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. 01, 2012
Filed:
Sep. 08, 2009
Masanori Horike, Kanagawa, JP;
Fuyuhiko Matsumoto, Saitama, JP;
Masanori Saitoh, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuaki Kondoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Shin Kayahara, Kanagawa, JP;
Osamu Endou, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomoko Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Masanori Horike, Kanagawa, JP;
Fuyuhiko Matsumoto, Saitama, JP;
Masanori Saitoh, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuaki Kondoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Shin Kayahara, Kanagawa, JP;
Osamu Endou, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomoko Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides an image forming apparatus, which is able to prevent the adherence of toner on the surface of toner controlling means and around a toner passage hole, and to stably carry out toner passage ON/OFF control when forming an image using the direct recording method. This image forming apparatus includes: a toner carrier; recording medium means; toner controlling means, disposed between the toner carrier and recording medium means, and having a plurality of toner passage holes; and cloud electrode means disposed between the toner carrier and toner controlling means, a toner cloud being formed by applying an AC bias between the toner carrier and cloud electrode means. A control electrode and a common electrode are disposed in toner controlling means, and when the toner of the toner carrier is able to pass through the toner controlling means toward recording medium means, a loop-shaped line of electric force is formed between the recording medium means side and the toner controlling means common electrode, the loop-shaped line by-passing the control electrode.