Electrophotographic copying apparatus

Claim 2

A copying apparatus for producing a visible image of an original on a copy sheet which has a conductive base and a dielectric surface, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing; b. first means structurally associated with said housing and including a mounting table which has a flat mounting surface for supporting the original in a flat conditioN and a photoconductive plate which has a conductive backing plate and a photoconductive surface, and which is secured to said mounting table with said photoconductive surface parallel with said mounting surface; c. charging means in said housing adjacent said photoconductive plate, said photoconductive plate and said charging means being movable relative to each other, said charging means imposing a uniform electrostatic charge on said photoconductive surface during the relative movement of said photoconductive plate, and said charging means; d. an optical assembly between said mounting table and said photoconductive plate for forming an electrostatic latent image of said original on said photoconductive surface after said photoconductive surface is electrostatically charged, said optical assembly being composed of illumination means for illuminating said original on said mounting surface, a lens unit and mirrors for focusing a mirror image of the illuminated original upon said photoconductive surface, an illuminated original upon said photoconductive surface, and an elongated slit defining a path of reflected light from the mounting table to the lens unit and from the lens unit to the photoconductive surface for projection of a partial image of said original onto said photoconductive surface, one of said first means and said optical assembly being movable relative to the other in a direction parallel with the mounting surface; e. drive means coupled to the movable one of said first means and said optical assembly for moving said movable one in a first direction, and sequentially in a second direction opposite to said first direction so that said optical assembly scans said original and continuously projects a partial image of said original onto said photoconductive surface during said relative movement in the first direction; f. control means coupled to said drive means for controlling said drive means; g. sheet feed means adjacent said photoconductive plate copy sheets one by one from a source of copy sheets with the dielectric surface of each copy sheet facing said photoconductive surface having the electrostatic latent image formed thereon; h. charge transfer means adjacent said photoconductive plate for transferring said latent image from said photoconductive surface to said dielectric surface and including means for pressing said dielectric surface against said photoconductive surface and means for separating said copy sheet from said photoconductive plate; i. guide means adjacent said charge transfer means for receiving and guiding said copy sheet in a predetermined path after said copy sheet is separated from said photoconductive surface; and j. developing means adjacent said guide means for converting said electrostatic latent image on said dielectric surface to a visible image.

Claim 3

The copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said optical assembly is fixed to said housing and said first means is driven by said drive means in a direction parallel with the mounting surface.

Claim 4

The copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said optical assembly comprises illumination means for illuminating the original, and arranged along an optical axis a first mirror inclined at a 45* angle relative to said mounting surface, a second mirror inclined at a 90* angle relative to said first mirror, a lens unit between said first mirror and said second mirror and which has an optical axis parallel with the first direction of the relative movement.

Claim 5

The copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means is further coupled to and controls said charging means, said illumination means and said charge transfer means, whereby said charging means imposes a uniform electrostatic charge on said photoconductive surface and the illumination means illuminates said original during the relative movement of said first means to said optical assembly in the first direction, and said charge transfer means acts to transfer the electrostatic latent image on said photoconductive surface to said dielectric surface of said copy sheet during said relative movement in the second direction.

Claim 6

The copying apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising discharging means adjacent said photoconductive surface for discharging an electrostatic latent image remaining on said photoconductive surface by illuminating said photoconductive surface during the relative movement of said first means to said optical assembly in the second direction after the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive surface is transferred to the surface of the copy sheet.

Claim 7

The copying apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said sheet feed means engages said photoconductive plate and said plate includes means to engage the sheet feed means to actuate the sheet feed means to initiate the sheet feeding operation at a predetermined position of said photoconductive plate.

Claim 8

A copying apparatus for producing a visible image of an original on a copy sheet which has a conductive base and a dielectric surface, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing; b. a photoconductive plate in said housing and having a conductive backing plate and a photoconductive surface; c. support means on said housing for supporting said original; d. charging means in said housing adjacent said photoconductive plate, said photoconductive plate and said charging means being movable relative to each other, said charging means imposing a uniform electrostatic charge on said photoconductive surface during the relative movement of said photoconductive plate and said charging means; e. an optical assembly between said support means and said photoconductive plate for forming an electrostatic latent image of said original on said photoconductive surface after said photoconductive surface is electrostatically charged, said optical assembly including illumination means for illuminating said original on said support means and a lens unit for projecting the light image of said original onto said photoconductive surface; f. sheet feed means adjacent said photoconductive plate for feeding to said photoconductive plate copy sheets one by one from a source of copy sheets with the dielectric surface of each copy sheet facing said photoconductive surface having the electrostatic latent image formed thereon; g. charge transfer means adjacent said photoconductive plate for transferring said latent image from said photoconductive surface to said dielectric surface and including an electrically conductive rubber roller which is electrically coupled to the conductive backing plate of said photoconductive plate, means urging said roller toward said photoconductive plate for pressing the dielectric surface of said copy sheet against said photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate and means for separating the copy sheet from the photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate after the copy sheet is pressed against the photoconductive surface by said conductive roller, whereby said conductive base of said copy sheet is electrically connected to said conductive backing plate of said photoconductive plate through said conductive roller at the time when the dielectric surface of said copy sheet is pressed against the photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate and is separated from said photoconductive surface; h. guide means adjacent said charge transfer means for receiving and guiding said copy sheet in a predetermined path after said copy sheet is separated from said photoconductive surface; and i. developing means adjacent said guide means for converting said electrostatic latent image on said dielectric surface to a visible image.

Claim 9

A copying apparatus for producing a visible image of an original on a copy sheet which has a conductive base and a dielectric surface, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing; b. a photoconductive plate in said housing and having a conductive backing plate and a photoconductive surface; c. support means on said housing for supporting said original; d. charging means in said housing adjacent said photoconductive plate, said photoconductive plate and said charging means being movable relative to each other, said charging means imposing a uniform electrostatic charge on said photoconductive surface during the relative movement of said photoconductive plate and said charging means; e. an optical assembly between said support means and said photoconductive plate for forming an electrostatic latent image of said original on said photoconductive surface after said photoconductive surface is electrostatically charged, said optical assembly including illumination means for illuminating said original on said support means and a lens unit for projecting the light image of said original onto said photoconductive surface; f. sheet feed means adjacent said photoconductive plate for feeding to said photoconductive plate copy sheets one by one from a source of copy sheets with the dielectric surface of each copy sheet facing said photoconductive surface having the electrostatic latent image formed thereon; g. charge transfer means adjacent said photoconductive plate for transferring said latent image from said photoconductive surface to said dielectric surface and including an electrically conductive rubber roller which is electrically coupled to the conductive backing plate of said photoconductive plate, means urging said roller toward said photoconductive plate for pressing the dielectric surface of said copy sheet against said photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate and means for separating the copy sheet from the photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate after the copy sheet is pressed against the photoconductive surface by said conductive roller, whereby said conductive base of said copy sheet is electrically connected to said conductive backing plate of said photoconductive plate through said conductive roller at the time when the dielectric surface of said copy sheet is pressed against the photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate and is separated from said photoconductive surface; h. guide means adjacent said charge transfer means for receiving and guiding said copy sheet in a predetermined path after said copy sheet is separated from said photoconductive surface; and i. developing means adjacent said guide means for converting said electrostatic latent image on said dielectric surface to a visible image.

Claim 10

A copying apparatus for producing a visible image of an original on a copy sheet which has a conductive base and a dielectric surface, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing; b. a plane flat photoconductive plate in said housinG and having a conductive backing plate and a photoconductive surface; c. support means on said housing for supporting said original; d. charging means in said housing adjacent said photoconductive plate; e. an optical assembly between said support means and said photoconductive plate for forming an electrostatic latent image of said original on said photoconductive surface after said photoconductive surface is electrostatically charged, said optical assembly including illumination means for illuminating said original on said support means and a lens unit for projecting the light image of said original onto said photoconductive surface; f. sheet feed means a adjacent said photoconductive plate for feeding to said photoconductive plate copy sheets one by one from a source of copy sheets with the dielectric surface of each copy sheet facing said photoconductive surface having the electrostatic latent image formed thereon; g. charge transfer means adjacent said photoconductive plate for transferring said latent image from said photoconductive surface to said dielectric surface and including an electrically conductive roller which is electrically coupled to the conductive backing plate of said photoconductive plate, means urging said roller toward said photoconductive plate for pressing the dielectric surface of said copy sheet against said photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate and means for separating the copy sheet from the photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate after the copy sheet is pressed against the photoconductive surface by said conductive roller, whereby said conductive base of said copy sheet is electrically connected to said conductive backing plate of said photoconductive plate through said conductive roller at the time when the dielectric surface of said copy sheet is pressed against the photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate and is separated from said photoconductive surface, said photoconductive plate being movable relative to said charging means, said optical assembly and said charge transfer means, whereby said charging means imposes said uniform electrostatic charge on said photoconductive surface and said optical assembly projects said light image of said original toward said photoconductive surface during the relative movement of said photoconductive plate to said charging means, optical assembly and said charge transfer means in a first direction, and said charge transfer means acts to transfer the electrostatic latent image on said photoconductive surface to said dielectric surface of said copy sheet during the relative movement in a second direction; h. guide means adjacent said charge transfer means for receiving and guiding said copy sheet in a predetermined path after said copy sheet is separated from said photoconductive surface; and i. developing means adjacent said guide means for converting said electrostatic latent image on said dielectric surface to a visible image.

Claim 11

A copying apparatus for producing a visible image of an original on a copy sheet which has a conductive base and a dielectric surface, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing; b. a plane flat photoconductive plate in said housinG and having a conductive backing plate and a photoconductive surface; c. support means on said housing for supporting said original; d. charging means in said housing adjacent said photoconductive plate; e. an optical assembly between said support means and said photoconductive plate for forming an electrostatic latent image of said original on said photoconductive surface after said photoconductive surface is electrostatically charged, said optical assembly including illumination means for illuminating said original on said support means and a lens unit for projecting the light image of said original onto said photoconductive surface; f. sheet feed means a adjacent said photoconductive plate for feeding to said photoconductive plate copy sheets one by one from a source of copy sheets with the dielectric surface of each copy sheet facing said photoconductive surface having the electrostatic latent image formed thereon; g. charge transfer means adjacent said photoconductive plate for transferring said latent image from said photoconductive surface to said dielectric surface and including an electrically conductive roller which is electrically coupled to the conductive backing plate of said photoconductive plate, means urging said roller toward said photoconductive plate for pressing the dielectric surface of said copy sheet against said photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate and means for separating the copy sheet from the photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate after the copy sheet is pressed against the photoconductive surface by said conductive roller, whereby said conductive base of said copy sheet is electrically connected to said conductive backing plate of said photoconductive plate through said conductive roller at the time when the dielectric surface of said copy sheet is pressed against the photoconductive surface of said photoconductive plate and is separated from said photoconductive surface, said photoconductive plate being movable relative to said charging means, said optical assembly and said charge transfer means, whereby said charging means imposes said uniform electrostatic charge on said photoconductive surface and said optical assembly projects said light image of said original toward said photoconductive surface during the relative movement of said photoconductive plate to said charging means, optical assembly and said charge transfer means in a first direction, and said charge transfer means acts to transfer the electrostatic latent image on said photoconductive surface to said dielectric surface of said copy sheet during the relative movement in a second direction; h. guide means adjacent said charge transfer means for receiving and guiding said copy sheet in a predetermined path after said copy sheet is separated from said photoconductive surface; and i. developing means adjacent said guide means for converting said electrostatic latent image on said dielectric surface to a visible image.

Claim 12

An electrophotographic copying machine of the transfer type, comprising: a carriage mounted to reciprocate along the top surface of the housing of said copying machine and including a transparent plate for supporting an original thereon; an exposure device including an exposure window and an optical system for projecting a mirror image of said original placed on said transparent plate to said exposure window; a conveying path along the imaging plane of said optical system and in parallel with said carriage; a flexible sheet-like photosensitive member movable along said conveying path; a charging device facing said photosensitive member, a transfer roller for contacting said photosensitive member, said charging device and said roller mounted along said conveying path so as to be located on opposite sides of said exposure window; means for supplying sheet-like transfer material for receiving the image on said photosensitive member; means for separating said Sheet-like material from said photosensitive member; a driving member for moving said photosensitive member to confront said charging device, said exposure window, said transfer roller and said means for separating, and also to another position where it is separated therefrom; a guide member and a supplying member for feeding said transfer material from said means for supplying onto said photosensitive member; and a member for transporting said separated transfer material towards a development device.

Claim 13

An electrophotographic copying machine of the transfer type, comprising: a carriage mounted to reciprocate along the top surface of the housing of said copying machine and including a transparent plate for supporting an original thereon; an exposure device including an exposure window and an optical system for projecting a mirror image of said original placed on said transparent plate to said exposure window; a conveying path along the imaging plane of said optical system and in parallel with said carriage; a flexible sheet-like photosensitive member movable along said conveying path; a charging device facing said photosensitive member, a transfer roller for contacting said photosensitive member, said charging device and said roller mounted along said conveying path so as to be located on opposite sides of said exposure window; means for supplying sheet-like transfer material for receiving the image on said photosensitive member; means for separating said Sheet-like material from said photosensitive member; a driving member for moving said photosensitive member to confront said charging device, said exposure window, said transfer roller and said means for separating, and also to another position where it is separated therefrom; a guide member and a supplying member for feeding said transfer material from said means for supplying onto said photosensitive member; and a member for transporting said separated transfer material towards a development device.