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. 17, 2009
Filed:
Jun. 22, 2006
Masahiko Shakuto, Zama, JP;
Osamu Naruse, Yokohama, JP;
Hidetoshi Yano, Yokohama, JP;
Kazuhiko Watanabe, Koganei, JP;
Masahiko Shakuto, Zama, JP;
Osamu Naruse, Yokohama, JP;
Hidetoshi Yano, Yokohama, JP;
Kazuhiko Watanabe, Koganei, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a cleaning brush positioned upstream of a blade nip in the direction of movement of the surface of a photoconductive drum. To prevent toner from accumulating at the blade nip, the surface of the photoconductive drum is moved in the direction opposite to the regular direction for image formation, conveying toner accumulated in a wedge-shaped space upstream of the blade nipto a position where the cleaning brush removes it. With this configuration, the image forming apparatus can stably clear spherical toner particles left on the drum over a long period of time.