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:
Nov. 24, 2015
Filed:
Apr. 16, 2014
Yusuke Ishizuka, Kanagawa, JP;
Hirotaka Hatta, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiya Sato, Kanagawa, JP;
Akira Asaoka, Kanagawa, JP;
Norio Kudo, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroyuki Uenishi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Sugiura, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuki Yogosawa, Tokyo, JP;
Yusuke Ishizuka, Kanagawa, JP;
Hirotaka Hatta, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiya Sato, Kanagawa, JP;
Akira Asaoka, Kanagawa, JP;
Norio Kudo, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroyuki Uenishi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Sugiura, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuki Yogosawa, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a toner-image forming unit, a transfer unit, a cleaner, a plurality of cylindrical transport path forming members, a falling transport path forming member, and a discharge port. The falling transport path forming member has through holes in a side wall thereof. A second end of each of the transport path forming members is inserted into a corresponding one of the through holes. The falling transport path forming member forms a falling transport path that causes toner ejected from an ejection port disposed in the second end to fall. The discharge port is disposed in a lower part of the falling transport path forming member to discharge the toner to a discharge destination. The second ends of the transport path forming members are disposed offset from each other in a horizontal direction on the side wall of the falling transport path forming member.