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. 22, 2002
Filed:
May. 09, 2001
Yoshihiro Mizoguchi, Fukuoka, JP;
Tadashi Shimotoso, Fukuoka, JP;
Takashi Yoshihara, Fukuoka, JP;
Yuji Nagai, Fukuoka, JP;
Kazuhiro Ogata, Fukuoka, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
Disclosed here is a color-image forming apparatus that minimizes damage caused by friction between a photosensitive drum and an inter-stage transfer belt. The apparatus includes a plurality of image-forming units, each of which has the photosensitive drum carrying an electrostatic latent image thereon, a developing unit forming a toner image by applying toner to the latent image. Having different color toners therein, the image-forming units are organized into a tandem layout. The inter-stage transfer belt is looped over plural rollers to form an endless path. While traveling the path along the direction in which the image-forming units are arranged, the belt forms a full-color toner image thereon by transferring plural toner-images on the drums one upon another. The belt is controlled to come into contact with the drums only while accepting the toner image from the drums.