clutch means for releasably transmitting a driving force to the image bearing member, control means for actuating and controlling the clutch means and position-detecting means (302) for detecting a specific position of the image bearing member (222); and the control means (308) deenergizes the clutch means (330) on the basis of a signal from the position-detecting means (302) whereby the non-image-forming area (226) of the image bearing member (222) is positioned at the transfer opening (292) of the process unit (216) frame.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The image-forming machine of claim 10 wherein when the position-detecting means detect the specific position of the image bearing member (222), the non-image-forming area (226) of the image bearing member (222) is positioned at the transfer opening (292) of the process unit frame (216)
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
The image-forming machine of claim 10 wherein the position detecting means (302) is constructed of a combination of a detection hole (300) provided in the image bearing member (26) and optical detecting means (302) disposed on the process unit frame (20) and having a light emitting element (304) and a light receiving element (306).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
67 words
The image-forming machine of claim 8 wherein the image bearing member is constructed of an endless belt (222), the image-forming area (224) exists in a greater portion of the surface of the endless belt (222), and the length of the image-forming area in its moving direction (296) is equal to, or slightly larger than, the maximum length of a document of which image is to be formed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
252 words
An image-forming machine comprising a rotating drum (26) having a photographic material formed on its peripheral surface, an electrostatic latent image-forming zone for forming a latent electrostatic image on the photographic material, a developing zone for developing the latent electrostatic image to a toner image, a transfer zone (52) for transferring the toner image to a sheet material and a peeling zone (144) for peeling the sheet material from the photographic material, said zones being arranged along the peripheral surface of the rotating drum (26) in this sequence as viewed in the rotating direction (28) of the rotating drum (26), and a charge eliminating device (56) disposed in the peeling zone (144) so as to be positioned opposite to the peripheral surface of the rotating drum (26), the sheet material (P) peeled from the peripheral surface of the rotating drum (26) in the peeling zone (144) being conveyed through a conveying passage (94) extending at substantially the same level as the lowermost site of the rotating drum (26), or below said lowermost site; wherein the transfer zone (52) is arranged in a region within an angle, α, of from -90 to 0 degree, from the lowermost site of the rotating drum (26) as viewed in the rotating direction of the rotating drum (26), and the peeling zone (144) is arranged in a region within an angle, β, of from -45 to 10 degrees from the lowermost site of the rotating drum (26) as viewed in the rotating direction of the rotating drum.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
252 words
An image-forming machine comprising a rotating drum (26) having a photographic material formed on its peripheral surface, an electrostatic latent image-forming zone for forming a latent electrostatic image on the photographic material, a developing zone for developing the latent electrostatic image to a toner image, a transfer zone (52) for transferring the toner image to a sheet material and a peeling zone (144) for peeling the sheet material from the photographic material, said zones being arranged along the peripheral surface of the rotating drum (26) in this sequence as viewed in the rotating direction (28) of the rotating drum (26), and a charge eliminating device (56) disposed in the peeling zone (144) so as to be positioned opposite to the peripheral surface of the rotating drum (26), the sheet material (P) peeled from the peripheral surface of the rotating drum (26) in the peeling zone (144) being conveyed through a conveying passage (94) extending at substantially the same level as the lowermost site of the rotating drum (26), or below said lowermost site; wherein the transfer zone (52) is arranged in a region within an angle, α, of from -90 to 0 degree, from the lowermost site of the rotating drum (26) as viewed in the rotating direction of the rotating drum (26), and the peeling zone (144) is arranged in a region within an angle, β, of from -45 to 10 degrees from the lowermost site of the rotating drum (26) as viewed in the rotating direction of the rotating drum.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The image-forming machine of claim 14 wherein the angle α is from -45 to 0 degree.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The image-forming machine of claim 14 wherein the angle β is from -20 to 0 degree.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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