US4959731A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Combined electrographic printer, copier, and telefax machine
Assignee: Intel Corp
•
Filing: 1988-06-27
•
Granted: 1990-09-25
•
Expires: 2008-06-27
Abstract
Abstract An electrographic printing apparatus capable of functioning as a copier, printer, and telefax machine is disclosed. The electrographic printing apparatus includes a photoconductive member, preferably a horizontally mounted photoconductive belt, a developer unit for developing an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive member, and a biased transfer roller to transfer the developed electrostatic latent image to a sheet of copy material. The apparatus also includes an optical print head which can receive information from a local or a remote source to form the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive member and thus act as a printer. The apparatus further includes a device for scanning an original document and for projecting the scanned image either onto the photoconductive member or onto a CCD linear array. When the scanned image is projected onto the photoconductive member, a copy of the original document is made. When the image is projected onto the CCD linear array, the scanned image is digitized and sent via the telephone lines in the manner of a telefax machine.
Inventors
- 👤 Kensuke Fukae
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 14:59
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00204; H04N1/00236; H04N1/00238; B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/435; B41J2/447; B41J2/45; G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/04; G03G15/04036; G03G15/04045; G03G15/04054; G03G15/04072; G03G15/22; G03G15/221; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/12; G06K15/1238; G06K15/1242; G06K15/1247; G06K15/1276; G06K15/1295; H04N1/00249; H04N1/00254; H04N1/32; H04N1/32502; H04N1/32507; H04N1/32512; H04N1/32523; H04N1/32529; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/0077; H04N2201/0081; H04N2201/0082; H04N2201/0086
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
An electrographic printing apparatus, comprising: a housing, a photoconductive member, means for uniformly charging said photoconductive member, first and second means for selectively discharging said photoconductive member to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive member, means for developing said latent electrostatic image, and means for transferring the developed electrostatic image to copy material in a transfer zone, a paper path operative to transport copy material from a source of copy material, through said transfer zone, and to an exit of said housing, wherein said photoconductive member comprises a photoconductive belt horizontally disposed in said housing, said first and second selective discharge means are disposed above said photoconductive belt, and said transfer zone is located on a lower side of said photoconductive belt.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
124 words
An electrographic printing apparatus, comprising: a housing, a photoconductive member, means for uniformly charging said photoconductive member, first and second means for selectively discharging said photoconductive member to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive member, means for developing said latent electrostatic image, and means for transferring the developed electrostatic image to copy material in a transfer zone, a paper path operative to transport copy material from a source of copy material, through said transfer zone, and to an exit of said housing, wherein said photoconductive member comprises a photoconductive belt horizontally disposed in said housing, said first and second selective discharge means are disposed above said photoconductive belt, and said transfer zone is located on a lower side of said photoconductive belt.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said paper path is operative to transport copy material through said transfer zone from below.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said source of copy material and said exit are both located below said photoconductive member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transfer means comprises a biased transfer roller.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 4 wherein said transfer roller is biased at a voltage in the range of about +24 V to about +100 V.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a top portion attached to said housing by a hinge, said top portion being pivotable upward about said hinge so as to provide access to the interior of said housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving information from a local or a remote source, said first selective discharge means being operatively connected to said receiving means for producing a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive belt corresponding to the information received form said local or said remote source.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second selective discharge means comprises scanning means for scanning an original document and for producing a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive belt corresponding to said original document.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising transmitting means operatively associated with said scanning means for transmitting information corresponding to said original document to a remote location.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second selective discharge means comprise first and second illuminating means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said paper path is located entirely below said photoconductive belt.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first selective discharge means comprises an optical print head.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said selective discharge means comprises an LED array.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said selective discharge means comprises a laser light source.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
An electrographic printing apparatus, comprising: a housing, a photoconductive member, means for uniformly charging said photoconductive member, means first and second for selectively discharging said photoconductive member, and control means for controlling said first and second selective discharge means to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive member which corresponds to information on an original document to be copied, information received from local source, or information received from a remote source.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
72 words
An electrographic printing apparatus, comprising: a housing, a photoconductive member, means for uniformly charging said photoconductive member, means first and second for selectively discharging said photoconductive member, and control means for controlling said first and second selective discharge means to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive member which corresponds to information on an original document to be copied, information received from local source, or information received from a remote source.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for transmitting a data stream corresponding to an original document to a remote location.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
47 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 15 further comprising image sensing means for converting an image into a data stream, means for scanning an original document, and means for switchably projecting an image of said original document onto said photoconductive member or onto said image sensing means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for developing said latent electrostatic image, and means for transferring the developed electrostatic image to copy material, said transfer means comprising a biased transfer roll.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 15 wherein said photoconductive member comprises a photoconductive belt horizontally mounted within said housing.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 15 wherein said first selective discharge means comprises an optical print head.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 15 wherein said first selective discharge means comprises a laser light source.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The electrographic printing apparatus of claim 15 wherein said first selective discharge means comprise an LED light array.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
85 words
An electrographic printing apparatus, comprising: a housing, a photoconductive member, means for uniformly charging said photoconductive member, means first and second for selectively discharging said photoconductive member, and control means for controlling said first and second selective discharge means to reproduce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive member which corresponds to information on an original document to be copied, information received from a local source, or information received from a remote source, wherein said information received from a local source comprises a data stream.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
85 words
An electrographic printing apparatus, comprising: a housing, a photoconductive member, means for uniformly charging said photoconductive member, means first and second for selectively discharging said photoconductive member, and control means for controlling said first and second selective discharge means to reproduce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive member which corresponds to information on an original document to be copied, information received from a local source, or information received from a remote source, wherein said information received from a local source comprises a data stream.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
85 words
An electrographic printing apparatus, comprising: a housing, a photoconductive member, means for uniformly charging said photoconductive member, first and second means for selectively discharging said photoconductive member, and control means first and second for controlling said selective discharge means to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive member which corresponds to information on an original document to be copied, information received from a local source, or information received from a remote source, wherein said information received from a remote source comprises a data stream.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
85 words
An electrographic printing apparatus, comprising: a housing, a photoconductive member, means for uniformly charging said photoconductive member, first and second means for selectively discharging said photoconductive member, and control means first and second for controlling said selective discharge means to produce a latent electrostatic image on said photoconductive member which corresponds to information on an original document to be copied, information received from a local source, or information received from a remote source, wherein said information received from a remote source comprises a data stream.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB1272807A
Cited
GB1374799A
Cited
GB1415402A
Cited
GB1486025A
Cited
US3907421A
Cited
DE2518615A1
Cited
US4268157A
Cited
US4200390A
Cited
US4291341A
Cited
US4398816A
Cited
US4403851A
Cited
US4446472A
Cited
US4389655A
Cited
US4402591A
Cited
DE3109036A1
Cited
EP0042071A2
Cited
US4415981A
Cited
US4401383A
Cited
US4432632A
Cited
GB2104449A
Cited
US4527885A
Cited
US4470693A
Cited
GB2139193A
Cited
EP0139448A2
Cited
US4502064A
Cited
US4640601A
Cited
US4556308A
Cited
GB2189438A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-09-24 | 1994-03-26 | 1994-09-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-09-24 | 1998-03-26 | 1998-09-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-09-24 | 2002-03-26 | 2002-09-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |