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. 14, 2014
Filed:
Sep. 03, 2013
Tsugunao Toyooka, Kanagawa, JP;
Manabu Nonaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshikuni Ishikawa, Tokyo, JP;
Satoshi Kuno, Tokyo, JP;
Tsugunao Toyooka, Kanagawa, JP;
Manabu Nonaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshikuni Ishikawa, Tokyo, JP;
Satoshi Kuno, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sheet separation/conveyance device that is included in an image forming apparatus includes an attraction/separation unit including an endless belt on which a region of attraction and a region of no attraction that divides the region of attraction are aligned in a sheet conveying direction, the endless belt configured to hold an uppermost sheet placed on top of a sheet stack contained in an image forming apparatus by using electrostatic attraction, a charger configured to charge a surface of the endless belt, the charger including an electrode configured to contact the surface of the endless belt due to a supply of a voltage and a detector configured to detect a charged condition on the surface of the endless belt based on a detection result obtained when the electrode contacts the endless belt, and a sheet conveying unit configured to convey the uppermost sheet held by the electrostatic attraction.