(19)
(11) EP 0 636 951 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
20.09.1995 Bulletin 1995/38

(43) Date of publication A2:
01.02.1995 Bulletin 1995/05

(21) Application number: 94111881.2

(22) Date of filing: 29.07.1994
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6G03G 15/23
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB

(30) Priority: 30.07.1993 JP 208697/93
14.09.1993 JP 252447/93

(71) Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
Tokyo (JP)

(72) Inventor:
  • Kumagai, Minoru, c/o NEC Corporation
    Tokyo (JP)

(74) Representative: VOSSIUS & PARTNER 
Siebertstrasse 4
81675 München
81675 München (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Electrophotographic printer capable of printing on both sides of a sheet of paper


    (57) The invention relates to an electrophotographic printer which can make printing first on the front side of a sheet of paper and then on the back side of the same sheet with conformity between the front and back sides in the head-bottom arrangement of the printed images. The printer has a photocounductive drum (20) which can be rotated both in a normal direction and in the reverse direction, an exposure unit (30) to produce electrostatic latent images on the drum surface, first developing means for developing the latent images with a toner when the drum is rotating in the normal direction, second developing means for developing the latent images with a toner when the drum is rotating in the reverse direction, a transfer unit (40) for transferring the developed images to a sheet of paper, and first and second fixing means (50A,50B) which are oppositely arranged with respect to the transfer unit. For printing on the front side of the paper sheet, the sheet is passed through the transfer unit (40) in a first direction toward the first fixing means while the drum is rotating in the normal direction. For printing on the back side of the sheet, the sheet is further conveyed by a returning route (60) which turns so as to reverse the sheet and extends to the transfer unit, and, while the drum is rotating in the reverse direction, the reversed and returned sheet passes through the transfer unit in the opposite second direction toward the second fixing means (50B).







    Search report