Vertical print engine for electrophotographic apparatus

An electrophotographic printer machine, comprising:

• means for controlling the operation of the printer machine;
• a photosensitive first endless loop belt stretched across a pair of rollers such that the exterior of the surface of the first belt defines a developing position for an electrostatic image in substantially vertical plane;
• an exposure station configured to focus a beam of light on the developing position of the first belt for forming the electrostatic image;
• means for applying toner to the electrostatic image for forming a developed image;
• a second endless loop belt stretched between a first roller and a second roller;
• the first roller vertically spaced-apart from the second roller and positioned on a first side of the printer horizontally and vertically off-set from one of the pair of rollers, the second roller positioned on a second side of the printer horizontally and vertically off-set from the one of the pair of rollers, the second loop belt thereby oriented at an acute angle to the first loop belt to have an outside surface wraps over the one of the pair of rollers to define an arcuate contact between the first belt and the second belt;
• means for rotating said first belt and said second belt in the same relative direction at said arcuate contact;
• means for transferring the developed image from the first belt to the second belt;
• means for receiving an image receptor, communicating the developed image to the image receptor and fixing the developed image to the image receptor;
• means for cleaning residual toner from the first belt after the developed image transfers to the second belt and for cleaning residual toner from the second belt after the developed image is transferred to the image receptor;
• and
• an erase station positioned near the exposure station, whereby the developing position is uniformly erased in preparation of receiving the electrostatic image.

A multicolor electrophotographic copy machine, comprising:

• means for controlling the operation of the printer machine;
• a photosensitive first endless loop belt stretched across a pair of rollers such that the exterior of the surface of the first belt defines a developing position for an electrostatic image in a substantially vertical plane;
• an exposure station on a first side of the printer machine as defined by the vertical plane of the first belt configured to focus light corresponding to a color separated optical image of a document on the developing position of the first belt for forming the electrostatic image;
• a plurality of toner modules spaced apart vertically in path parallel to and on a second side of the plane defined by the first belt, each toner module holding a color toner different from each toner module, for developing the electrostatic image with toner applied from the corresponding color toner module;
• a second endless loop belt strectched between a first roller and a second roller;
• the first roller vertically spaced-apart from the second roller and positioned on the first side of the printer horizontally and vertically off-set from one of the pair of rollers, the second roller positioned on the second side of the printer horizontally and vertically off-set from the one pair of rollers, the second belt thereby oriented at an acute angle to the first belt to have an outside surface which wraps over the one of the pair of rollers to define an arcuate contact between the first belt and the second belt;
• means for rotating said first belt and said second belt in the same relative direction at said arcuate contact;
• means for transferring and superimposing the developed image in different colors as formed from the first belt to the second belt;
• and
• means for receiving an image receptor, communicating the superimposed developed images from the second belt to the image receptor and fixing the superimposed developed images to the image receptor.