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:
May. 10, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 10, 2009
Emiko Shiraishi, Tokyo, JP;
Shigekazu Enoki, Kawasaki, JP;
Jun Yura, Yokohama, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Zama, JP;
Emiko Shiraishi, Tokyo, JP;
Shigekazu Enoki, Kawasaki, JP;
Jun Yura, Yokohama, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Zama, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging unit including a charge member that is disposed facing the image carrier across a gap therebetween and charges the image carrier by using electrical discharge caused by applying thereto a voltage including an alternating current component superimposed on a direct current component, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit to supply toner for developing the latent image formed on the image carrier into a toner image and to collect residual toner remaining on the image carrier, a transfer unit, and a toner spreading member to spread toner on the image carrier and disposed upstream from the charging unit in a direction of movement of the image carrier and downstream from the transfer unit in the direction of movement of the image carrier.