Multicolor image forming apparatus having improved registration

Patent 5016062 Issued on May 14, 1991. Estimated Expiration Date:

January 2, 2010. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventor

Rapkin, Alan E.

Application

No. 459851 filed on 01/02/1990

US Classes:

399/300, From multiple positions347/116, Registration347/154Endless web or belt for the latent image

Examiners

Primary: Pendegrass, Joan H.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Treash, Jr.; leonard W.

Foreign Patent References

61-145567 JP 07/18/1986

International Classes

G03G 015/01
G03G 015/16

Abstract

An apparatus for forming multicolor toner images includes an endless web having rows of perforations along each edge. In one embodiment, two or more drums have sprockets on each end. These sprockets engage the rows of perforations in the web. Toner images of different color are created in each drum by creating electrostatic images and toning those images with toners of different colors. The toner images are transferred in registration to the web. The number of perforations in the web is chosen to create a small amount of slack between the drums which permits the sprocket teeth to orient the web with respect to each drum thereby preventing misregistration due to skew, for example, because of misalignment of the axes of the drums. According to a second embodiment a similar registration scheme is used with images that are formed by exposing and toning the same portion of a photoconductive web with toners of different color.