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:
Mar. 27, 2012
Filed:
Jan. 27, 2009
Yushi Hirayama, Sagamihara, JP;
Shinji Kato, Kawasaki, JP;
Takeroh Kurenuma, Ebina, JP;
Keiichi Yoshida, Kawasaki, JP;
Shin Hasegawa, Zama, JP;
Hitoshi Ishibashi, Kamakura, JP;
Yoshiaki Miyashita, Komae, JP;
Kohta Fujimori, Yokohama, JP;
Nobutaka Takeuchi, Yokohama, JP;
Tetsuya Muto, Kawasaki, JP;
Akira Yoshida, Kawasaki, JP;
Hiroyuki Uenishi, Sagamihara, JP;
Yushi Hirayama, Sagamihara, JP;
Shinji Kato, Kawasaki, JP;
Takeroh Kurenuma, Ebina, JP;
Keiichi Yoshida, Kawasaki, JP;
Shin Hasegawa, Zama, JP;
Hitoshi Ishibashi, Kamakura, JP;
Yoshiaki Miyashita, Komae, JP;
Kohta Fujimori, Yokohama, JP;
Nobutaka Takeuchi, Yokohama, JP;
Tetsuya Muto, Kawasaki, JP;
Akira Yoshida, Kawasaki, JP;
Hiroyuki Uenishi, Sagamihara, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A process cartridge for use in an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a developer bearing member to bear developer including toner and carrier, a casing forming a developer container containing the developer, a screw having a shaft with a spiral screw blade, a toner density sensor to detect a density of the toner on a detection surface, and a detection surface agitating member fixedly mounted on the shaft of the screw at a position facing a detection surface to scrape away the developer accumulated on the detection surface as the screw rotates. The detection surface agitating member includes an elastic sheet elastically deformable to scrape away the developer accumulated on the detection surface and disposed at a substantially same angle to an axial direction of the shaft of the screw as the spiral screw blade.