Image forming apparatus with a binding function

An image forming apparatus with a binding function comprising:

• means for forming a toner image corresponding to an image of an original document by developing a charge image with an electrophotographic process, said means comprising toner band forming means for forming a small band of toner at the margin of the toner image area which is formed on an image carrier and corresponds to the original document, said toner band forming means comprising an optical shutter member provided in an optical path for projecting an optical image of the original document onto said image carrier, said optical shutter being selectably actuated, thereby imparting to said image carrier a charge area for forming said small band of toner, said optical shutter member further being divided into a plurality of small portions in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of said image carrier, each portion being selectably operable;
• means for transferring and fixing said toner image formed on said image carrier onto a sheet together with said small band of toner;
• and
• means for binding a plurality of sheets by fusing said small band of toner of a plurality of stacked sheets.

An image forming apparatus with a binding function comprising:

• means for forming a toner image corresponding to an image of an original document by developing a charge image with an electrophotographic process, said means comprising toner band forming means for forming a small band of toner at the margin of the toner image area which is formed on an image carrier and corresponds to the original document, said toner band forming means including a scale provided at one side of a platen glass on which the original document is placed, said scale preventing light from reaching the image carrier, whereby toner is deposited onto a portion of the image carrier corresponding to said scale to thereby form said small band of toner;
• means for transferring and fixing said toner image formed on said image carrier onto a sheet together with said small band of toner;
• and
• means for binding a plurality of sheets by fusing said small band of toner of a plurality of stacked sheets.

An image forming apparatus with a binding function comprising:

• means for forming a toner image corresponding to an image of an original document by developing a charge image with an electrophotographic process, said means comprising toner band forming means for forming a small band of toner at the margin of the toner image area which is formed on an image carrier and corresponds to the original document, said toner band forming means including a scale provided at one side of a platen glass on which the original document is placed, said scale preventing light from reaching the image carrier, whereby toner is deposited onto a portion of the image carrier corresponding to said scale to thereby form said small band of toner;
• means for transferring and fixing said toner image formed on said image carrier onto a sheet together with said small band of toner;
• means for binding a plurality of sheets by fusing said small band of toner of a plurality of stacked sheets;
• and
• means for changing a timing for transporting sheets toward a transfer station, whereby the width of said small band of toner is variable.

An image forming apparatus with a binding function comprising:

• image forming means for forming a toner image corresponding to an image of an original document by developing a charge image with an, electrophotographic process, and for forming a small band of toner at the margin of the toner image area which is formed on an image carrier and corresponds to the original document, said image forming means including means for imparting a charge area in order to form said small band of toner, a first developing device for supplying to said image carrier normal toner for forming the image of the original document, a second developing device for supplying to said image carrier special toner different from said normal toner for developing said charge area, and control means for selectably operating said first and second developing devices;
• means for transferring and fixing said toner image formed on said image carrier onto a sheet together with said small band of toner;
• and
• means for binding a plurality of sheets by fusing said small band of toner of a plurality of stacked sheets.

An image forming apparatus with a binding function comprising:

• means for forming a toner image corresponding to an image of an original document by developing a charge image with an electrophotographic process, said means comprising toner band forming means for forming a small band of toner at the margin of the toner image area which is formed on an image carrier and corresponds to the original document;
• means for transferring and fixing said toner image formed on said image carrier onto a sheet together with said small band of toner:
• means for binding a plurality of sheets by fusing said small band of toner of a plurality of stacked sheets;
• and
• control means for inhibiting said toner band forming means from operating so as not to form the toner band on a suitable cover sheet of the sheet stack.