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:
Dec. 11, 2018
Filed:
May. 20, 2016
Yasunori Ishigaya, Kanagawa, JP;
Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saito, Kanagawa, JP;
Keitaro Shoji, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryohei Matsuda, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiromasa Takagi, Tokyo, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasunori Ishigaya, Kanagawa, JP;
Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saito, Kanagawa, JP;
Keitaro Shoji, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryohei Matsuda, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiromasa Takagi, Tokyo, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device includes a rotatable endless belt formed into a loop and a heater disposed opposite the endless belt to heat the endless belt. A nip formation pad is disposed inside the loop formed by the endless belt. The nip formation pad includes a metallic thermal equalizer extending in an axial direction of the endless belt. A rotatable pressure rotator presses against the nip formation pad via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. The pressure rotator includes an increased tackiness portion disposed at a lateral end of the pressure rotator in an axial direction of the pressure rotator to transmit a driving force to the endless belt. The increased tackiness portion is disposed opposite the thermal equalizer of the nip formation pad.