This invention relates in general to electrographic reproduction apparatus, and more particularly to compact electrographic reproduction apparatus wherein certain of the electrographic process functions are performed by the same mechanism and an information-bearing source document and a receiver member are sequentially transported along a common path.
A recent trend in the reprographic market place has been to provide compact, relatively inexpensive machines suitable for personal or small business use. Smaller and less expensive electrographic reproduction apparatus have been designed to serve this market. Typically, such apparatus have achieved their smaller size and reduced cost through both downsizing of components and combining functions for various electrographic process mechanisms. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,802 (issued Dec. 8, 1984 in the name of Sunaga et al) apparatus for developing and cleaning of a photoconductive member are combined in one station, and a single charger is used to effect both photoconductive member charging and transfer of a developed image from the photoconductive member to a receiver member. Another exemplary apparatus is shown in Low Cost, Compact Copier (IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 2, July 1980, pp. 503-4) in which the process stations for accomplishing developing and cleaning, charging and transfer, and exposure and fusing are respectively combined. As shown in these apparatus, there is a limit to the amount of size and cost reductions attainable because, at least in part, separate mechanisms must be provided for handling or transporting the source document to be reproduced (the original) and the receiver member upon which the reproduction is formed.