Electrophotographic apparatus for copying documents of various thicknesses

Claim 2

In electrophotographic copying apparatus including a charging mechanism for charging an electrophotographic copying paper, an exposing mechanism including an optical system for projecting an image of the original on the charged copying paper, a developing mechanism for developing the exposed copying paper, a transfer mechanism for transferring the copying paper successively to the charging, exposing and developing mechanism and a housing enclosing the charging, exposing and developing mechanisms and having opposing sides and an upper surface; an original transferring mechanism for transferring the original to the exposing mechanism comprising a pair of opposing side plates spaced inwardly from said opposing sides of said housing and extending downwardly from said upper surface of said housing; a guide plate defining a lower side of a transferring passage for the original and secured to said side plates spaced from said upper surface of said housing; a transparent plate for exposing the original constituting a part of said lower side of said original transferring passage; a plurality of drive rollers rotatably journalled in said side plates for transferring the original along said original transferring passage; a removable ceiling plate aligned with said upper surface of said housing; a plurality of follow-up rollers suspended from said ceiling plate so as to move up and down and urge the original against said drive rollers; and a plurality of bearing rollers disposed at the sides of said follow-up rollers and secured rotatably to said side plates; said lower side of said original transferring passage being defined by said drive rollers, said guide plate and said transparent plate for exposing the original and an upper side of said original transferring passage being defined by said follow-up rollers; a transfer passage for an originaltransferring transparent thin plate having a lower side defined by said drive rollers and an upper side defined by said bearing rollers, supporting members fixed in opposition to the underside of said ceiling plate of said housing, said supporting members having a plurality of long shaft holes inclined upwardly along the original-transfer direction and long pin holes in parallel with said shaft holes; said follow-up rollers being journalled in said long shaft holes so that said follow-up rollers are movable in said long shaft holes; a plate for guiding and pressing the original being positioned between said follow-up rollers to be movable up and down; said original guiding and pressing plate having side plates, said plates including a supporting part supported by said follow-up rollers and moving up and down together with the bearings and pins received in said long pin holes.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a passage for transferring the original and a passage for transferring the electrophotographic copying paper are provided independently from each other; a separating and guiding plate is provided at the inlet of said two transfer passages to separate the superposed original and copying paper from each other and feed them into the respective transfer passage; and the original-transfer passage is generally horizontal and planar.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the distance between the tip of said separating and guiding plate in the original transfer passage to the center of an original-exposing area is equal to the distance between the tip of the separating and guiding plate in the copying paper-transfer passage to the center of a copying paper exposing area, and wherein a transparent plate forming said original exposing area and a transparent plate forming said copying paper exposing area are connected by an optical system.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said separating and guiding plate has a planar top surfaCe for guiding the original and a downwardly curved undersurface for guiding the copying paper; a pair of original feed rollers are disposed in proximity to the rear end of said top surface and a pair of copying paper feed rollers are disposed in proximity to the rear end of said undersurface; and said original feed rollers and said copying paper feed rollers are disposed at equal distances from the tip of said separating and guiding plate.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the exposing system includes an optical system, said bearing rollers and said drive rollers are provided with a space therebetween for holding and transferring said transparent thin plate, said transparent thin plate having a thickness within the focal depth of said optical system.

Claim 7

In electrophotographic copying apparatus including a charging mechanism for charging an electrophotographic copying paper, an exposing mechanism including an optical system for projecting an image of the original on the charged copying paper, a developing mechanism for developing the exposed copying paper, a transfer mechanism for transferring the copying paper successively to the charging, exposing and developing mechanism and a housing enclosing the charging, exposing and developing mechanisms and having opposing sides and an upper surface; an original transferring mechanism for transferring the original to the exposing mechanism comprising a pair of opposing side plates spaced inwardly from said opposing sides of said housing and extending downwardly from said upper surface of said housing; a guide plate defining a lower side of a transferring passage for the original and secured to said side plates spaced from said upper surface of said housing; a transparent plate for exposing the original constituting a part of said lower side of said original transferring passage; a plurality of drive rollers rotatably journalled in said side plates for transferring the original along said original transferring passage; a removable ceiling plate aligned with said upper surface of said housing; a plurality of follow-up rollers suspended from said ceiling plate so as to move up and down and urge the original against said drive rollers; and a plurality of bearing rollers disposed at the sides of said follow-up rollers and secured rotatably to said side plates; said lower side of said original transferring passage being defined by said drive rollers, said guide plate and said transparent plate for exposing the original and an upper side of said original transferring passage being defined by said follow-up rollers; a transfer passage for an original-transferring transparent thin plate having a lower side defined by said drive rollers and an upper side defined by said bearing rollers, said passages for transferring the original and a passage for transferring the electrophotographic copying paper being provided independently from each other; a separating and guiding plate being disposed to separate the superposed original and copying paper from each other and feed them into the respective transfer passages; and said original-transfer passages being generally horizontal and planar; said separating and guiding plate having a planar top surface for guiding the original and a downwardly curved undersurface for guiding the copying paper; a pair of original feed rollers disposed in proximity to the rear end of said planar top surface; a pair of copying paper feed rollers disposed in proximity to the rear end of said undersurface; said original feed rollers and said copying paper feed rollers disposed at equal distances from the tip of the separating and guiding plate; said bearing rollers and said drive rollers being spaced for holding and transferring said transparent thin plate; said transparent thin plate having a thickness within the focal depth of the optical system; said original transferring mechanism including opposed supporting members fixed to the underside of said ceiling plate of said housing, said supporting members having lOng shaft holes inclined upwardly along the original-transferring direction, and said follow-up rollers being journalled in said long shaft holes of said supporting members so as to move therein.

Claim 8

In electrophotographic copying apparatus including a charging mechanism for charging an electrophotographic copying paper, an exposing mechanism including an optical system for projecting an image of the original on the charged copying paper, a developing mechanism for developing the exposed copying paper, a transfer mechanism for transferring the copying paper successively to the charging, exposing and developing mechanism and a housing enclosing the charging, exposing and developing mechanisms and having opposing sides and an upper surface; an original transferring mechanism for transferring the original to the exposing mechanism comprising a pair of opposing side plates spaced inwardly from said opposing sides of said housing and extending downwardly from said upper surface of said housing; a guide plate defining a lower side of a transferring passage for the original and secured to said side plates spaced from said upper surface of said housing; a transparent plate for exposing the original constituting a part of said lower side of said original transferring passage; a plurality of drive rollers rotatably journalled in said side plates for transferring the original along said original transferring passage; a removable ceiling plate aligned with said upper surface of said housing; a plurality of follow-up rollers suspended from said ceiling plate so as to move up and down and urge the original against said drive rollers; and a plurality of bearing rollers disposed at the sides of said follow-up rollers and secured rotatably to said side plates; said lower side of said original transferring passage being defined by said drive rollers, said guide plate and said transparent plate for exposing the original and an upper side of said original transferring passage being defined by said follow-up rollers; a transfer passage for an original-transferring transparent thin plate having a lower side defined by said drive rollers and an upper side defined by said bearing rollers, said passages for transferring the original and a passage for transferring the electrophotographic copying paper being provided independently from each other; a separating and guiding plate being disposed to separate the superposed original and copying paper from each other and feed them into the respective transfer passages; and said original-transfer passages being generally horizontal and planar; said separating and guiding plate having a planar top surface for guiding the original and a downwardly curved undersurface for guiding the copying paper; a pair of original feed rollers disposed in proximity to the rear end of said planar top surface; a pair of copying paper feed rollers disposed in proximity to the rear end of said undersurface; said original feed rollers and said copying paper feed rollers disposed at equal distances from the tip of the separating and guiding plate; said bearing rollers and said drive rollers being spaced for holding and transferring said transparent thin plate; said transparent thin plate having a thickness within the focal depth of the optical system; said original transferring mechanism including opposed supporting members fixed to the underside of said ceiling plate of said housing, said supporting members having lOng shaft holes inclined upwardly along the original-transferring direction, and said follow-up rollers being journalled in said long shaft holes of said supporting members so as to move therein.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said supporting members have long pin holes disposed in parallel with said shaft holes; and said original guiding and pressing plate has side plates, said side plates including a supporting part supported by bearings of said follow-up rollers and moving up and down together with the bearings and pins received in said long pin holes.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said original transferring mechanism includes a plate for guiding and pressing the original secured to said ceiling plate of said housing at a position between said follow-up rollers in a manner movable up and down, said follow-up rollers and said guiding and pressing plate defining said upper side of the passage for transferring the original.