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. 16, 2012
Filed:
Feb. 28, 2011
Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kouji Amanai, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiyuki Uchida, Kanagawa, JP;
Narumi Sugita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Tomita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kouji Amanai, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiyuki Uchida, Kanagawa, JP;
Narumi Sugita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Tomita, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a first image carrier facing an intermediate transfer belt, a primary transfer unit primarily transferring images on the first image carrier onto the intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer roller facing the intermediate transfer belt secondarily transferring images on the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording medium, a second image carrier provided upstream/downstream of a secondary transfer position in a recording medium conveying direction, a direct transfer unit directly transferring images on the second image carrier onto the recording medium, a recording medium carriage belt rotatably stretched across roller members including the secondary transfer roller supporting and conveying the recording medium to pass a direct transfer position and the secondary transfer position, and a displacement unit displacing the secondary transfer roller between a contact position where the recording medium carriage belt contacts the intermediate transfer belt and a separate position where it is separated therefrom.