The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 2019
Filed:
May. 10, 2018
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Toshio Koike, Tokyo, JP;
Jun Shiori, Kanagawa, JP;
Teppei Kikuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Michiharu Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuhiro Aso, Kanagawa, JP;
Keinosuke Kondoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Tadashi Ogawa, Tokyo, JP;
Hideo Yoshizawa, Kanagawa, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transferor to rotate in a predetermined rotation direction, a plurality of image bearers disposed along the intermediate transferor to bear latent images, a plurality of developing devices to develop the latent images, a plurality of developer containers to contain developers, and a plurality of conveyance paths each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of developing devices and a respective one of the plurality of developer containers to supply the developers to the plurality of developing devices respectively. An arrangement of the plurality of developing devices in the predetermined rotation direction is configured to be changed without changing an arrangement of the plurality of developer containers. A layout of the plurality of conveyance paths is configured to be changed without changing connections between a supply source and a supply destination of the plurality of conveyance paths.