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:
May. 29, 2018
Filed:
Feb. 10, 2017
Yusuke Ishizuka, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Shintani, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuhiro Maehata, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Mizusawa, Tokyo, JP;
Daisuke Tomita, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuta Azeyanagi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuhito Kuboshima, Tokyo, JP;
Yusuke Ishizuka, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Shintani, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuhiro Maehata, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Mizusawa, Tokyo, JP;
Daisuke Tomita, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuta Azeyanagi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuhito Kuboshima, Tokyo, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A toner conveyance device includes a downward passage, a reciprocating member disposed in the downward passage, to move in a vertical direction in which the downward passage extends, a conveyance passage communicating with a lower end of the downward passage and extending in a direction crossing the vertical direction, a conveyor to rotate in the conveyance passage around an axis extending along the conveyance passage to transport the toner, and a flexible member projecting from a bottom of the reciprocating member toward the conveyance passage. The flexible member extends in the axial direction of the conveyor and moves together with the reciprocating member. When the reciprocating member is at a lowest position, a lower end of the flexible member opposes a portion of the conveyor downstream from an upper end thereof in a rotation direction thereof.