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:
Feb. 10, 2015
Filed:
Sep. 10, 2014
Hideki Kimura, Kanagawa, JP;
Kunihiro Ohyama, Tokyo, JP;
Masayuki Yamane, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Kanagawa, JP;
Masaki Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiki Hayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideki Kimura, Kanagawa, JP;
Kunihiro Ohyama, Tokyo, JP;
Masayuki Yamane, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Kanagawa, JP;
Masaki Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiki Hayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A development device includes a development casing, a developer bearer, a first developer conveyance member to supply developer to the developer bearer, a second developer conveyance member to transport developer axially, and a partition dividing an interior of the development casing into a supply channel and a collecting channel via which developer received from a downstream end portion of the supply channel is forwarded to an upstream end portion of the supply channel. The supply channel includes a conveyance area and a buffer area disposed adjacent to the conveyance area in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction to temporarily retain developer and midway in the developer conveyance direction inside the supply channel, and an upstream end face defining an upstream end of the buffer area is inclined relative to the axial direction to draw away from the conveyance area downstream in the developer conveyance direction.