Transfer type electrophotographic copying apparatus

An image transfer type electrophotographic copying apparatus which comprises:

• a photoconductive member in the form of an endless belt having the opposite ends thereof joined so that a plurality of equally sized latent image carrying portions can be fitted along its circumferential length;
• a plurality of rollers rotatably supporting said photoconductive member to guide said endless belt along a path approximately triangular in shape so as to provide a plurality of flat surfaces therealong;
• means sequentially disposed along said photoconductive member including a corona charging means for uniformly charging said photoconductive surface, an instantaneous exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image, a developing means for developing said latent image into a visible toner powder image, an image transfer means for transferring said toner powder image onto a copy paper fed from paper feeding means, and residual toner removing means for removing residual toner from said photoconductive surface;
• said belt having a first curved portion between said exposure means and said transfer means and supported by one of said rollers and said developing means being at a position facing said first curved portion;
• said belt having a second curved portion after said transfer means and which is an acutely curved portion and supported by another of said rollers, said copy paper being separated from the surface of said belt at said acutely curved portion mainly by its own resilience;
• a fixing means disposed below said residual toner removing means for fixing said toner powder image on said copy paper;
• and
• a heat shielding means for forming an air curtain between said residual toner removing means and said fixing means, said fixing means being provided with blower means having means for selectively changing the direction of air flow from said blower means, detecting means for detecting entrance and discharge of copy paper into or out of said fixing means and coupled to said means for selectively changing the direction of air flow for actuating said means for selectively changing the direction of air flow for directing said air flow toward said second curved portion of said belt to assist in the separation of said copy paper during normal copying operation, and in the event of a paper jam in said fixing means, directing said air flow into said fixing means.