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:
Sep. 25, 2007
Filed:
Aug. 14, 2006
Koji Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Mitsuo Aoki, Shizuoka, JP;
Bing Shu, Shizuoka, JP;
Yasushi Koichi, Kanagawa, JP;
Setsuo Soga, Tokyo, JP;
Tadashi Kasai, Tokyo, JP;
Yutaka Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Koji Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Mitsuo Aoki, Shizuoka, JP;
Bing Shu, Shizuoka, JP;
Yasushi Koichi, Kanagawa, JP;
Setsuo Soga, Tokyo, JP;
Tadashi Kasai, Tokyo, JP;
Yutaka Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of reliably forming an image with density gradation, one which does not have a low-quality appearance. The estimated average halftone granularity of the toner image after developing but before electrostatic transfer was set at 0.25 or less. The average halftone granularity was found by measuring the granularity of a toner image at locations of different average brightness by means of newly proposed formula, and averaging the measured values for which the average brightness is 40 to 80. The estimated average halftone granularity was obtained by estimating the average halftone granularity of the toner image on a photoreceptor by means of a newly proposed method.