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:
Nov. 13, 2007
Filed:
Sep. 02, 2003
Eisaku Murakami, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideo Yoshizawa, Saitama, JP;
Hiroyuki Nagashima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshiyuki Kimura, Tokyo, JP;
Hideki Zemba, Kanagawa, JP;
Eiji Kurimoto, Shizuoka, JP;
Takeshi Uchitani, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshio Koike, Kanagawa, JP;
Masato Yanagida, Tokyo, JP;
Masami Tomita, Shizuoka, JP;
Atsushi Sampe, Kanagawa, JP;
Naohiro Kumagai, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Shintani, Kanagawa, JP;
Masanori Kawasumi, Kanagawa, JP;
Eisaku Murakami, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideo Yoshizawa, Saitama, JP;
Hiroyuki Nagashima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshiyuki Kimura, Tokyo, JP;
Hideki Zemba, Kanagawa, JP;
Eiji Kurimoto, Shizuoka, JP;
Takeshi Uchitani, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshio Koike, Kanagawa, JP;
Masato Yanagida, Tokyo, JP;
Masami Tomita, Shizuoka, JP;
Atsushi Sampe, Kanagawa, JP;
Naohiro Kumagai, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Shintani, Kanagawa, JP;
Masanori Kawasumi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A cleaningless image forming apparatus of the present invention uses spherical toner grains on surfaces of which a charge control agent and/or organic fine grains are present, thereby enhancing efficient image transfer. A brush roller collects, among toner grains left on a photoconductive drum after image transfer, toner grains of polarity opposite to preselected polarity and then releases them to the drum at preselected timing. The toner grains of opposite polarity are then transferred to an intermediate image transfer belt. When the toner grains of opposite polarity pass a charging zone assigned to a charge roller, a bias to the charge roller is interrupted or the charge roller is released from the drum.