Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Kazushige Ohnishi

Ryuji Inoue

Shintaro Yamada

Shin Murayama

Shuuichi Nakagawa

Tomoaki Nakano

An image forming apparatus includes processing circuitry and an image forming device. The processing circuitry is configured to acquire characteristic information of a recording medium measured, and apply a preset calculation criterion to the characteristic information to calculate an image forming condition. The image forming device is configured to form an image on the recording medium based on the image forming condition calculated by the processing circuitry.

Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and image forming system for calculating an image forming condition based on characteristic information of a recording medium

A developing device develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier with toner. The developing device includes a developer carrier, a developer supplying unit that supplies a developer on the developer carrier, a layer shaping member that shapes the developer supplied on the developer carrier into a thin layer, and an electric-field control member that is arranged downstream of a shaping nip formed between the developer carrier and the layer shaping member and that controls an intensity of an electric field generated between the developer carrier and the layer shaping member.

Device for developing an electrostatic latent image, and process cartridge and image forming apparatus including the same

A developing device that can reliably supply toner from a toner supply roller to a developing roller and that does not generate scraping irregularities in the toner thin layer on the developing roller, and a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus having the same. The developing device has: a toner supply chamber; a developing roller provided in the toner supply chamber; a toner supply roller provided in the toner supply chamber for supplying toner to the developing roller; and a layer regulation member for forming the toner on the developing roller into a thin layer, and develops electrostatic latent images on an image carrier by applying bias voltage to the developing roller. An intermediate contact member is interposed between the developing roller and the toner supply roller. The intermediate contact member is a sheet member fixed at one end, and the free end of the sheet member is interposed between the developing roller and the toner supply roller, with the free end side protruding therebetween.

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Ibaraki, Japan

Kazushige Ohnishi