Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Noboru Tsukude

Hiroshi Nakai

Nozomu Tamoto

Yasuo Suzuki

Nekka Matsuura

Takahiko Tokumasu

Kohichi Ohshima

Kazuhiko Watanabe

Yasushi Nakazato

Tetsuro Suzuki

Hitoshi Shimizu

Hiroshi Ikuno

Osamu Satoh

Hisashi Shoji

Seiji Hoshino

Masaichi Sawada

Takenori Oku

Kazahiko Watanabe

An apparatus, method, system, computer program, and product, each capable of detecting a state of an apparatus. The apparatus includes a plurality of devices. When at least one of the plurality of devices is determined to be in a first state, a second state of at least one of the plurality of devices is determined. When a state of the apparatus is determined to be in the first state, the second state of another apparatus is determined.

Apparatus, method, and system for detecting a state of an apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an object to be charged whose surface moves. A charging device for charging the object uses an electrical discharge generated by applying a voltage including an alternating current component to a charging member provided in contact with or in proximity to the object. A latent image forming device forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the object. A developing device causes a two-component developer to come into contact with the image portion of the electrostatic latent image formed by the latent image forming device and affixes toner thereto. A protective substance is present on the surface of the object in the discharge region for charging the object, and the saturation magnetization of the carrier of the two-component developer with respect to an applied magnetic field of 1000 oersted is 40 to 80 emu/g.

Image forming apparatus and process cartridge

An image formation apparatus including at least a moving body to be charged, a charging device for charging the body to be charged using discharge caused by applying a voltage to a charging member provided in contact with or proximity to the body to be charged, a latent image formation device for forming a latent image on a surface of the body to be charged which is charged by the charging device, and a development device for depositing toner on an image portion of the latent image formed by the latent image formation device, wherein an elastic displacement ratio &#x3c4;e for the surface of the body to be charged is equal to or greater than 40% which is defined by the following formula,elastic displacement ratio &#x3c4;e (%)=[(maximum displacement)-(plastic displacement)]/(maximum displacement)&#xd7;100,and the image formation apparatus further includes a protective material feeding device for depositing a protective material on at least a discharge area of the surface of the body to be charged.

Image formation apparatus having a body to be charged with specified properties and including the use of a protective material

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Kanagawa, Japan

Noboru Tsukude