Exposure system

Claim 2

In an electrophotographic apparatus including: a support for a photoconductive member, said support being movable through a cycle along an endless path into and out of a series of operating stations, one of said stations being an exposure station; means defining an exposure slit; a document carriage movable along a path from an initial position past said exposure slit to a final position; the improvement comprising: drive means movable by said support for moving said carriage along said path in timed relationship with said support; means on said carriage for releasably connecting said carriage to said drive means; and means responsive to movement of said support into the exposure station to enable said connecting means at said initial position to connect said carriage to said drive means and responsive to movement of said support out of the exposure station to disable said connecting means at said final position to release said carriage from said drive means when said carriage reaches said final position.

Claim 3

In an electrophotographic device, as claimed in claim 1, said improvement further including: means for returning said carriage to said initial position.

Claim 4

An improvement as claImed in claim 1, wherein said connecting means includes a clamp on said carriage engageable with said endless drive means.

Claim 5

An improvement, as claimed in claim 3, wherein said clamp is electrically operated.

Claim 6

An improvement, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said enabling means includes: spaced lugs along said endless drive means engageable with said connecting means on said carriage to move said carriage from said initial position past said exposure slit to said final position and separable from said connecting means upon reaching said final position.

Claim 7

An exposure device for an electrophotographic apparatus having a photoconductive element, said photoconductive element being movable along an endless path into and out of an exposure station for exposure to a document movable along a linear path from an initial position past an exposure slit to a final position, said device comprising: means for supporting said photoconductive element for movement along said endless path; a document support movable along said linear path from said initial position past said exposure slit to said final position; an endless belt extending around said supporting means and mounted for movement along said linear path, said belt being releasably connectable to said document support along said path and being secured for movement by said supporting means upon rotation thereof to move said belt along said linear path; means on said document support for releasably connecting said document support to said endless belt; and means responsive to movement of said photoconductive element into said exposure station to enable said connecting means at said initial position to connect said endless belt to said document support for moving said document support past said exposure slit at substantially the same speed as said photoconductive element is moved past the exposure station and responsive to movement of said support out of the exposure station to disable said connecting means at said final position to release said support from said endless belt.

Claim 8

An exposure device for an electrophotographic apparatus having a photoconductive element, said photoconductive element being movable along an endless path into and out of an exposure station for exposure to a document movable along a linear path from an initial position past an exposure slit to a final position, said device comprising: means for supporting said photoconductive element for movement along said endless path; a document support movable along said linear path from said initial position past said exposure slit to said final position; an endless belt extending around said supporting means and mounted for movement along said linear path, said belt being releasably connectable to said document support along said path and being secured for movement by said supporting means upon rotation thereof to move said belt along said linear path; means on said document support for releasably connecting said document support to said endless belt; and means responsive to movement of said photoconductive element into said exposure station to enable said connecting means at said initial position to connect said endless belt to said document support for moving said document support past said exposure slit at substantially the same speed as said photoconductive element is moved past the exposure station and responsive to movement of said support out of the exposure station to disable said connecting means at said final position to release said support from said endless belt.

Claim 9

An exposure device for an electrophotographic apparatus wherein an original document is movable along a linear path to expose a photoconductive element to an image of the document as the photoconductive element is moved along a circular path into and out of an exposure station, said device comprising: means defining an exposure slit; a carriage for supporting an original document for movement from an initial position along said linear path past said exposure slit to a final position; a rotatably mounted drum having a peripheral surface which includes an arcuate plate for supporting the photoconductive element for movement along the circular path; means for illuminating the original document as said carriage is moved along said linear path past said exposure slit; means for projecting the image of said document onto the photoconductive element upon movement of the arcuate plate through the exposure station; an endless belt extending around said peripheral surface of said drum, said belt being releasably connectable to said carriage along said linear path and being mounted for movement along said linear path in response to rotational movement of said drum; means on said carriage for releasably connecting said carriage to said endless belt; and means responsive to movement of said arcuate plate into the exposure station to enable said connecting means at said initial position to connect said endless belt to said carriage for moving said carriage along said linear path from said initial position past said exposure slit to said final position at the same speed as the photosensitive element is moved along said circular path through the exposure station to expose the photosensitive element to said image and responsive to movement of said arcuate plate out of the exposure station to disable said connecting means at said final position to release said carriage from said belt when said carriage is in said final position.

Claim 10

An exposure device for an electrophotographic apparatus wherein an original document is movable along a linear path to expose a photoconductive element to an image of the document as the photoconductive element is moved along a circular path into and out of an exposure station, said device comprising: means defining an exposure slit; a carriage for supporting an original document for movement from an initial position along said linear path past said exposure slit to a final position; a rotatably mounted drum having a peripheral surface which includes an arcuate plate for supporting the photoconductive element for movement along the circular path; means for illuminating the original document as said carriage is moved along said linear path past said exposure slit; means for projecting the image of said document onto the photoconductive element upon movement of the arcuate plate through the exposure station; an endless belt extending around said peripheral surface of said drum, said belt being releasably connectable to said carriage along said linear path and being mounted for movement along said linear path in response to rotational movement of said drum; means on said carriage for releasably connecting said carriage to said endless belt; and means responsive to movement of said arcuate plate into the exposure station to enable said connecting means at said initial position to connect said endless belt to said carriage for moving said carriage along said linear path from said initial position past said exposure slit to said final position at the same speed as the photosensitive element is moved along said circular path through the exposure station to expose the photosensitive element to said image and responsive to movement of said arcuate plate out of the exposure station to disable said connecting means at said final position to release said carriage from said belt when said carriage is in said final position.