Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Takamichi Orikasa

Fumihito Itoh

Tomohiko Saito

Atsushi Satoh

An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearer; a charging unit configured to charge a surface of the image bearer by causing a discharging member to discharge; a latent image forming unit configured to form a latent image on the surface of the image bearer charged by the charging unit; a developing unit configured to develop the latent image formed on the surface of the image bearer into a toner image with developer containing toner; an airflow generating unit configured to generate an airflow inside the image forming apparatus such that the airflow passes through at least the charging unit; an image-area-ratio information acquiring unit configured to acquire information on an image area ratio of the toner image; and a control unit configured to control the airflow generating unit so as to change a flow velocity of the airflow in accordance with the image area ratio.

Image forming apparatus

A waste toner conveying device for conveying waste toner removed from an image carrier to a waste toner container includes a waste toner conveying path including at least a falling and conveying path for letting the waste toner fall under its own weight; a toner bridging prevention member configured to move in the falling and conveying path to prevent bridging of the waste toner; a drive source configured to drive the toner bridging prevention member; a drive transfer member configured to transfer a driving force from the drive source to the toner bridging prevention member; and a toner adhesion prevention member configured to prevent the waste toner from adhering to the drive transfer member.

Waste toner conveying device and image forming apparatus using the same

A charging device includes a discharge electrode configured to charge a surface of an image carrier; a charging device body including an opening portion that is provided so as to surround the discharge electrode and be opposed to a surface of the image carrier across a longitudinal direction of the discharge electrode; a charging duct member that is provided so as to surround at least the entire opening portion and configured to introduce and exhaust an airflow within the surrounded area; an intake unit configured to generate an airflow to be guided into the charging duct member; and an exhaust unit configured to exhaust the airflow guided. The charging duct member includes an airflow wall forming unit for covering, with an airflow wall, the entire opening portion from an upstream end to a downstream end in a rotation direction of the image carrier at the opening portion.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Takamichi Orikasa