Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Masanori Moro

Takeshi Kojima

Michiya Okamoto

Takuma Iwasaki

Shinya Karasawa

Hiromichi Ninomiya

Daisuke Sawada

Hajime Teraji

Kentaroh Nodera

Daisuke Tomita

Yoshihiro Fujiwara

Hideyasu Seki

Yuushi Hirayama

Ryota Kidera

Kazufumi Kimura

Yuka Kanatani

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by irradiation of the photoconductor with light, a charger, a developing device, a transfer device, a charge removal execution determiner, and a power supply controller. The charger receives a superimposed voltage of a DC voltage and an AC voltage to charge the photoconductor. The developing device develops the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor into a toner image. The transfer device transfers the developed toner image to a recording medium. The charge removal execution determiner issues a charge removal command when a flow of electric charge from the transfer device into the photoconductor has occurred in an image forming outputting operation. The power supply controller applies only the AC voltage to the charger for a predetermined period in a state in which the photoconductor is rotated, when the charge removal command is issued.

Image forming apparatus executing charge removal for photoconductor thereof and control method for same

A cleaning device comprises: a to-be-cleaned member; a cleaning member that cleans the surface of the to-be-cleaned member; a conveying member that conveys a substance removed from the surface of the to-be-cleaned member to outside of the device; a rotatable collecting member that conveys with its surface the substance toward the conveying member; and a partitioning member that guides the substance from the collecting member to the conveying member. The collecting member comprises a conveying portion that carries and conveys the substance; and a protrusion that protrudes toward an upstream side of the conveying portion in a rotating direction of the collecting member. One end of the partitioning member faces the rotating collecting member, and the other end faces the conveying member. The conveying portion and the protrusion are brought into contact with the partitioning member by the rotation of the collecting member.

Cleaning device and image forming apparatus

The waste toner container includes: a waste toner detection unit configured to detect a state in which a toner surface of waste toner at that position is displaced up to a ceiling portion or near the ceiling portion. The waste toner detection unit includes: a flexibility member installed so as to cover an opening portion formed in the ceiling portion or a side wall and is configured to be deformed by a direct or indirect push by the waste toner; and a movable member formed so as to contact the flexibility member from outside of the container and so as to be displaced by the direct or indirect push by the waste toner interposing the flexibility member such that displacement thereof is detected by a detection unit. The displacement of the movable member is limited by a regulating member.

Waste toner container and image forming apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Masanori Moro