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:
Jun. 19, 2018
Filed:
Dec. 20, 2016
Takahiro Imada, Tokyo, JP;
Masaaki Yoshikawa, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Ishii, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tokyo, JP;
Yuji Arai, Tokyo, JP;
Naoki Iwaya, Tokyo, JP;
Tetsuo Tokuda, Tokyo, JP;
Hiromasa Takagi, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ippei Fujimoto, Tokyo, JP;
Takuya Seshita, Tokyo, JP;
Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Arinobu Yoshiura, Miyagi, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Hajime Gotoh, Tokyo, JP;
Takahiro Imada, Tokyo, JP;
Masaaki Yoshikawa, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Ishii, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tokyo, JP;
Yuji Arai, Tokyo, JP;
Naoki Iwaya, Tokyo, JP;
Tetsuo Tokuda, Tokyo, JP;
Hiromasa Takagi, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ippei Fujimoto, Tokyo, JP;
Takuya Seshita, Tokyo, JP;
Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Arinobu Yoshiura, Miyagi, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Hajime Gotoh, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device may include an endless fixing member; a heater inside the fixing member; and a nip forming unit configured to form a nip through which a recording sheet is conveyed, the nip forming unit including a supporting member and a contact member supported by the supporting member, the supporting member including at least one contact surface and the contact member including a plurality of protrusions protruding towards the supporting member such that two or more of the plurality of protrusions are configured to contact one of the at least one contact surface of the supporting member, each of the plurality of protrusions having a height associated there with such that the height of the plurality of protrusions increases in a direction from ends of the contact member towards a center of the contact member.