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, 2007
Filed:
Jan. 07, 2005
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Chiba, JP;
Hiroshi Nakai, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideki Kosugi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ichiro Kadota, Tokyo, JP;
Jun Yura, Kanagawa, JP;
Koichi Katoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Kei Yasutomi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazumi Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Chiba, JP;
Hiroshi Nakai, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideki Kosugi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ichiro Kadota, Tokyo, JP;
Jun Yura, Kanagawa, JP;
Koichi Katoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Kei Yasutomi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazumi Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; an exposing unit that exposes the image carrier to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developing unit that has at least a toner, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier as a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred on the recording medium; an exposure-energy modulating unit that modulates exposure energy of the exposing unit; and a development-time detecting unit that detects operation time of the developing unit. The exposure-energy modulating unit modulates the exposure energy based on a result of detection by the development-time detecting unit.