Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P.
Image forming apparatus and powder transport unit
An image forming apparatus includes a powder container containing powder used for image forming and including an inlet through which the powder is supplied, a powder supply unit including an outlet that is removably connected to the inlet and supplying the powder to the powder container with the outlet connected to the inlet of the powder container, a powder amount detector detecting whether a present powder level in the powder container is equal to or greater than a threshold, and a controller controlling an amount of powder supply from the powder supply unit and controlling the present powder level in the powder container after replenishment to remain in a range from the threshold and a position corresponding to an upper edge of the inlet. A powder transport unit includes a transport decelerating part to decelerate the speed of powder transport and a detection area in the image forming apparatus.
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
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Masato Manabu Tomohiro Shoh Naoki Masanari Yoshiyuki
Tsuji Hamada Kubota Tsuritani Nakatake Fujita Shimizu