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US4338017A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrophotographic apparatus

Assignee: Olympus Corp
•
Filing: 1981-01-09
•
Granted: 1982-07-06
•
Expires: 2001-01-09
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Abstract

Abstract An electrophotographic apparatus comprising a photosensitive drum applied with a main transfer bias voltage which is adjustable and a transfer roller applied with an auxiliary transfer bias voltage which is also adjustable.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masaji Nishikawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 18:31
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/14; G03G15/16; G03G15/1665; G03G15/167; G03G15/1675

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 283 words
In an electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electric charge holding member supported by at least an electrically conductive body, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image produced on said electric charge holding member into a visible image, a transfer device including a transfer roller arranged in contact with said electric charge holding member, and an image receiving paper feed means for feeding the image receiving paper through a toner image transfer portion where said electric charge holding member makes contact with said transfer roller, and operative to repeat developing and transfer steps with respect to the electrostatic latent image once produced on said electric charge holding member and to form the same picture image on a plurality of image receiving papers, the improvement comprising a main transfer bias electric source connected between said electrically conductive body and ground and having a terminal for applying a bias voltage having a polarity which is the same as a toner charging polarity to said electrically conductive body, an auxiliary transfer bias electric source connected between said transfer roller and ground and having a terminal for applying a bias voltage having a polarity which is opposite to the toner charging polarity, and an image receiving paper feed path member for constituting said image receiving paper feed means, at least one portion of said image receiving paper feed path member being connected to ground, whereby said transfer bias voltage is automatically lowered when the resistance value of said image receiving paper is decreased due to its humid absorption property under a high humid condition or the like so as to prevent an undesirous electric charge from injecting onto a non-picture image portion of said electrostatic latent image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 283 words
In an electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electric charge holding member supported by at least an electrically conductive body, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image produced on said electric charge holding member into a visible image, a transfer device including a transfer roller arranged in contact with said electric charge holding member, and an image receiving paper feed means for feeding the image receiving paper through a toner image transfer portion where said electric charge holding member makes contact with said transfer roller, and operative to repeat developing and transfer steps with respect to the electrostatic latent image once produced on said electric charge holding member and to form the same picture image on a plurality of image receiving papers, the improvement comprising a main transfer bias electric source connected between said electrically conductive body and ground and having a terminal for applying a bias voltage having a polarity which is the same as a toner charging polarity to said electrically conductive body, an auxiliary transfer bias electric source connected between said transfer roller and ground and having a terminal for applying a bias voltage having a polarity which is opposite to the toner charging polarity, and an image receiving paper feed path member for constituting said image receiving paper feed means, at least one portion of said image receiving paper feed path member being connected to ground, whereby said transfer bias voltage is automatically lowered when the resistance value of said image receiving paper is decreased due to its humid absorption property under a high humid condition or the like so as to prevent an undesirous electric charge from injecting onto a non-picture image portion of said electrostatic latent image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 46 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main transfer bias electric source is composed of a direct current source and a voltage divider circuit connected across said direct current source and including a variable resistor having a slidable tap connected to said electrically conductive body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 56 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary transfer bias electric source is composed of a direct current source and a voltage divider circuit connected across said direct current source and including a variable resistor connected in parallel with series connected fixed and variable resistors whose common junction point is connected to said transfer roller.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3781105A Cited
US3877416A Cited
US3832053A Cited
US3879121A Cited
US3837741A Cited
US4055380A Cited
US4134147A Cited
US4220699A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1985-07-05 1986-01-04 1986-07-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1989-07-05 1990-01-04 1990-07-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1993-07-05 1994-01-04 1994-07-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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