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:
May. 01, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 06, 1999
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a revolver type developing unit rotatably mounted on an apparatus body and having a plurality of developing sections, and an intermediate image transfer body having an endless movable surface to which a toner image is transferred from an image carrier. While the intermediate image transfer body is caused to run idle, the apparatus allows a minimum of toner apt to contaminate the background of a recording medium to be transferred from the developing section located at a developing position to the image carrier. Particularly, the apparatus frees the recording medium from contamination in the form of a band extending in the widthwise direction of the medium.