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:
Dec. 04, 2007
Filed:
Apr. 15, 2005
Atsushi Sampe, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroyuki Nagashima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshiyuki Kimura, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuo Kuwabara, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroshi Hosokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideki Zemba, Kanagawa, JP;
Wakako Murakami, Tokyo, JP;
Atsushi Sampe, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroyuki Nagashima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshiyuki Kimura, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuo Kuwabara, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroshi Hosokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideki Zemba, Kanagawa, JP;
Wakako Murakami, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes at least one process cartridge removably mounted on an apparatus body and including at least an image carrier on which a toner image is to be formed and a cleaning device configured to remove toner left after image transfer with a cleaning blade. A hole for passing a light beam emitted from an optical writing unit toward the image carrier therethrough is formed in part of a case bottom wall of the process cartridge higher in level than part of the case bottom wall below the cleaning blade.