Electrophotographic printer using a continuous-form recording sheet

A printing device utilizing an electrophotographic system, capable of employing a continuous-form recording sheet having a plurality of printing segments on which an image is to be formed by a forming operation, each of said segments being defined by a plurality of perforations provided on said continuous-form recording sheet at predetermined intervals, and comprising:

• discriminating means for discriminating whether the forming of the image on said continuous-form recording sheet is completed;
• first controlling means for controlling the feeding of said continuous-form recording sheet in such a manner that a trailing end of a segment on which the forming operation has been finished is located at a predetermined position following a position at which fixing is executed when it is discriminated by said discriminating means that the forming is completed;
• and
• second controlling means for controlling the feeding of said continuous-form recording sheet such that said trailing end is located at another position, at which forming is executed, after said trailing end has been located at said predetermined position, whereby a leading edge of the segment succeeding the segment on which the forming operation has been finished, is located at said another position.

A printing process employed in a printing device utilizing an electrophotographic system, capable of employing at least a continuous-form recording sheet having a plurality of printing segments on which an image is to be formed, each of said segments defined by a plurality of perforations provided on said continuous-form recording sheet at a predetermined interval, and comprising:

• forming an image on said continuous-form recording sheet;
• fixing the image formed on said continuous-form recording sheet;
• locating a trailing end of a segment on which forming has been completed, at a predetermined position following a position at which fixing is performed;
• and
• locating the trailing end at a position at which the forming is executed, whereby a leading edge of the next succeeding segment is located at said position at which the forming is performed.

A printing device, capable of employing at least a continuous-form recording sheet having a plurality of printing segments on which an image is to be formed, each of said segments defined by a plurality of perforation lines provided on said continuous-form recording sheet at a predetermined interval, comprising:

• feeding means, including a pair of endless belts, for feeding said continuous-form recording sheet along a predetermined feeding path;
• forming means, including a photoconductive drum member on which a latent image is formed, whose circumferential surface is arranged to be contacted, at a contact point, with said continuous-form recording sheet, for transferring the latent image onto said continuous-form recording sheet as a toner image, and for forming the image on said continuous-form recording sheet;
• fixing means, including a pair of pressure heat rollers, for fixing the image formed by said forming means on said continuous-form recording sheet;
• discriminating means for discriminating whether the forming of the image on said continuous-form recording sheet is completed;
• first controlling means for controlling said feeding means so as to feed said continuous-form recording sheet in such a manner that a trailing end of a segment on which the forming of an image is completed is located at a predetermined position following said fixing means when said discriminating means determines that the forming of the image is finished, said predetermined position being a position located externally of said printing device;
• and
• second controlling means for controlling said feeding means in such a manner that said trailing end is located at said forming means after said trailing end is located at said predetermined position, whereby a leading edge of the next succeeding segment is located at said forming means.