Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Hiroyasu Itou

Yasushi Akiba

Yasushi Nakazato

Kiyoshi Sakai

Hidetoshi Yano

Tatsuo Tani

Takayuki Kimura

Masumi Ikesue

Hisashi Ishijima

Seiji Oka

Masako Yoshii

Masakazu Nakada

Shohzoh Miyawaki

Mitsuaki Urakawa

Tetsuo Yamaoka

Teruzo Hasumi

A recycling system has a recycle information memory database for storing as recycle information, the information on all reutilizable products such as products produced or used under the management of the system, products treated as wastes, and products currently being used in the market. A virtual recycle product designing section is provided for estimating times when the reutilizable products are recovered as products usable for recycling as well as their volumes, based on the recycle information stored in the recycle information memory database. A production scheduling section is provided for setting a production schedule of a recycle product using the reutilizable products based on the estimated times and volumes.

Recycling system and recycling method

A recyclable toner container having a hollow cylindrical body, a toner outlet at one end of the container, and a removable cap fitted in the toner outlet. The cap have a plurality of circumferential protuberances on an outer periphery thereof and contacting the inner periphery of the toner outlet. The diameters of the plurality of protuberances are sequentially increased from a downstream side toward an upstream side in a direction in which the cap is inserted into the toner outlet.

Recyclable toner container for an image forming apparatus

The color image forming method of the kind sequentially forming toner images of different colors on an image carrier with developers of corresponding colors stored in a plurality of developing devices, sequentially transferring the toner images to a single paper or similar recording medium one above the other, and returning the toner left on the image carrier after the image transfer to the developing devices color by color, and an image forming apparatus practicable therewith. After the transfer of a toner image of any particular color to the paper wrapped around a transfer drum, a cleaning roller assigned to the above color each collects the toner remaining on the drum and again deposits it on the drum. The drum conveys the redeposited toner to one of the developing devices storing a developer of the same color as the toner.

Color image forming method and color image forming apparatus practicable

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Hiroyasu Itou