Transfer medium separation in a recording apparatus

Abstract

A recording apparatus includes an image bearing or forming drum which is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction at constant speed. As the drum rotates, an image is formed on its peripheral surface electrostatically or electrophotographically. The image, developed or undeveloped, on the drum is then transferred to a transfer medium with the stiffness of the transfer medium being adjusted prior to the transfer. The drum has a diameter which is small enough for the transfer medium to be separated away from the drum by its own stiffness after image transfer, thereby allowing to dispose of an extra separating device and to make the whole apparatus compact in size and simple in structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A recording apparatus comprising: an endless image forming member driven to rotate in a predetermined direction to pass through a transfer station.Iadd., said endless image forming member being in the form of a drum having a diameter in the range between 10 mm and 40 mm; .Iaddend.   image forming means for forming a.[.n.]. .Iadd.toner .Iaddend.image on said endless image forming member.Iadd., said image forming means including an array of convergent light transmitting mediums for focusing an original light image onto said image forming member therethrough; .Iaddend.   transporting means for transporting transfer mediums one by one through said transfer station where said .Iadd.toner .Iaddend.image formed on said endless image forming member is transferred to the transfer medium which is brought into contact with said endless image forming member at said transfer station, said transporting means including .[.stiffness.]. adjusting means for .Iadd.automatically .Iaddend.adjusting the .Iadd.incident angle of said transfer-medium entering into said transfer station depending on a .Iaddend.stiffness of said transfer medium.[.s.]. which .[.are.]. .Iadd.is .Iaddend.to be brought into contact with said image forming member at said transfer station so that a uniform separating characteristic is obtained irrespective of the degree of stiffness of said transfer medium.[.s before adjustment.].; and   .[.said endless image forming member having a radius of curvature at said transfer station which is small enough for.]. .Iadd.whereby .Iaddend.said transfer medium .[.to.]. separate.Iadd.s .Iaddend.away from said endless image forming member by its own stiffness after passing through the transfer station.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus of claim 1 .[.wherein said endless image forming member is in the form of a drum having a diameter which is small enough for said transfer medium to separate away from said image forming member by its own stiffness after image transfer.]. .Iadd.further comprising charger removing means disposed adjacent to and downstream of said transfer station with respect to a direction of advancement of said transfer medium transported by said transporting means for removing charge from said transfer medium at least partly after image transfer..Iaddend. .[.3. Apparatus of claim 2 wherein said diameter is in the range between 10 mm and 40 mm..]. .[.4. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image to be transferred from said image forming member to said transfer medium is an electrostatic latent image..]. .[.5. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image to be transferred from said image forming member to said transfer 
     
     
        medium is a visible image which has already been developed..].6. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said .[.stiffness.]. adjusting means includes a guide structure having an upwardly inclined forward portion directed toward said image forming member, the top surface of said guide structure defining a part of the path for transporting said transfer .[.mediums.]. .Iadd.medium.Iaddend., and a pivotally supported pressure plate having a 
     
     
        forward end which can rest on said top surface. 7. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the weight of said pressure plate is so determined that a relatively stiff transfer medium is not appreciably bent and thus is not appreciably brought into contact with said top surface while being transported, but a relatively less stiff transfer medium is appreciably bent by said pressure plate and thus is appreciably brought into contact 
     
     
        with said top surface while being transported. .Iadd.8.  A recording apparatus comprising: a drum-shaped image forming member driven to rotate in a predetermined direction to pass through a transfer station;   image forming means disposed around said drum-shaped image forming member for forming a toner image on said image forming member, said image forming means including an array of convergent light transmitting mediums for focusing an original light image onto said image forming member to form an electrostatic latent image on said image forming member and a developing means for developing said latent image into said toner image, said developing means including a developing roller having a diameter smaller than a diameter of said image forming member and positioned for applying a toner to said image forming member;   transporting means for transporting transfer mediums one by one through said transfer station where said toner image formed on said image forming member is transferred to the transfer medium which is brought into contact with said image forming member at said transfer station, wherein said transporting means includes adjusting means for automatically adjusting the incident angle of said transfer medium entering into said transfer station depending on a stiffness of said transfer medium which is to be brought into contact with said image forming member at said transfer station, thereby allowing a uniform separating characteristic to be obtained irrespective of the degree of stiffness of said transfer medium; and   non-corona discharging type charge removing means disposed adjacent to and downstream of said transfer station with respect to a direction of advancement of said transfer medium transported by said transporting means for removing charge from said transfer medium at least partly;   whereby said image forming member is less than or equal to 40 mm, thereby allowing the transfer medium to separate away from said image forming member by its own stiffness after passing through the transfer   
     
     
        station..Iaddend. .Iadd.9.  Apparatus of claim 8, wherein said image forming means includes charging means for uniformly charging said image forming member, exposing means including said array of convergent light transmitting means for exposing said image forming member thus uniformly charged to an original light image to form said electrostatic latent image on said image forming member, said developing means for developing said electrostatic latent image on said image forming member to form said toner image thereon, and transferring means for transferring said toner image to a transfer medium transported by said transporting means..Iaddend. .Iadd.10. Apparatus of claim 9, wherein said image forming member is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction at constant speed and said charging means, exposing means, developing means, and transferring means are disposed around said image forming means in said predetermined 
     
     
        direction in the order mentioned..Iaddend. .Iadd.11.  Apparatus of claim 9, wherein said transferring means includes an image transferring corona discharging device for applying corona ions of a predetermined polarity to 
     
     
        the back side of said transfer medium..Iaddend. .Iadd.12.  Apparatus of claim 8, wherein said adjusting means includes a guide structure having an upwardly inclined forward portion directed towards said image forming member, the top surface of said guide structure defining a part of the path for transporting said transfer medium, and a pivotally supported pressure plate having a forward end which may rest on said top 
     
     
        surface..Iaddend. .Iadd.13.  Apparatus of claim 12, wherein the weight of said pressure plate is so determined that a relatively stiff transfer medium is not appreciably bent and thus is not appreciably brought into contact with said top surface while being transported, but a relatively less stiff transfer medium is appreciably bent by said pressure plate and thus is appreciably brought into contact with said top surface while being 
     
     
        transported..Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  Apparatus of claim 8, further comprising holding means for holding an original above said image forming member, and wherein said array of convergent light transmitting mediums is disposed between said holding means and said image forming member and above said image forming member..Iaddend. .Iadd.15. Apparatus of claim 14, wherein said holding means includes a contact glass plate for placing thereon an original..Iaddend. .Iadd.16. Apparatus of claim 15, wherein said contact 
     
     
        glass plate is movable horizontally back and forth..Iaddend. .Iadd.17. Apparatus of claim 8 wherein said non-corona discharging type charge 
     
     
        removing means comprises a discharging brush..Iaddend. .Iadd.18.  A recording apparatus comprising: an endless image forming member driven to rotate in a predetermined direction to pass through a transfer station;   image forming means for forming an image on said endless image forming member;   transporting means for transporting transfer mediums one by one through said transfer station where said image formed on said endless image forming member is transferred to the transfer medium which is brought into contact with said endless image forming member at said transfer station, said transporting means including adjusting means for automatically adjusting the incident angle of said transfer medium entering into said transfer station depending on a stiffness of said transfer medium which is to be brought into contact with said image forming member at said transfer station so that a uniform separating characteristic is obtained irrespective of the degree of stiffness of said transfer medium; and   said endless image forming member having a radius of curvature at said transfer station which is small enough for said transfer medium to separate away from said endless image forming member by its own stiffness after passing through said transfer station..Iaddend. .Iadd.19. Apparatus of claim 18 wherein said endless image forming member is in the form of a drum having a diameter which is small enough for said transfer medium to separate away from said image forming member by its own stiffness after   
     
     
        image transfer..Iaddend. .Iadd.20.  Apparatus of claim 19 wherein said diameter is in the range between 10 mm and 40 mm..Iaddend. .Iadd.21. Apparatus of claim 18 wherein said image to be transferred from said image forming member to said transfer medium is a visible image which has already been developed..Iaddend. .Iadd.22. Apparatus of claim 18 wherein said adjusting means includes a guide structure having an upwardly inclined forward portion directed toward said image forming member, the top surface of said guide structure defining a part of the path for transporting said transfer medium, and a pivotally supported pressure plate having a forward end which can rest on said top surface..Iaddend. .Iadd.23. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein the weight of said pressure plate is so determined that a relatively stiff transfer medium is not appreciably bent and thus is not appreciably brought into contact with said top surface while being transported, but a relatively less stiff transfer medium is appreciably bent by said pressure plate and thus is appreciably brought into contact with said top surface while being transported..Iaddend.