(19)
(11) EP 1 335 252 A8

(12) CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(48) Corrigendum issued on:
12.11.2003 Bulletin 2003/46

(88) Date of publication A3:
08.10.2003 Bulletin 2003/41

(43) Date of publication:
13.08.2003 Bulletin 2003/33

(21) Application number: 03002077.0

(22) Date of filing: 30.01.2003
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G03G 15/08, G03G 15/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO

(30) Priority: 31.01.2002 JP 2002023250
11.03.2002 JP 2002065836

(71) Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Tokyo 143-8555 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Ito, Fumihito
    Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa (JP)
  • Katoh, Shunji
    Kanagawa (JP)
  • Amano, Hirosato
    Numazu-shi, Shizuoka (JP)
  • Makino, Kunio
    Mishima-shi, Shizuoka (JP)
  • Enomoto, Takamichi
    Numazu-shi, Shizuoka (JP)
  • Uemura, Hiroyuki
    Mishima-shi, Shizuoka (JP)

(74) Representative: Schwabe - Sandmair - Marx 
Stuntzstrasse 16
81677 München
81677 München (DE)

   


(54) Toner refilling device and developing device using the same for an image forming apparatus


(57) For depositing toner on an image carrier to thereby develop a latent image formed thereon, a toner refilling device is configured to refill, when the toner is short, from the outside of a developing device, fresh toner at a position where the developing device is situated, and to control the use of the fresh toner based on authenticating toner data.