Patent · US Expired

Color electrophotographic apparatus having an intermediate transfer belt variable in speed

US5587783A · kind A · utility

35Cited by
8References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 12, 1994
Grant dateDec 24, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 12, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G2215/0894
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A color electrophotographic apparatus using a plurality of image forming units. The entire image forming unit group moves by rotation, and a toner image is transferred on an intermediate transfer belt at an image forming position. The intermediate transfer belt is variable in speed, and while the image forming unit group is moving, it is stopped or runs at low speed. The hopper in the image forming unit is divided into two sections. The toner is supplied the image forming position, and when the toner remainder sensor detects no remaining toner, the image forming unit group rotates by one revolution or more, and then the toner remainder is detected again to judge presence or absence of toner remainder. At this time, the toner in the toner hopper is agitated by the agitating member and the shape of the inner wall. After rotary move of the image forming unit group, each image forming unit is initialized sequentially. The side walls of the signal light optical path are composed of image forming units, and the color of the side walls is black. The gap between two adjacent signal forming units is 20 mm or less. One erase lamp of the photosensitive member is provided near the image formin…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.