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:
Aug. 29, 1989
Filed:
Mar. 02, 1988
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus allows an image carrier, a developing unit and a cleaning device each having a different service life to be detachably mounted in a housing thereof. The developing and cleaning devices are rotatably supported to constitute an image forming unit. The image forming unit is detachably supported by a first rotatable body which is mounted to the apparatus housing. The image carrier is detachably supported by opposite side plates of the apparatus housing or by a second rotatable body which is supported by the apparatus housing to be rotatable independently of the first rotatable body. A positioning arrangement is provided for controlling the rotation of the developing and cleaning devices so that the image forming unit and the image carrier may be prevented from interfering with each other when the unit is moved toward and away from the image carrier.