| US 7,551,867 B2 | ||
| Image forming apparatus including controller driving image carriers | ||
| Tetsuo Yamanaka, Tokyo (Japan); Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Tokyo (Japan); Hiroyasu Shijo, Tokyo (Japan); Yuzo Katsumata, Shizuoka (Japan); and Mineyo Takahashi, Kanagawa (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Apr. 02, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/61,160. | ||
| Application 12/061160 is a continuation of application No. 11/542596, filed on Oct. 04, 2006, granted, now 7,386,259. | ||
| Application 11/542596 is a continuation of application No. 10/375115, filed on Feb. 28, 2003, granted, now 7,136,600, filed on Nov. 14, 2006. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2002-052798 (JP), filed on Feb. 28, 2002; and application No. 2002-079902 (JP), filed on Mar. 22, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0187364 A1, Aug. 07, 2008 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 399—53 [399/223] | 6 Claims |
| 1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of image carriers arranged side by side in a preselected direction;
a plurality of developing means each for forming a toner image on a particular one of said plurality of image carriers;
drive means for driving in the preselected direction a member to which toner images are to be sequentially transferred from
said plurality of image carriers, the toner images transferred one above the other;
a plurality of developing drive means for driving each said developing means; and
a plurality of image transferring means each for transferring a toner image from a particular one of said plurality of image
carriers to said member,
said plurality of developing drive means configured to all start at the same time being driven before an image forming process
timing assigned to one of said plurality of image carriers which said member reaches first.
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