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:
Sep. 13, 2016
Filed:
Jul. 28, 2015
Image forming apparatus and method of switching collected developer route in image forming apparatus
Tetsuto Ueda, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroomi Tamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saitoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Sho Sekiguchi, Tokyo, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Kojima, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuma Iwasaki, Tokyo, JP;
Taichi Urayama, Kanagawa, JP;
Tetsuto Ueda, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroomi Tamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saitoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Sho Sekiguchi, Tokyo, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Kojima, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuma Iwasaki, Tokyo, JP;
Taichi Urayama, Kanagawa, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a developing device; a transfer device; a waste-developer container; a developer collecting device including a collected-developer conveyor, a waste channel, a reuse channel, and a channel switching member to switch a route between the waste channel and the reuse channel; a switching determiner to determine whether to dispose or reuse collected developer; an operating condition data collector to collect and store operating condition data used as a degradation speed index of developer in the developing device; a determination type selector to select, according to the degradation speed index, one of a first determination type based on an operating amount and a second determination type based on developer replacement data indicating an amount of developer replaced with supplied developer in the developing device; and a switching controller to control the channel switching member according to determination made by the switching determiner.