# US 7,610,003 B2 · Image forming apparatus for recycling toner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,003 B2 - Document ID: US7610003B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/889,639 - Filed: 2007-08-15 - Published: 2007-12-06 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-17 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takeshi Watanabe; Masashi Takahashi; Minoru Yoshida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610003B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/0121: {for developing} - G03G 2215/0119: Linear arrangement adjacent plural transfer points - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract In a tandem type color image forming apparatus having a function which collects a residual toner for recycle, a particle diameter distribution of a carrier is expressed as that a ratio of the number of carrier particles whose particle diameter is not smaller than φ40 μm is not greater than 5% and a ratio of the number of carrier particles whose particle diameter is not smaller than φ30 μm is not greater than 20%, or an intermediate transfer body which has a laminated structure including two or more layers and has a layer with the low hardness arranged on an image carrier, or a total toner layer thickness T1+T2+T3 of first to third transfer image is less than 30 μm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus configured to form a color image comprising: a first to a fourth image forming stations each comprising an image carrier, a developing device which is provided on the image carrier, retains a developing agent containing a toner and a carrier and forms a toner image on the image carrier, and a mechanism which collects the toner remaining on the image carrier after toner image transfer by the developing device; and a first to a fourth toner image transfer sections provided in accordance with each of image stations, which transfer each toner image onto a transfer medium and are provided on in order with regard to the transfer medium conveying direction; wherein, in the second and third image forming station, a contact nip width between the transfer medium and the image carrier is larger than a nip width between the transfer medium and a transfer member having a voltage applied thereto, and a plurality of transfer members are provided; each of the second and the third toner image transfer sections has the transfer efficiency higher than that of the first and the fourth transfer sections. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second and the third toner image transfer sections have three transfer rollers as the plurality of transfer members, respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer medium is an intermediate transfer body, and a color image transfer section which finally transfers the color image formed on the intermediate transfer body onto a recording member is further provided. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate transfer body has a laminated structure including at least two layers, and the hardness of an outermost layer which is in contact with the image carrier is lower than that of at least one of the other layers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, the fourth image forming station has a black toner, and used for forming a black image. ### Claim 6 A color image forming method comprising: developing a first latent image with a first developing agent containing a toner and a carrier to form a first toner image; transferring the first toner image to a transfer medium at a first toner image transfer section; collecting the toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image; developing a second latent image with a second developing agent containing a toner and a carrier to form a second toner image; transferring the second toner image to the transfer medium at a second toner image transfer section; collecting the toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image; developing a third latent image with a third developing agent containing a toner and a carrier to form a third toner image, transferring the third toner image to the transfer medium at a third toner image transfer section; collecting the toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image, developing a fourth latent image with a fourth developing agent containing a toner and a carrier to form a fourth toner image; transferring the fourth toner image to the transfer medium at a fourth toner image transfer section; collecting the toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image, fixing the first to fourth toner images on the transfer medium by a fixing member, wherein, in the second and third image forming station, a contact nip width between the transfer medium and the image carrier is larger than a nip width between the transfer medium and a transfer member having a voltage applied thereto, and a plurality of transfer members are provided, each of the second and the third toner image transfer sections has the transfer efficiency higher than that of the first and the fourth second transfer sections. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the second and the third toner image transfer sections have three transfer rollers as the plurality of transfer members, respectively. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the transfer medium is an intermediate transfer body, and a color image transfer section which finally transfers the color image formed on the intermediate transfer body onto a recording member is further provided. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the intermediate transfer body has a laminated structure including at least two layers, and the hardness of an outermost layer which is in contact with the image carrier is lower than that of at least one of the other layers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, the fourth image forming station has a black toner, and used for forming a black image.