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:
Aug. 06, 2013
Filed:
Jan. 25, 2011
Kohta Sakaya, Osaka, JP;
Tomohiro Kubota, Osaka, JP;
Tetsumaru Fujita, Hyogo, JP;
Atsushi Takehara, Kyoto, JP;
Naoki Nakatake, Hyogo, JP;
Kohta Sakaya, Osaka, JP;
Tomohiro Kubota, Osaka, JP;
Tetsumaru Fujita, Hyogo, JP;
Atsushi Takehara, Kyoto, JP;
Naoki Nakatake, Hyogo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A developing unit includes: a developer carrier; a toner supplying member having a porous surface layer; a toner storage storing therein toner; a stirring member that is rotated to stir the toner; a toner amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the toner; a toner supplying unit that supplies new toner to the toner storage based on a detection result; and a toner removing member that removes the toner carried in the porous surface layer, wherein the toner removing member is arranged in a separable and contactable manner from and with the porous surface layer, and the developing unit has a stirring mode in which the toner removing member is brought into contact with the porous surface layer, and the toner supplying member is rotated while the stirring member is rotated to stir the toner.