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:
Mar. 08, 2005
Filed:
Mar. 30, 2004
Tsutomu Sasaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Mie Yoshino, Kanagawa, JP;
Yusuke Takeda, Kanagawa, JP;
Tsuneo Kurotori, Tokyo, JP;
Tohru Nakano, Kanagawa, JP;
Noriyasu Takeuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Tsutomu Sasaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Mie Yoshino, Kanagawa, JP;
Yusuke Takeda, Kanagawa, JP;
Tsuneo Kurotori, Tokyo, JP;
Tohru Nakano, Kanagawa, JP;
Noriyasu Takeuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus using a highly viscous, dense developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner. A developing unit including a developer carrier and a coating member for coating the developing liquid on the developer carrier. The developer carrier conveys the liquid to a developing zone to develop a latent image formed on the image carrier with the liquid. In the developing zone, the toner in the liquid is moved toward the image by electrophoresis to form a toner layer in which the toner is present in the earner liquid and a carrier layer in which the toner is absent in the same. When the developer carrier and image carrier are moved away from the developing zone, the toner is moved toward the image over a degree at which the developing liquid can separate at the boundary between the toner layer and the carrier layer.