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:
Jul. 03, 2012
Filed:
Jan. 11, 2008
Shinichiro Yagi, Numazu, JP;
Tomio Kondou, Numazu, JP;
Masashi Nagayama, Mishima, JP;
Hltoahi Iwatsuki, Numazu, JP;
Shinichiro Yagi, Numazu, JP;
Tomio Kondou, Numazu, JP;
Masashi Nagayama, Mishima, JP;
Hltoahi Iwatsuki, Numazu, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus including at least an image bearer; a charger charging the image bearer; an irradiator irradiating the image bearer to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; an image developer developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer comprising a toner and a carrier to form a toner image on the image bearer; a developer feeder feeding a supplemental developer including the toner and the carrier into the image developer; and a developer collector collecting the developer in the image developer, wherein the developer feeder includes a cylindrical supplemental developer container containing the supplemental developer, including a spiral developer guide race on the inner circumferential surface thereof; and a sub-hopper configured to store the supplemental developer, and wherein the carrier includes a core material; and a layer coated on the core material, including a binder resin and non-black or a non-color inorganic particulate material.