Single scan, multicolor imaging forming apparatus capable of adjusting the image density of each color

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus which comprises: a document support for the support of an original document; a scanning means including a light source and supported for movement from one end of the document support towards the opposite end thereof for effecting a slit-exposure of successive incremental areas of the original document placed on the document support; a position assigning means for assigning an arbitrary position within the scope of movement of the scanning means; an image forming means for forming, on a single copying sheet, images of portions of the original document, which are positioned upstream and downstream of the position assigning means with respect to the scanning direction, in first and second colors, respectively; a density setting means for inputting a first condition concerned with the density of the image to be copied in the first color and for inputting a second condition concerned with the density of the image to be copied in the second color; and a control means for controlling the light source according to the first condition when one of the portions of the original document positioned upstream of the position assigning means is scanned by the scanning means and for controlling the light source according to the second condition when the other of the portions of the original document is scanned by the scanning means.

Claim 3

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image forming means comprises a first developing unit accommodating a developer material of the first color and a second developing unit accommodating a developer material of the second color.

Claim 4

The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a detecting means for detecting the arrival the scanning means at the position assigned by the position assigning means and for generating an output signal indicative of such arrival, and a developer switching means operable in response to the output signal to switch over between the first and second developing units.

Claim 5

An image forming apparatus which comprises: a document support for the support of an original document; a scanning means including a light source and supported for movement from one end of the document support towards the opposite end thereof for effecting a slit-exposure of successive incremental areas of the original document placed on the document support; a position assigning means for assigning an arbitrary position within the scope of movement of the scanning means; an input means for inputting a first data concerned with the amount of exposure associated with one of the portions of the original document positioned upstream of the position assigning means and for inputting a second data concerned with the amount of exposure associated with the other of the portions of the original document positioned downstream of the position assigning means; a control means for controlling the light source according to the first data when one of the portions of the original document positioned upstream of the position assigning means is scanned by the scanning means and for controlling the light source according to the second data when the other of the portions of the original document positioned downstream of the position assigning means is scanned by the scanning means; and an image forming means for forming, on a single copying sheet, respective images of the portions of the original document slit-exposed by the scanning means.

Claim 6

An image forming apparatus which comprises: a document support for the support of an original document; a scanning means including a light source and supported for movement from one end of the document support towards the opposite end thereof for effecting a slit-exposure of successive incremental areas of the original document placed on the document support; a position assigning means for assigning an arbitrary position within the scope of movement of the scanning means; an input means for inputting a first data concerned with the amount of exposure associated with one of the portions of the original document positioned upstream of the position assigning means and for inputting a second data concerned with the amount of exposure associated with the other of the portions of the original document positioned downstream of the position assigning means; a control means for controlling the light source according to the first data when one of the portions of the original document positioned upstream of the position assigning means is scanned by the scanning means and for controlling the light source according to the second data when the other of the portions of the original document positioned downstream of the position assigning means is scanned by the scanning means; and an image forming means for forming, on a single copying sheet, respective images of the portions of the original document slit-exposed by the scanning means.

Claim 7

The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said image forming means comprises a first developing unit accommodating a first developer material and a second developing unit accommodating a second developer material, and a switching means for selectively driving one of the first and second developing units.

Claim 8

The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a detecting means for detecting the arrival of the scanning means at a position of the position assigning means and for generating an output signal indicative of such arrival, said switching means operable in response to the output signal.

Claim 9

An image forming apparatus which comprises: a document support for the support of an original document; a scanning means including a light source and supported for movement from one end of the document support towards the opposite end thereof for effecting a slit-exposure of successive incremental areas of the original document placed on the document support; a position assigning means for assigning an arbitrary position within the scope of movement of the scanning means; a detecting means for detecting the arrival of the scanning means at a position of the position assigning means and for generating an output signal indicative of such arrival; a control means for varying an output of the light source in dependence on the output signal from the detecting means; and an image forming means for forming, on a copying sheet, an image of the original document slit-exposed by the scanning means.

Claim 10

An image forming apparatus which comprises: a document support for the support of an original document; a scanning means including a light source and supported for movement from one end of the document support towards the opposite end thereof for effecting a slit-exposure of successive incremental areas of the original document placed on the document support; a position assigning means for assigning an arbitrary position within the scope of movement of the scanning means; a detecting means for detecting the arrival of the scanning means at a position of the position assigning means and for generating an output signal indicative of such arrival; a control means for varying an output of the light source in dependence on the output signal from the detecting means; and an image forming means for forming, on a copying sheet, an image of the original document slit-exposed by the scanning means.

Claim 11

The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a data input means for inputting a first data and for inputting a second data, and wherein said control means is operable first to control the light source according to the first data and then, in response to the output signal from the detecting means, to control the light source according to the second data.

Claim 12

The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said image forming means comprises a first developing unit accommodating a first developer material and a second developing unit accommodating a second developer material, said first and second developing units being selectively brought into operation in response to the output signal from the detecting means.

Claim 13

An image forming apparatus which comprises: a support means for supporting an original document; an illuminating means for illuminating the original document, said illuminating means being capable of varying an output thereof; a first image forming means for forming an image of the illuminated original document in a first color; a second image forming means for forming an image of the illuminated original document in a second color; a density setting means for inputting a first condition concerned with the density of the image to be copied in the first color and for inputting a second condition concerned with the density of the image to be copied in the second color; a first control means for selectively operating the first and second image forming means; and a second control means for varying the output of the illuminating means in accordance with the first condition and also for varying the output of the illuminating means in accordance with the second condition.

Claim 14

An image forming apparatus which comprises: a support means for supporting an original document; an illuminating means for illuminating the original document, said illuminating means being capable of varying an output thereof; a first image forming means for forming an image of the illuminated original document in a first color; a second image forming means for forming an image of the illuminated original document in a second color; a density setting means for inputting a first condition concerned with the density of the image to be copied in the first color and for inputting a second condition concerned with the density of the image to be copied in the second color; a first control means for selectively operating the first and second image forming means; and a second control means for varying the output of the illuminating means in accordance with the first condition and also for varying the output of the illuminating means in accordance with the second condition.

Claim 15

In an image forming apparatus comprising a document support on which an original document is supported, a scanner including a light source and supported for movement from one end of the document support towards the opposite end thereof for effecting a slit exposure of successive incremental areas of the original document placed on the document support, image forming means for forming the image of the original onto a single copy paper and a control which controls an output of the light source, a method for operating the control comprising the steps of: assigning an arbitrary position within the scope of movement of the scanner; initiating the movement of the scanner and adjusting the output of the light source to a first value; detecting the arrival of the scanner at the assigned position; and varying the output of the light source to a second value in response to the detection.

Claim 16

In an image forming apparatus comprising a document support on which an original document is supported, a scanner including a light source and supported for movement from one end of the document support towards the opposite end thereof for effecting a slit exposure of successive incremental areas of the original document placed on the document support, image forming means for forming the image of the original onto a single copy paper and a control which controls an output of the light source, a method for operating the control comprising the steps of: assigning an arbitrary position within the scope of movement of the scanner; initiating the movement of the scanner and adjusting the output of the light source to a first value; detecting the arrival of the scanner at the assigned position; and varying the output of the light source to a second value in response to the detection.

Claim 17

The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of inputting the first and second values before the initiation of the movement of the scanner.

Claim 18

In an image forming apparatus comprising a document support on which an original document is supported, an illuminator which illuminates the original document placed on the document support, first image forming means for forming the image of the illuminated original in a first color, second image forming means for forming the image of the illuminated original in a second color, and a control which controls an output of the illuminator, a method for operating the control comprising the steps of: selectively operating one of first and second image forming means; adjusting the output of the illuminator to a first value when said first image forming means is selected; and adjusting the output of the illuminator to a second value when said second image forming means is selected.

Claim 19

In an image forming apparatus comprising a document support on which an original document is supported, an illuminator which illuminates the original document placed on the document support, first image forming means for forming the image of the illuminated original in a first color, second image forming means for forming the image of the illuminated original in a second color, and a control which controls an output of the illuminator, a method for operating the control comprising the steps of: selectively operating one of first and second image forming means; adjusting the output of the illuminator to a first value when said first image forming means is selected; and adjusting the output of the illuminator to a second value when said second image forming means is selected.

Claim 20

The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the steps of inputting the first and second values before the initiation of the movement of the illuminator.