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. 19, 2014
Filed:
Feb. 22, 2012
Ken Yoshida, Kanagawa, JP;
Ken Yoshida, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, and a moving device controller to control a moving device that moves the transfer device such that the moving device moves the transfer device to contact the image bearing member during transfer of the toner image on the image bearing member to the recording medium; separates the transfer device from the image bearing member as a toner patch on the image bearing member passes through the transfer area; and maintains the transfer device in contact with the image bearing member from a preceding transfer of a toner image to a succeeding transfer of a toner image during continuous printing, as at least one of areas between successive toner images on the image bearing member without the toner patch passes through the transfer area.