Surface exposure device for copying apparatus

Abstract

A surface exposure device for use in a copying apparatus essentially comprising a supporting surface for supporting thereon an original from which a duplicate is desired, a lens assembly, a first carriage having therein a reflective mirror and a second carriage having therein at least one reflective mirror. The first and second carriages are conjointly displaceable in the same direction while the first carriage and the support surface undergo relative motion in opposite directions with respect to each other. Copying material on which the image of the original is to be reproduced is transferred at a velocity substantially equal to the relative velocity of movement of the supporting surface and the first carriage, the second carriage being moved at a velocity substantially equal to one-half of the velocity of the first carriage.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for the optical exposure of an original on copying material which is movably arranged, comprising a housing structure; a support surface horizontally slidably provided in one housing wall and made of transparent material, the original being arranged on the support surface; an exposure plate provided in the housing structure spaced from the support surface and over which the copying material is moved; exposure means arranged between the support surface and the exposure plate and including a lens assembly arranged in the housing structure in position to transmit rays of light carrying an image of the original towards the copying material through the exposure plate; a reflector arrangement located between the lens assembly and the support surface and including a plurality of mirrors divided into first and second groups, the two groups being conjointly displaceable and the first group being movable reciprocally in the direction opposed to the direction of travel of the support surface; guide means arranged in the housing for guiding the groups of mirrors for conjoint movement parallel to the direction of travel of the support surface; and control means connected to the first and second groups of mirrors and the support surface and operable, upon movement of the mirrors, to modify a first ray path between one mirror of the first group and at least one mirror of the second group in a manner equal and opposite to the modification of a second ray path between at least one mirror of the second group and said lens assembly, whereby an image ray extending between the support surface and .[.one mirror.]. said lens assembly, produced on exposure of the original, always follows a path of constant length regardless of the position of a mirror with respect to the original, said control means also operable, upon said movement of the mirrors, to move the support surface in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of any of said first and second groups, said support surface, said first and second groups and said copying material satisfying the following relationships,   Vp=Vo +. Va     Vb=1/2·Va wherein Vp is a velocity of transference of the copying material, Vo and Va are velocities of movement of the support surface and the first group, respectively, and Vb is a velocity of movement of the second group.   
     
     
       2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein Vo is equal to Va. .[.3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lens assembly and said second group are adjustable in a distance equal to F(1-m) and in a distance equal to F(1-m) 2  ×1/2·m, respectively, in synchronism with each other, wherein F is the focal length of the lens assembly and m is a desired magnification of the image of the original to be reproduced on the copying material, and said copying material is transferred at a velocity 
     
     
        equal to the product of Vo+Va by the desired magnification..]. 4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mirror of said first group is tilted at an angle selected such as to reflect the rays of light from the 
     
     
        original on to said at least one mirror of the second group. 5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second group further includes an additional mirror, said additional mirror and said one mirror of said second group being arranged at right angles with respect to each other while said mirror of said first group is tilted at 45° with respect to the plane of the support surface, whereby the rays of light carrying the image of the original travel, after having been reflected by the mirror of the first group to the lens assembly is first reflected by the mirror of said second group and then by said additional mirror. .Iadd.6. A device for the optical exposure of an original onto a moving copying material for obtaining 1:1 copying, said device comprising: a horizontally and reciprocatingly movable support surface on which an original to be copied is placed;   an optical means disposed below said support surface and including a lens, and reciprocatingly movable first and second mirror means arranged in an optical path between said support surface and said lens, said first and second mirror means being movable opposite to the direction of the movement of said support surface during scanning of an image of the original onto the copying material; and   said support surface, said first and second mirror means and said copying material satisfying the following relationships,   Vp = Va + Vo       Vb = 1/2·Va,       wherein Vp is a velocity of transference of the copying material, Vo and Va are velocities of movement of the support surface and the first mirror means respectively, Vb is a velocity of movement of the second mirror   
     
     
        means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7.  The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first and second mirror means are parallelly moveable with respect to said support surface. .Iaddend..Iadd.8. A device for the optical exposure of an original onto a moving copying material for obtaining 1:1 copying, said device comprising: a horizontally and reciprocatingly movable support surface on which an original to be copied is placed;   an optical means disposed below said support surface and including a lens, and reciprocatingly movable first and second carriages arranged in an optical path between said support surface and said lens;   said first carriage having therein a first mirror means for reflecting an image of the original, and said second carriage having therein a second mirror means for reflecting the image from said first mirror means to said lens;   a single cable connecting said support surface and said first and second carriages and a take-up pulley means connected to a first end of said cable means;   said cable, upon driving of said take-up pulley means, comprising means for moving said first and second carriages and said support surface, with said first and second carriages being moved in a direction opposed to the direction of movement of said support surface;   said first and second carriages being moved at relative velocities of 1 to 1/2; and   means for moving the copying material at a velocity corresponding to the sum of the velocities of said support surface and said first carriage.