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:
Aug. 28, 2007
Filed:
Mar. 24, 2005
Yuusuke Noguchi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiromichi Ema, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Ishii, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Yutaka Fukuchi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kazuosa Kuma, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kazuki Suzuki, Saitama-ken, JP;
Makoto Kikura, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Masumi Sato, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiroyasu Shijo, Tokyo, JP;
Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Motokazu Yasui, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Yuusuke Noguchi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiromichi Ema, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Ishii, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Yutaka Fukuchi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kazuosa Kuma, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kazuki Suzuki, Saitama-ken, JP;
Makoto Kikura, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Masumi Sato, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiroyasu Shijo, Tokyo, JP;
Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Motokazu Yasui, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus using a tandem-drum development, an indirect image-transfer method, and a vertical sheet supply path. An intermediate image-transfer member is angled relative to a horizontal line such that a rear side of the intermediate image-transfer member away from a recording sheet is lifted and a front side of the intermediate image-transfer member closer to the recording sheet is lowered. Further, image creating mechanisms of the tandem-drum development are aligned and arranged in parallel to a moving image transfer bed of the intermediate image-transfer member, such that one of the image creating mechanisms firstly forming an image faces the rear side of the moving image transfer bed and another one of the image creating mechanisms lastly forming an image faces the front side.