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US 5,184,178 AGranted
Image recording apparatus having an interchangeable cartridge
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoshiaki Takayanagi, Hiromitsu Hirabayashi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image recording apparatus capable of achieving multiple functions by selectively mounting plural cartridges. There are provided a first cartridge equipped with a recording mechanism for electrophotographically recording an image, and a second cartridge equipped with another recording mechanism for image recording with a different process. A part of the apparatus is commonly utilized for image recording when the first or second cartridge is mounted.
Claims17
An image recording apparatus comprising:
- a first cartridge detachably mountable in a holding portion of said apparatus and provided with recording means for recording an image on a sheet by an electrophotographic process;
- guide means for loading or detaching said first cartridge or a second cartridge;
- a second cartridge loadable in the holding portion of said apparatus in place for said first cartridge and provided with a thermal head for recording an image on a sheet;
- roller means for transferring an image formed on a photosensitive member to the sheet when said first cartridge is loaded,
- wherein said roller means is used as a platen for pushing out the sheet in the direction of the thermal head when said second cartridge is loaded.
2 more elements
An image recording apparatus comprising:
- original scanning means for scanning an original image by light exposure;
- a first cartridge detectably loadable in a holding portion of said apparatus and provided with recording means for recording an image on a sheet by an electrophotographic process, thereby reproducing, on said sheet, an image of the original image scanned by said original scanning means;
- a second cartridge loadable in the holding portion of said apparatus in place for said first cartridge and provided with converter means for reading image information of the original image and converting the same into an electrical signal and an interface for outputting the electrical signal to an external device;
- guide means for loading or detaching said first or second cartridge into or from said holding portion;
- control means for enabling the copying and reading of the original image utilizing commonly said original scanning means when said first cartridge is loaded and when said second cartridge is loaded;
- and
- an operational panel including regulating means for manually regulating a density of the copied image when said first cartridge is loaded;
- a developing bias is controlled in accordance with a signal from the regulating means when said first cartridge is loaded, and wherein a reference level for conversion by the converter means is determined in accordance with a signal from said regulating means when said second cartridge is loaded.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.