Claims
- 1. A transfer sheet separator for use with an electrophotographic copying machine, comprising, in combination:
- (a) a photo receptor movable successively past first and second localities in sequence while retaining an intermediate image on a surface thereof;
- (b) an elongated, narrow, stationary transverse sheet-engaging member extending along only one lateral edge of such surface of said photoreceptor throughout said first and second locations;
- (c) means operable to feed a transfer sheet onto such surface of said photoreceptor at such first locality to move, along with said photoreceptor, with one lateral edge of the transfer sheet positioned above said elongated, narrow engaging member;
- (d) means at such first locality operable to transfer the intermediate image from such surface of said photoreceptor onto a facing surface of the transfer sheet and thus to charge the transfer sheet to an electrostatic potential of a first polarity;
- (e) a riser on said engaging member at such second locality operable to deflect the transfer sheet outwardly away from said narrow engaging member and said photoreceptor surface;
- (f) a rotatable guide roller having a turn roller portion at such second locality, separate from said engaging member and having its axis extending parallel to and transversely of such surface of said photoreceptor, for engaging the opposite rear surface of the charged transfer sheet following turning away of the transfer sheet from said narrow engaging member;
- (g) an endless belt having a portion thereof aligned with said narrow engaging member and trained over said turn roller portion to nip the turned-away transfer sheet between said turn roller portion and said belt;
- (h) delivery means operable to receive the charged transfer sheet from between said turn roller portion and said belt;
- (i) stationary metal framework means adjacent said delivery means facing the image carrying surface of the transfer sheet and to which the transfer sheet is attracted due to its charge; and
- (j) means maintaining, on at least a portion of the peripheral surface of said guide roller adjacent said surface of said photoreceptor, an electrostatic charge of a polarity opposite to that of the transfer sheet, whereby said rear surface of the transfer sheet is maintained in engagement with said guide roller so that the image-carrying facing surface of the transfer sheet is not attracted into engagement with said stationary framework means.
- 2. A transfer sheet separator according to claim 1, wherein said guide roller comprises conductive material and is isolated from ground.
- 3. A transfer sheet separator according to claim 1, wherein said guide roller comprises conductive material and is isolated from ground; said charge maintaining means comprising means applying a bias potential to said turn roller.
- 4. A transfer sheet separator according to claim 1, wherein said guide roller comprises dielectric material and said potential maintaining means comprises means charging the peripheral surface of the roller.
- 5. A transfer sheet separator according to claim 4, wherein said charging means comprises means rubbing the peripheral surface of the guide roller.
- 6. A transfer sheet separator according to claim 4, wherein said charging means comprises a corona discharger.
- 7. A method of separating a transfer sheet from a movable photoreceptor of an electrophotographic copying machine having a feed station for feeding the transfer sheet to a portion of the movable photoreceptor, a charger comparable to transfer an intermediate image from the photoreceptor to a facing surface of the transfer sheet and, thus, to charge the transfer sheet to an electrostatic potential of a first polarity, comprising, providing a narrow elongated stationary transfer sheet-engaging member along only one lateral edge of the surface of the photoreceptor, feeding the transfer sheet to the surface of the photoreceptor with one lateral edge thereof positioned over the elongated narrow stationary engaging member, providing a riser extending outwardly of the photoreceptor on the narrow engaging member for lifting the lateral edge of the transfer sheet away from the photoreceptor, providing a rotatable guide roller having a turn roller portion aligned with the narrow engaging member, the guide roller being separate from the engaging member and having its axis extending parallel to and transversely of the surface of the photoreceptor for engaging the opposite rear surface of the charge transfer sheet following the turning away of the transfer sheet by the riser from the photoreceptor, providing an endless belt having a portion aligned with the narrow engaging member and the turn roller portion of the guide roller and entrained over the turn roller portion to nip the turned away transfer sheet between the turn roller portion and the belt, providing delivery means operable to receive the charge transfer sheet from between the turn roller portion and the belt, providing a stationary metal frame adjacent the delivery means facing the image carrying surface of the transfer sheet to which the transfer sheet is attached due to its charge, and providing an electrostatic charge to the surface of the guide roller of a polarity opposite to that of the transfer sheet and of sufficient strength to retain the transfer sheet against the guide roller, whereby the rear surface of the transfer sheet is maintained in engagement with the guide roller so that the image-carrying facing surface of the transfer sheet is not attracted into engagement with the stationary metal framework.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
49/123661 |
Oct 1974 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 626,272 filed Oct. 28, 1975 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
626272 |
Oct 1975 |
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