Color image registration system using vacuum transfer drum
First Claim
1. Apparatus for transferring successive toner images from a rotatable photoconductive member to a sheet at a transfer zone where toner images are transferred to the sheet, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical member having a circumferential surface adjacent the photoconductive member at the transfer zone;
means for moving the sheet around the circumferential surface of the generally cylindrical member in a recirculating path;
means for transferring the sheet from the cylindrical member to the photoconductive member at the transfer zone, including a conductive fiber brush within an opening in the cylindrical member and means for moving the conductive fiber brush into and out of engagement with the back of the sheet;
means for detecting when a lead edge of the sheet carried by the sheet moving means if a first predetermined distance from the transfer zone; and
means, responsive to the detecting means, for forming a latent image on the photoconductive member at an imaging point which is a second predetermined distance from the transfer zone when the detecting means detects the lead edge of the sheet, the second predetermined distance not exceeding the first predetermined distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for registering successive toner images to a sheet includes a rotatable photoreceptor drum having a transfer zone on its circumferential surface at which toner images are transferred to the sheet, a generally cylindrical member having a circumferential surface adjacent the photoreceptor drum at the transfer zone, the cylindrical member having a radius which is an integer multiple of the radius of the photoreceptor drum, and a belt for moving the sheet around the circumferential surface of the cylindrical member in a recirculating path. A sensor detects when a lead edge of the sheet is a first predetermined distance from the transfer zone, and a polygon raster output scanner responsive to the sensor forms a latent image on the photoreceptor drum when the sensor detects the lead edge of the sheet, at an imaging point which is a second predetermined distance from the transfer zone, the second predetermined distance not exceeding the first predetermined distance.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. Apparatus for transferring successive toner images from a rotatable photoconductive member to a sheet at a transfer zone where toner images are transferred to the sheet, comprising:
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a generally cylindrical member having a circumferential surface adjacent the photoconductive member at the transfer zone; means for moving the sheet around the circumferential surface of the generally cylindrical member in a recirculating path; means for transferring the sheet from the cylindrical member to the photoconductive member at the transfer zone, including a conductive fiber brush within an opening in the cylindrical member and means for moving the conductive fiber brush into and out of engagement with the back of the sheet; means for detecting when a lead edge of the sheet carried by the sheet moving means if a first predetermined distance from the transfer zone; and means, responsive to the detecting means, for forming a latent image on the photoconductive member at an imaging point which is a second predetermined distance from the transfer zone when the detecting means detects the lead edge of the sheet, the second predetermined distance not exceeding the first predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for tarnsferring successive toner images from a rotatable photoconductive member to a sheet at a transfer zone on the photoconductive member where toner images are transferred to the sheet, comprising the steps of:
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moving the sheet past the transfer zone in a recirculating path by moving the sheet with a belt around a peripheral wall of a vacuum chamber adjacent the photoconductive member at the transfer zone, the vacuum chamber having a plurality of ports and the belt having a plurality of openings for communicating with the vacuum chamber to hold the sheet as it is moved around the peripheral wall of the vacuum chamber; detecting when a lead edge of the sheet moving in the recirculating path is a first predetermined distance from the transfer zone; and forming a latent image on the photoconductive member at an imaging point which is a second predetermined distance from the transfer zone when the detecting means detects the lead edge of the sheet, the second predetermined distance not exceeding the first predetermined distance.
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12. Apparatus for transferring successive toner images from a photoconductive body having a surface for carrying toner images to a sheet, comprising:
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a vacuum chamber having a peripheral wall including a plurality of ports, the vacuum chamber being adjacent the photoconductive body at a transfer zone where a toner image is transferred to a sheet; a belt for carrying a sheet around the peripheral wall of the vacuum chamber, the belt having a plurality of openings for receiving vacuum from the ports of the vacuum chamber; means for detecting when a lead edge of a sheet carried by the belt is a first predetermined distance form the transfer zone; and means, responsive to the detecting means, for forming a latent image on the photoconductive body at a imaging point which is a second predetermined distance from the transfer zone when the detecting means detects the lead edge of the sheet, the second predetermined distance not exceeding the first predetermined distance.
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13. Apparatus for transferring successive toner images from a rotatable photoconductive member to a sheet at a transfer zone where toner images are transferred to the sheet, comprising:
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a generally cylindrical member having a circumferential surface adjacent the photoconductive member at the transfer zone, the generally cylindrical member including a cylindrical outer wall and a reentrant inner wall which diverges from a longitudinal slot-like opening in the outer wall to a partially cylindrical portion, the space between the inner wall and the outer wall defining a vacuum chamber; means for moving a sheet around the circumferential surface of the generally cylindrical member in a recirculating path; means for detecting when a lead edge of the sheet carried by the sheet moving means is a first predetermined distance from the transfer zone; and means, responsive to the detecting means, for forming a latent image on a photoconductive member at an imaging point which is a second predetermined distance from the transfer zone when the detecting means detects the lead edge of the sheet, the second predetermined distance not exceeding the first predetermined distance.
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Specification