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:
Jul. 03, 2018
Filed:
Jan. 09, 2017
Yasunori Ishigaya, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiromasa Takagi, Tokyo, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saito, Kanagawa, JP;
Keitaro Shoji, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasunori Ishigaya, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiromasa Takagi, Tokyo, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saito, Kanagawa, JP;
Keitaro Shoji, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix a toner image onto a recording medium, a voltmeter to measure an input voltage from an external source, and a controller operatively connected to the fixing device and the voltmeter. The fixing device includes an endless, fixing rotator formed into a loop, a heater to heat the fixing rotator, a pressure pad disposed inside the loop, and a pressure rotator disposed opposite the pressure pad via the fixing rotator to press the fixing rotator against the pressure pad to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which the recording medium bearing the toner image is conveyed. The controller controls a heating operation of the heater and a fixing operation of the fixing device to fix the toner image onto the recording medium, based on the input voltage measured by the voltmeter.