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. 03, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 05, 1998
Hideki Zenba, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Masaru Tanaka, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Haruji Mizuishi, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroyuki Okaji, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kenzo Tatsumi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiroshi Mizusawa, Tokyo, JP;
Ken Amemiya, Tokyo, JP;
Mayumi Ohori, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a charging element configured to apply a charging voltage to an image bearing member to charge the image bearing member, an optical writing device configured to form a latent image on a charged surface of the image bearing member charged by the charging element, a developer bearing member which carries developer including toner having a same polarity as that of the charging voltage to the image bearing member and which applies the toner to the latent image on the image bearing member to form a toner image when a developing bias voltage is applied thereto, and a control device which controls application of the charging voltage by the charging element and application of the developing bias voltage to the developer bearing member so as to increase an absolute value of the charging voltage to the image bearing member and an absolute value of the developing bias voltage to the developer bearing member to a predetermined value in a plurality of steps, respectively and wherein the following relation holds for each of the plurality of steps: