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:
Jun. 16, 2009
Filed:
Jun. 14, 2006
Toru Kabashima, Toride, JP;
Toru Kabashima, Toride, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus including an electrostatic image forming device, which forms an electrostatic image on an image bearing member, a developing apparatus, which develops the electrostatic image by a development bias being applied to a developer carrying member carrying a developer, a distance changing device, which changes the closest distance between the image bearing member and the developer carrying member, a density detecting portion, which detects the density of a developer image for detection formed by the developing apparatus, and a controller operable to execute a developer lifetime detecting mode for detecting the developer image for detection formed with the closest distance changed by the distance changing device, by the density detecting portion, and informing information regarding the lifetime of the developer based on the result of this detection.