(19)
(11) EP 0 833 222 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
10.03.1999 Bulletin 1999/10

(43) Date of publication A2:
01.04.1998 Bulletin 1998/14

(21) Application number: 97300561.4

(22) Date of filing: 29.01.1997
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6G03G 15/16
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE GB

(30) Priority: 25.09.1996 JP 252585/96

(71) Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Kadoma-shi, Osaka-fu, 571 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Matsuzoe, Hisanobu
    Chikushino-shi (JP)
  • Migita, Kouji
    Chikushi-gun, Fukuoka-ken (JP)
  • Hakukawa, Kazuo
    Fukuoka-shi (JP)
  • Sagara, Yasunori
    Kasuga-shi (JP)
  • Kizu, Shinichi
    Fukuoka-shi (JP)
  • Shiibara, Yusuke
    Kasuga-shi (JP)
  • Ogawa, Masashi
    Kasuga-shi (JP)
  • Hara, Yukinori
    Kasuya-gun, Fukuoka-ken (JP)

(74) Representative: Votier, Sidney David 
CARPMAELS & RANSFORD 43, Bloomsbury Square
London WC1A 2RA
London WC1A 2RA (GB)

   


(54) Image forming apparatus


(57) In an image forming apparatus of transverse transfer type, toner images, carried by a toner-image carrying member extended by a plurality of rollers in a direction perpendicular to a direction of feed of printing paper, are transferred by a transfer opposed roller to the printing paper in a direction perpendicular to the direction of feed of the printing paper to be fixed. Among the rollers extending the toner image-carrying member, at least one of those rollers except for the transfer opposed roller, which come closest to the transfer opposed roller at starting and terminal ends of a longest path of movement of the transfer opposed roller, respectively, is provided at a position spaced from a transfer surface of the printing paper, to which the toner images are transferred, by a distance larger than a diameter of the transfer opposed roller. With this construction, a non-transfer region, in which the transfer opposed roller can not move, is reduced, and therefore a body of the image forming apparatus can be made smaller in size.







Search report