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:
Oct. 20, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 22, 2005
Hideo Kikuchi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Yasuhisa Ehara, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiroshi Yoshizawa, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hideo Kikuchi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Yasuhisa Ehara, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiroshi Yoshizawa, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes image forming units, a toner supply device, a common-unit detection device, an initial operation execution device, and a determination device. Each image forming unit is detachably provided in the image forming apparatus, and includes at least a development device containing toner. At least two of the image forming units are common image forming units having a common structure. When the common-unit detection device detects a common image forming unit at installation thereof, the initial operation execution device supplies a predetermined amount of toner to a development device of the common image forming unit and mixes to charge the toner by friction for a predetermined time period. Then, the. determination device detects whether the toner in the development device is charged to a predetermined level, and determines, based on the detection, whether to mix the toner one more time for another predetermined time.