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:
Oct. 27, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 19, 1996
Nobuo Iwata, Sagamihara, JP;
Shingo Katou, Yokohama, JP;
Yutaka Shio, Yokohama, JP;
Tomonori Yabuta, Yokohama, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A full-color image forming apparatus having a photo-conductive belt on which mono-color toner images are respectively formed, an intermediate transfer belt onto which the mono-color toner images are respectively transferred to form a full-color toner image, and a transfer member for transferring the full-color toner image onto a copy sheet. The intermediate transfer belt includes timing marks printed thereon which are detected by a sensor to generate an image forming start signal for each of the first mono-color toner image forming processes. The start signal is generated by a controller only when cleaning of the intermediate transfer belt has completed and the cleaning blade has left therefrom. A timer may be used to delay the starting of the first mono-color image forming process until the transfer belt returns to a normal operating speed after the cleaning blade is removed from the transfer belt.