Compact reproduction machine having separately framed mutually aligning modules
US5884123A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 16, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 14, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G2221/183
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A compact electrostatographic reproduction machine, including a platen for positioning a document sheet having an original image to be reproduced; and a plurality of separately framed, mutually aligning machine modules variously containing electrostatographic process elements and subassemblies. The plurality of machine modules includes a copy sheet input module (CIM) for holding and supplying copy sheets to a toner image transfer point to receive a toner image thereon; an electronic control and power supply (ECS/PS) module for providing power and logic control to various modules of the reproduction machine; an imager module for creating a latent image of the original image of the document sheet positioned on the platen; a customer replaceable process cartridge (CRU) module containing subassemblies for forming a toner image on a photoreceptive member; and a fuser module for heating and fixing a toner image on a copy sheet onto such sheet. Each such module has a separate module frame for mutually aligning against a separate frame of an adjacent module, and separate frames of such modules include external covers forming parts of an exterior of the reproduction machine such that the pl…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.