US5065196A — Electrophotographic printer

Claim 1

Independent Claim 318 words

An electrophotographic printer comprising: a photosensitive medium having a movable photosensitive surface; means for uniformly charging the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged photosensitive surface; developing means for affixing toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive surface by use of a developer, so as to obtain a toner image; a feeding device for feeding a continuous recording sheet to the photosensitive medium, tractor means, located on an upstream side of the photosensitive medium with reference to a feeding direction of the continuous recording sheet, for feeding the continuous recording sheet to the photosensitive medium; and pull means, located on a downstream side of the photosensitive medium with reference to the feeding direction of the continuous recording sheet, for pulling the continuous recording sheet from the photosensitive medium, said pull means having: (a) a pair of rolls isolated from each other in the feeding direction; (b) an endless belt which is extended between the rolls and which can be electrically charged; (c) driving means for rotating one of the rolls, to thereby cause the endless belt to travel in one direction; (d) charging means, arranged in the neighborhood of the endless belt, for electrically charging the endless belt; and (e) means located in the neighborhood of the endless belt for preventing the endless belt from being electrically overcharged; means for transferring the toner image from the photosensitive medium onto the continuous recording sheet; a cleaning device for clearing the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive medium, so as to remove the developer which remains on the photosensitive surface after the toner image is transferred onto the continuous recording sheet; a photographic fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred onto the continuous recording sheet; and means for removing electric charges from the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive medium after the photosensitive surface is cleaned by the cleaning device.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 318 words

An electrophotographic printer comprising: a photosensitive medium having a movable photosensitive surface; means for uniformly charging the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive medium; means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged photosensitive surface; developing means for affixing toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive surface by use of a developer, so as to obtain a toner image; a feeding device for feeding a continuous recording sheet to the photosensitive medium, tractor means, located on an upstream side of the photosensitive medium with reference to a feeding direction of the continuous recording sheet, for feeding the continuous recording sheet to the photosensitive medium; and pull means, located on a downstream side of the photosensitive medium with reference to the feeding direction of the continuous recording sheet, for pulling the continuous recording sheet from the photosensitive medium, said pull means having: (a) a pair of rolls isolated from each other in the feeding direction; (b) an endless belt which is extended between the rolls and which can be electrically charged; (c) driving means for rotating one of the rolls, to thereby cause the endless belt to travel in one direction; (d) charging means, arranged in the neighborhood of the endless belt, for electrically charging the endless belt; and (e) means located in the neighborhood of the endless belt for preventing the endless belt from being electrically overcharged; means for transferring the toner image from the photosensitive medium onto the continuous recording sheet; a cleaning device for clearing the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive medium, so as to remove the developer which remains on the photosensitive surface after the toner image is transferred onto the continuous recording sheet; a photographic fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred onto the continuous recording sheet; and means for removing electric charges from the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive medium after the photosensitive surface is cleaned by the cleaning device.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

The printer according to claim 1, wherein said pull means further includes means for supporting the endless belt such that the endless belt is brought into contact with or moved away from the photosensitive medium.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 45 words

The printer according to claim 1, wherein developing means contains a developer made up of toner particles and fluidizer for fluidizing the toner particles, said fluidizer being made of a material which is frictionally charged into an opposite polarity to that of the toner particles.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 95 words

The printer according to claim 3, wherein said cleaning device includes: charging means for charging residual fluidizer, which remains on the photosensitive surface after the toner image is transferred onto the continuous recording sheet, into the same polarity as residual toner, which also remains on the photosensitive surface; and a brush roll, rotatably arranged in contact with the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive medium, for electrostatically attracting the residual toner and the residual fluidizer, which are of the same polarity, so as to remove the residual toner and the residual fluidizer from the photosensitive surface.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 55 words

The printer according to claim 4, wherein said cleaning device further includes: a recovery roll, rotatably arranged in contact with the brush roll, for attracting the developer electrostatically on the brush roll by utilization of electrostatic attraction larger than that of the brush roll; and separating means for scraping the developer from the recovery roll.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 74 words

The printer according to claim 1, wherein said photographic fixing means includes: preheating means for preheating the continuous recording sheet and the toner image thereon by providing radiation heat energy for the continuous recording sheet and the toner image; optical energy-providing means for providing optical energy for the preheated continuous recording sheet at least twice, to thereby remove moisture from the continuous recording sheet, and fix the toner image to the continuous recording sheet.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 20 words

The printer according to claim 6, wherein said optical energy-providing means includes a lamp which produces a flash of light.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 45 words

The printer according to claim 6, wherein said optical energy-providing means includes: first optical energy-providing means for removing moisture from the continuous recording sheet; and second optical energy-providing means for fixing the toner image to the continuous recording sheet of which moisture has been removed.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 37 words

The printer according to claim 8, wherein said preheating means includes a lamp which generates radiation heat energy, and each of said first and second optical energy-providing means includes a lamp which produces a flash of light.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-11-11	1995-05-13	1995-11-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-11-11	1999-05-13	1999-11-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-11-11	2003-05-13	2003-11-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electrophotographic printer

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag