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. 26, 2010
Filed:
Mar. 02, 2006
Kazuo Koike, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Inoue, Saitama, JP;
Hideharu Shiota, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes an operations section that operates the image forming apparatus, the operations section being rotatably supported by an apparatus main body; an operations section holding unit that holds the operations section at a predetermined angle with respect to the apparatus main body; an external force detecting unit that detects an external force applied to the operations section in a rotational direction of the operations section; an operations section rotating unit that rotates the operations section in a direction of the external force; and a control unit to activate the operations section rotating unit in response to detection of the external force by the external force detecting unit.