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. 28, 2014
Filed:
Jan. 20, 2012
Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Kanagawa, JP;
Kunihiro Ohyama, Tokyo, JP;
Masayuki Yamane, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideki Kimura, Kanagawa, JP;
Masaki Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiki Hayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Kanagawa, JP;
Kunihiro Ohyama, Tokyo, JP;
Masayuki Yamane, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideki Kimura, Kanagawa, JP;
Masaki Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiki Hayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A development device includes a developer container for containing developer, a developer bearer to carry by rotation the developer contained in the developer container to a development range facing a latent image bearer, a partition dividing the developer container into an upper compartment and a lower compartment arranged vertically, an upper developer conveyance member disposed in the upper compartment, a lower developer conveyance member disposed in the lower compartment, a communication portion through which the developer moves from the lower compartment to the upper compartment, disposed in a downstream end portion of the lower compartment in a direction in which the lower developer conveyance member transports the developer, and a toner concentration detector to detect a concentration of toner in the developer beneath the communication portion inside the lower compartment.