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:
Jul. 03, 2007
Filed:
Aug. 15, 2006
Hiroshi Ito, Nagano, JP;
Shinichi Kamoshida, Nagano-ken, JP;
Toshihiko Yamazaki, Nagano-ken, JP;
Shigeo Fujita, Nagano-ken, JP;
Hiroshi Ito, Nagano, JP;
Shinichi Kamoshida, Nagano-ken, JP;
Toshihiko Yamazaki, Nagano-ken, JP;
Shigeo Fujita, Nagano-ken, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image carrier adapted to support a toner image: a transfer roller; a contact/separation mechanism, operable to bring the transfer roller into contact with the image carrier to transfer the toner image from the image carrier onto a recording medium and operable to separate the transfer roller from the image carrier after the toner image is transferred onto the recording medium; and a rotation applier, operable to apply a first rotation to the transfer roller in a state that the transfer roller is separated from the image carrier. The rotation applier and the transfer roller are mechanically separated from each other when the transfer roller is in contact with the image carrier. When the contact/separation mechanism brings the transfer roller into contact with the image carrier, a circumferential speed of the transfer roller is made coincident with a circumferential speed of the image carrier.