Photocopying – Including fiber optics
Patent
1984-11-02
1986-02-11
Prescott, A. C.
Photocopying
Including fiber optics
355 3DR, 355 3SH, 355 20, G03G 1500
Patent
active
045695822
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an electrophotographic information printer, particularly for use in connection with electronic data and word processing systems, said printer having a number of processing stations comprising photoconductor; photoconductor station; station arranged in operative relation to the photoconductor station; photoconductor station for transferring a toner image on the photoconductor to a sheet-shaped printing material; supply of printing material; material; and the fixation station.
Information printers for use in connection with data and word processing systems may essentially be divided into two main categories. In one category the transformation of electronic character information into printed information on a paper sheet is performed by means of writing devices operating with mechanical impact in connection with carbon ribbons in the same way as known from manually operated typewriters. Printers of this category comprising inter alia matrix printers and daisy-wheel printers have a relatively low speed and have appeared in practice to be rather sensitive in mechanical respects and, in addition, in respect of reproduction performance they are limited to a definite number of characters.
The other main category operates without mechanical impact and comprises mainly so-called jet-ink printers and machines operating with an electrophotographic transfer of information in connection with the xerographic reproduction technology known from usual copying machines. In particular machines of the latter kind comprise laser printers in which an electrostatically latent image is formed on a photoconductor by means of a controlled laser beam. Due to the very high printing speed and the fact that in respect of information reproduction they are not limited to a definite number of e.g. alpha-numerical characters defined e.g. by the characters on a daisy-wheel, these machines are finding increasing use.
The electrostatically latent image is developped by means of toner powder and is transferred to a paper sheet and affixed thereto under use of the well-known xerographic technology.
Since the starting point for such information printers has been the technology known from usual xerographic copying machines, these machines are designed in practice in the same way as conventional copying machines with a single motor as a driving member for several mechanically movable, usually rotatable members such as a photoconductor drum, sheet advancing rollers, and toner transport mechanisms, complicated transmission means being often used between the driving means and the individual rotating members or between the latter mutually.
As in the case of conventional copying machines this machine design makes maintenance heavily complicated and often results in interruptions of operation of long duration, since irregularities in the mechanical functions usually requires a difficult and time-consuming repair involving replacement and/or adjustment of components which are frequently difficult to access.
Whereas these disadvantages may usually be tolerated in connection with conventional reproduction equipment they will often be considered unacceptable in connection with data and word processing systems and in this field attempts are made to circumvent them by use of spare equipment with the costs resulting therefrom.
It is the object of the invention to provide an information printer suitable in particular for the latter application and breaking with the conventional technical design of electrophotographic machines by a very simple structural design, a considerably simpler maintenance and improved flexibility in respect of machine structure.
According to the invention, in an information printer of the kind mentioned this is accomplished in that the processing stations having mechanical movement functions are designed as separate replaceable modules for insertion into an apparatus housing and each have its own independent driving means in the form of an electronic stepping motor and that the modules are provided with external co
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Mercante International A/S
Prescott A. C.
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