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:
Apr. 19, 2016
Filed:
Feb. 13, 2015
Tetsuto Ueda, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroomi Tamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saitoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Sho Sekiguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Kojima, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuma Iwasaki, Tokyo, JP;
Tetsuto Ueda, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroomi Tamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saitoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Sho Sekiguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Kojima, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuma Iwasaki, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus that includes an image bearer, a developing device to develop a latent image, a transfer device to transfer a developed image from the image bearer, a developer collecting device to collect developer remaining on the image bearer, and a waste-developer container to contain developer to be disposed. The apparatus also includes a switching determiner to perform a determination of a preferred transfer amount of developer in a target period, an estimation of an accumulative consumption of developer in the target period, a determination of whether to dispose or reuse collected developer, and a determination of whether to perform switching between disposal and reuse of the collected developer based on comparison between the preferred transfer amount and the estimated accumulative consumption of developer. The apparatus also includes a switching controller to cause the developer collecting device to perform the switching between disposal and reuse.