JPH09216757A - Electrophotographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrophotographing device equipped with a recording medium carrying means which does not damage a recording medium, and is excellent in operation ability, and can miniaturize the whole device even if assembled in another device. SOLUTION: In an electrophotographing device which carrys out electro static charge, exposure, development, transcription and fixing, the device is equipped with a recording medium passage detecting means 26 for detecting that the recording medium 21 has passed through a fixing section D and a driving direction changing over means for changing over the driving direction of the fixing section D and a recording medium carrying section C, and after the recording medium 21 passes through the fixing section D, the driving direction of the fixing section D and the recording medium carrying section C is changed over to discharge the recording medium 21 at the same position as an inserting position as it is returned. Since the recording medium 21 is therefore discharged at the same position as the inserting position, the whole of device can be miniaturized even if assembled in other device such as ATM or the like.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus, and more particularly to a built-in electrophotographic apparatus suitable for bidirectionally conveying various recording media such as laser printers and copying machines.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional electrophotographic apparatus, a recording medium conveying mechanism has a basic structure including an inserting section for a recording medium such as paper, a conveying section, and a discharging section. As a method for inserting the recording medium, there is a manual feeding method in which the recording medium is manually set and sent to the transport section. The recording medium sent to the conveying unit is adjusted in paper, and then conveyed to the transfer unit at a predetermined timing by the conveying unit, and the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is formed on the recording medium by the predetermined unit. Transcribed. The recording medium on which the toner image has been transferred is sent to the fixing section and fixed by a predetermined means, sent to the discharging section, and discharged outside the apparatus by the discharging means. The ejection unit can eject the recording medium to the back surface of the electrophotographic apparatus, or can convey the recording medium while curving the recording medium and eject the recording medium above the electrophotographic apparatus. It is possible to select which direction the paper is to be discharged, and the operator can set it on the operation panel or the like.

As described above, in the recording medium transporting mechanism in the conventional electrophotographic apparatus, each component plays a dedicated role in a series of operations from insertion to ejection. Since the photosensitive drum is configured to be unable to rotate in the reverse direction due to the recording process, the recording medium is transported in only one direction, and the insertion position and the ejection position are provided separately. As an example of such an electrophotographic apparatus, there is JP-A-6-67559.

[0004]

In the conventional electrophotographic apparatus, when the electrophotographic apparatus is mounted on another apparatus, for example, it is mounted on an automatic teller machine (hereinafter referred to as ATM) and used as a passbook. When printing, the operator can operate only on the front side of the ATM. Therefore, the discharge position of the recording medium cannot be installed on the back surface as in the conventional case.

Further, another recording path is provided for the recording medium A.
When returning to the front side of the TM, the recording medium is bent to some extent. The thickness of the recording medium conventionally used is about 0.2 mm even if it is thick, and there is no problem even if it is bent to some extent, but the passbook thickness is 1 mm or more, and the passbook is bent. If given, it may deform, which is not preferable. Further, if another transport path is provided, a wasteful space is required, and there is a problem that the entire apparatus becomes large. Therefore, it is difficult to eject a thick recording medium such as a passbook with the conventional one-way transport mechanism.

The object of the present invention is to make the recording medium insertion and ejection positions the same so that the operability is good and the image carrier such as the photosensitive drum and the booklet such as a thick passbook are not damaged. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic apparatus equipped with a recording medium conveying means that can be downsized as a whole even when incorporated in another apparatus such as an ATM.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, the electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention employs the following means. According to a first aspect of the present invention, an image forming unit that forms a toner image on an image carrier, and a transfer unit that brings the image carrier into contact with a recording medium such as paper or passbook to transfer the toner image to the recording medium. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising: a fixing unit for converting a toner image on the recording medium into a permanent image; and a recording medium conveying unit capable of conveying the recording medium in forward and backward directions. Has a recording medium passage detecting means for detecting that the recording medium has passed through the fixing portion, and a drive switching means for switching the conveying direction of the recording medium conveying means, and the recording medium passage detecting means detects the rear end of the recording medium. After the detection, the driving direction of the recording medium conveying means is switched to return the recording medium to the insertion port, so that the insertion position and the ejection position of the passbook and the like are the same, and the operability is good, AT Be incorporated in other devices like, it is possible to reduce the overall size of the device. According to a second aspect of the invention, a plurality of the recording medium conveying means are arranged,
Since at least one recording medium conveying unit is arranged between the transfer unit and the fixing unit, the recording medium after fixing can be returned to the insertion position through the transfer unit. Claim 3
According to the described invention, the transfer unit has a structure in which the recording medium and the image bearing member are not in contact with each other when the recording medium is returned to the insertion port, so that the recording medium has a thickness such as a passbook. Even in the booklet, after transfer and fixing, the transfer section can be conveyed and returned to the insertion section regardless of the operation of the image carrier.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the image carrier has a driving force transmission contact / separation unit to which the driving force is appropriately transmitted. Therefore, the image carrier can be operated or stopped as necessary. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the recording medium passage detecting means is composed of a photoelectric element, a proximity switch, or a contact type switch, and can be a small-sized and easily manufactured device. Claim 6
In the described invention, in an electrophotographic apparatus having a transfer unit in which a recording medium such as a sheet or passbook inserted from an insertion unit comes into contact with an image carrier, and a toner image on the image carrier is transferred onto the recording medium. Since a transfer unit contacting / separating unit that conveys the recording medium to the insertion portion in a non-contact manner with the image carrier is provided, even a recording medium having a thickness such as a passbook can be transferred. After fixing, the transfer part can be fed back and returned to the insertion part. In the seventh aspect of the invention, the recording medium is ejected from the insertion portion after the toner image is transferred and fixed, so that the apparatus is suitable for ATM. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, when the transfer unit transfers the toner image to the recording medium, the recording medium contacts the image carrier and advances, and when the recording medium returns to the insertion unit. Is a recording medium such as a passbook having a thickness because the recording medium has a structure that moves backward without contacting the image carrier.
It is ejected from the same position while maintaining the insertion direction, and processing such as bookkeeping in ATM is easy. Claim 9
In the described invention, the toner image transferred by the transfer unit is fixed on the recording medium, a fixing unit for fixing the toner image on the recording medium, a conveyance path connecting the insertion unit, the transfer unit, the fixing unit, and the like, Since the recording medium is provided with a bidirectional conveying means capable of moving forward and backward, after advancing the conveying path for transferring and fixing the toner image on the recording medium, the same conveying path is moved backward to record from the insertion portion. The medium can be removed. According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the bidirectional transport unit switches the driving direction of the transport unit of the recording medium after the trailing end of the recording medium passes through the fixing unit, and the recording medium is transferred to the transfer unit. Since it is returned to the insertion port without contacting the image carrier, even a booklet having a thick recording medium such as a passbook,
The same transport path can be returned to the insertion section even after transfer and fixing.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the description information of the recording medium is read in advance on the upstream side of the transfer unit, and the toner image is transferred to a predetermined position on the recording medium based on the description information. After a predetermined toner image is transferred and fixed to a predetermined position on a booklet such as a passbook, the transfer portion can be fed back and returned to the insertion portion. According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, an insertion portion for inserting a recording medium such as paper or passbook,
A transfer unit that transfers a toner image on an image bearing member such as a photosensitive drum onto the inserted recording medium, a fixing unit that fixes the transferred toner image onto the recording medium, and the fixed recording medium is ejected. In an electrophotographic apparatus having a discharging section and a recording medium conveying path provided between the inserting section and the discharging section, the conveying path includes a bidirectional conveying unit capable of advancing and retreating the recording medium, Since the image carrier is composed of a material having a relatively high mechanical strength such as amorphous silicon, the recording medium after fixing is slid on the image carrier at the transfer portion to move backward and is taken out from the insertion portion. You can Therefore, according to these aspects of the present invention, even with a thick passbook, the insertion position and the ejection position can be the same,
The processing operability is improved, the image carrier and the recording medium are not damaged, and the size of the entire apparatus can be reduced even when incorporated in another apparatus such as an ATM.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional configuration diagram of an electrophotographic apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. The electrophotographic apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a printing unit A, a transfer unit B, a recording medium conveyance unit C,
It is composed of a fixing unit D.

An image carrier 6 such as a photosensitive drum is provided in the printing section A.
A charging device 1, an exposure device 2, a developing device 3, a charge eliminating device 8 and a cleaner 9 are arranged around the area. In the transfer section B, a transfer roller 7 is arranged so as to face the image carrier 6 and is in contact with the image carrier 6 with a predetermined pressure by a pressing member (not shown). A power source 27 for transfer is connected to the core of the transfer roller 7, and a predetermined voltage is applied to the transfer roller 7.
Is applied. The fixing section D is composed of a fixing roller 10 having a heat source 11 arranged therein and a pressure roller 12 abutting on the fixing roller 10 at a predetermined pressure.

The recording medium conveying section C is arranged at three places, and the first conveying roller pair 13a and 13b are connected to the transfer section B.
On the upstream side of the second conveying roller pair 14a, 14b
Is located on the downstream side of the fixing section D and has a third pair of conveying rollers 15a.
15b is arranged between the transfer section B and the fixing section D.

Between the first conveying roller pairs 13a and 13b and the transfer portion B, and between the transfer portion B and the third conveying roller pair 15
a and 15b, and the third conveying roller pair 15a and
Recording medium guides 22, 23, 24, and 25 are provided between the fixing unit D and the fixing unit D, and between the fixing unit D and the second conveying roller pair 14a and 14b, respectively.

Further, the fixing section D and the second conveying roller pair 14
A recording medium passage sensor 26 that detects passage of the rear end 21a of the recording medium 21 that has been fixed is disposed between the a and 14b. As the recording medium passage sensor 26, for example, a proximity switch or a contact type switch can be used in addition to a sensor using a photoelectric element mounted in a paper feeding unit or a discharging unit of a conventional electrophotographic apparatus.

The axis of the third conveying roller 15a is the arm 1
8 is supported by an arm 18 and a solenoid 19
The transfer roller 15a and the transfer roller 15b can be connected to and separated from each other. Similarly, the shaft of the transfer roller 7 is also supported by the arm 16, and the arm 16 has the solenoid 1
7 and the transfer roller 7 and the image carrier 6 can be brought into contact with and separated from each other. A rotatable recording material guide 20 is provided above the recording medium guide 23.

Next, the drive control system of each component will be described with reference to FIG. Each transport roller pair 13, 14, 1
5, the image carrier 6, the developing device 3, the transfer roller 7, and the fixing unit D are driven by a drive source such as a motor 10.
The driving force of No. 2 is rotatably transmitted by the driving force transmission means, for example, the gear 104, or by the driving belt. The driving force transmission means to the image carrier 6 and the developing device are connected via a driving force transmission contact / separation means, for example, the clutch 103.

The motor 102 can switch its rotation direction and is controlled by a signal from the drive control circuit 100. The drive means for the transfer solenoid 17, the third transport roller solenoid 19, and the discharge recording material guide 20 are operated by drive signals from the drive control circuit 100. The signal from the recording medium passage sensor 26 is sent to the drive control circuit 100 via the detection circuit 101.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a series of operations from image formation to fixing, and insertion of a recording medium to ejection of the recording medium will be described. In response to an image recording start signal from a control device (not shown), the image carrier 6 is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow v at a predetermined peripheral speed. Then, in a dark place, the surface of the image carrier 6 is uniformly charged by the charging device 1. Next, the exposure device 2 irradiates light on a portion corresponding to the recorded image to form an electrostatic latent image. In the developing device 3, the charged toner 4 is electrostatically attached to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier 6 to form a visible toner image 5a. The toner image 5a on the image carrier 6 moves to a position where the transfer roller 7 is in contact with the image carrier 6 when the image carrier 6 rotates in the direction of arrow v.

In parallel with these operations, the recording medium 21
Is sent in the direction of arrow e in the figure to the position of the first pair of transport rollers 13a and 13b by an insertion roller (not shown),
After the skew and the like are corrected and the paper is adjusted, the toner image 5a on the image carrier 6 is sent toward the transfer roller 7 while being aligned with the driving timing of the recording medium conveyance timing. Therefore,
The first pair of transport rollers 13a and 13b rotate in the direction of arrow f1. The transfer roller 7 forms a part of the transfer section B, and applies a mechanical pressure and a transfer electric field from behind the recording medium 21 while pressing the sent recording medium 21 against the image carrier 6. As a result, the toner image 5a on the image carrier 6 is formed.
Is transferred onto the recording medium 21. The toner 5b that has not been transferred may remain on the image carrier 6.

The recording medium 21 on which the toner image is transferred is guided along the recording medium guide 23 by a third pair of conveying rollers 15a.
After passing through 15b, it is sent to the fixing section D. Here, the third
Arm 18 supporting the shaft of the transport roller 15a of
The solenoid 19 operates and presses, and the transport roller 15a
Does not contact the transport roller 15b. That is, when the recording medium 21 on which the toner image is transferred passes the position of the third pair of conveying rollers 15a and 15b, the conveying roller 1
5a is moved toward and away from the toner image, and the toner image is conveyed by the conveyance roller 15a.
This is to avoid being disturbed.

The recording medium 21 sent to the fixing section D along the recording medium guide 24 passes through a place where the fixing roller 10 and the pressure roller 12 are in contact with each other, whereby heat and pressure are generated. , The toner image is heated and melted and fixed. The fixed recording medium 21 is sent to the second pair of conveying rollers 14a and 14b along the recording medium guide 25,
Further, it is sent downstream in the transport direction.

Then, the fixing section D and the second conveying roller pair 1
Recording medium passage sensor 26 installed between 4a and 14b
When the rear end 21a of the recording medium 21 passes the position of, the detection result is sent to the drive control circuit 100 via the detection circuit 101, the stop signal is sent to the motor 102, and the motor 10
2 is stopped, and each pair of transport rollers 13, 14, 15 and the image carrier 6, the developing device 3, the transfer roller 7, and the fixing unit D.
Etc. stop rotating.

Next, the ejection operation of the recording medium of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A signal for switching the rotation direction is sent from the drive control circuit 100 to the motor 102. In addition, a signal is sent to the clutch 103 so as to disconnect the driving force, and the image carrier 6 and the developing device 3 are set to the motor 1
02 will not receive the driving force. Further, a signal of operation completion is sent to the solenoid 19 for the third conveyance roller,
The transport rollers 15a and 15b come into contact with each other, and a predetermined pressure is applied.

An operation start signal is sent to the transfer roller solenoid 17, and the transfer roller 7 is separated from the image carrier 6. Further, an operation start signal is also sent to the driving means (not shown) for the recording material guide 20, and the recording material guide 20 operates in the direction of arrow f3 to form the conveying path at the time of discharging.

At the time of discharging, the pair of conveying rollers 13, 14,
15, the fixing roller 10, and the pressure roller 12,
Also, the transfer roller 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow f2, which is the reverse of the recording of the toner image. Second transport roller pair 14a-14
The recording medium 21 stopped at the position of b returns to the fixing unit D along the recording medium guide 25, where the second fixing is performed, and the recording medium 21 is sent to the position of the third conveying roller pair 15a and 15b. To be

The third pair of conveying rollers 15a and 15b are in contact with each other at a predetermined pressure, and further convey the recording medium 21 downstream in the discharge direction (rightward in the drawing). Third conveyance roller pair 1
The recording medium 21 that has passed 5a and 15b is arranged along the recording material guide 20 and the recording medium guide 23, so that the transfer roller 7 is arranged so as not to come into contact with the image carrier 6 rather than the position where the recording medium 21 passed at the time of toner image recording. Then, the sheet is discharged to the outside of the apparatus from the same position as the inserted position by the first pair of transport rollers 13a and 13b. However, when amorphous silicon (a-Si) or the like is used as the material of the image carrier, since a-Si itself has a high mechanical strength, it can be returned while being in contact with the recording medium. is there.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the third
Instead of the pair of conveying rollers 15a and 15b, an endless belt 108, for example, an elastic rubber belt, which is wound around a plurality of rollers 106 and 107, as shown in FIG. 4, is not attached with the toner image on the recording medium 21. It may be arranged on the side to convey the recording medium 21. in this case,
The solenoid 19 is not required, and the mechanism and the control can be simplified.

Further, the image carrier 6 and the developing device 3 are driven by a second drive source which is different from the drive sources of the other mechanisms, and when the recording medium is returned to the insertion port, the second drive source is used. May not operate. With such a configuration, when the recording medium is returned to the insertion port, the image carrier 6 and the recording medium 21 come into contact with each other, and the fog toner adhered on the image carrier 6 remains on the recording medium 21. It is possible to prevent the surface of the image bearing member from being rubbed against the recording medium and being scratched without contaminating the toner image.

Next, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an electrophotographic apparatus when a passbook is used as a recording medium. When printing on the passbook 34,
In addition to the configuration of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic information read / write means 32 is provided on the conveyance path of the passbook 34 before the image is printed.
Magnetic information recognition means 33, image reading means 30, and image information recognition means 31 are added.

The magnetic information read / write means 32 is provided below the front cover side of the passbook 34, and reads / writes information written in the magnetic stripe 34a attached to the cover of the passbook 34. The image reading unit 30 is provided above the image recording surface side of the passbook, and includes a light source 30a for illuminating the printed image of the passbook, and an image recognition unit 30b for determining the image recording position.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. From the insertion port (not shown), use the insertion roller to
In the passbook 34 sent in the direction, the magnetic information read / write means 32 reads the information written in the magnetic stripe 34a of the passbook 34 or newly writes it, and the magnetic information recognition means 33 recognizes this information. Next, the printed length is read by the image reading means 30,
The data is recognized by the image information recognition means 31, and the data is sent to a control device (not shown).

Based on the above two pieces of information, the controller determines whether or not to print, and if it is determined to print, the controller sends a print command and print data. Then, the passbook 34 that has passed through the image reading means 30 is sent to the position of the pair of transport rollers 13a and 13b, and stands by at that position. When the passbook 34 is conveyed again, the toner image 5a on the image carrier 6 and the position to be recorded on the passbook 34 (behind the recorded portion on the passbook) are at the same timing on the transfer portion. Transport is started at the timing of arrival. The subsequent transfer operation, fixing operation, and discharge operation are the same as those in the embodiment shown in FIG.

Also in this embodiment, since the recording medium is conveyed linearly from the inserting operation to the ejecting operation, the thick recording medium such as a passbook is not damaged, and when it is incorporated in another device, The entire device can be downsized.

[0032]

According to the present invention, the recording medium can be conveyed in both directions without being damaged, and the insertion position and the ejection position are the same so that the operability is good and other devices such as ATM are provided. It is possible to provide an electrophotographic apparatus provided with a recording medium conveying means that can be downsized as a whole even when incorporated in.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a control block diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a discharging operation of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a carrying means of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Charging Device 2 Exposure Device 3 Developing Device 4 Charging Toner 5a Toner Image 5b (Residual) Toner 6 Image Carrier 7 Transfer Roller 8 Electrifying Device 9 Cleaner 10 Fixing Roller 11 Heat Source 12 Pressure Roller 13a, 13b First Conveying Roller 14a , 14b Second conveyance roller 15a, 15b Third conveyance roller 16 Arm 17 Solenoid 18 Arm 19 Solenoid 20 Recording material guide 21 Recording medium 21a Recording medium rear end 22, 23, 24, 25 Recording medium guide 26 Recording medium passage sensor 27 power source 30 image reading means 30a light source 30b image recognition section 31 image information recognition means 32 magnetic information read / write means 33 magnetic information recognition means 34 passbook 34a magnetic stripe 100 drive control circuit 101 detection circuit 102 motor 103 clutch 104 gear 06,107 roller 108 endless belt A Shirushiutsushibu B transfer unit C the recording medium conveying unit D fixing portion

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yasunori Nakamura 1 Ikegami, Haruoka-cho, Owariasahi-shi, Aichi Stock Company Hitachi Office Systems Division (72) Inventor Shibuya Anyo Ikegami, Haruka-cho, Owari-shi, Aichi Stock Association (72) Inventor Shigeki Numata 1 Ikegami, Haruoka-cho, Owariasahi-shi, Aichi Stock Company Hitachi Office Systems Division

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An image forming unit for forming a toner image on an image carrier, and a transfer unit for bringing the image carrier into contact with a recording medium to transfer the toner image to a recording medium such as paper or passbook.
A fixing unit for converting the toner image on the recording medium into a permanent image;
In an electrophotographic apparatus comprising a recording medium conveying unit capable of conveying the recording medium bidirectionally in forward and backward directions, a recording medium passage detecting unit for detecting that the rear end of the recording medium has passed the fixing unit, A drive switching unit that switches the transport direction of the recording medium transport unit, and switches the drive direction of the recording medium transport unit after the recording medium passage detection unit detects the trailing edge of the recording medium to perform the recording. An electrophotographic apparatus characterized by returning a medium to an insertion slot. 2. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the recording medium conveying units are arranged, and at least one recording medium conveying unit is arranged between the transfer unit and the fixing unit. 3. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit has a structure in which the recording medium and the image carrier are not in contact with each other when the recording medium is returned to the insertion port. 4. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image carrier has a driving force transmission contact / separation unit that appropriately transmits the driving force. 5. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium passage detecting means is a photoelectric element, a proximity switch, or a contact switch. 6. An electrophotographic apparatus having a transfer unit for transferring a toner image on the image carrier onto the recording medium, when a recording medium such as paper or passbook inserted from the insertion unit comes into contact with the image carrier. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer unit contacting / separating unit that conveys the recording medium to the image carrier without contacting the image carrier. 7. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the recording medium is discharged from the insertion portion after the toner image is transferred and fixed. 8. The transfer section, when transferring the toner image to the recording medium, contacts the image carrier and advances, and when returning the recording medium to the insertion section, The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the recording medium has a structure that moves backward without contacting the image carrier. 9. A fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred by the transfer unit onto the recording medium, a conveyance path that connects the insertion unit, the transfer unit, the fixing unit, and the like, and the conveyance path. 7. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the recording medium is provided with a bidirectional conveying unit that can move forward and backward. 10. The bi-directional transport unit switches the driving direction of the transport unit of the recording medium after the trailing edge of the recording medium has passed the fixing unit, so that the recording medium is transferred to the image unit by the transfer unit. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the electrophotographic apparatus is returned to the insertion port without contacting the carrier. 11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the written information on the recording medium is read in advance on the upstream side of the transfer section, and the toner image is transferred to a predetermined position on the recording medium based on the written information. Electrophotographic device. 12. An insertion section for inserting a recording medium such as paper or passbook, a transfer section for transferring a toner image on an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum onto the inserted recording medium, and a transferred toner image. In a electrophotographic apparatus having a fixing section for fixing the recording medium on a recording medium, a discharging section for discharging the fixed recording medium, and a recording medium conveying path provided between the inserting section and the discharging section, The path is an electrophotographic apparatus, characterized in that the recording medium is provided with a bidirectional transport means capable of advancing and retreating, and the image carrier is made of a material having a relatively high mechanical strength such as amorphous silicon.