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:
Jan. 29, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 19, 2017
Ryohhei Sugiyama, Kanagawa, JP;
Hironori Yamaoka, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Sakamaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Tetsuo Tokuda, Tokyo, JP;
Akiyasu Amita, Kanagawa, JP;
Shinichi Namekata, Kanagawa, JP;
Yohhei Watanabe, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumihiro Hirose, Kanagawa, JP;
Teppei Kawata, Kanagawa, JP;
Masateru Ujiie, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryohhei Sugiyama, Kanagawa, JP;
Hironori Yamaoka, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Sakamaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Tetsuo Tokuda, Tokyo, JP;
Akiyasu Amita, Kanagawa, JP;
Shinichi Namekata, Kanagawa, JP;
Yohhei Watanabe, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumihiro Hirose, Kanagawa, JP;
Teppei Kawata, Kanagawa, JP;
Masateru Ujiie, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing belt stretched across a first roller and a second roller including an elastic layer. A pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt. A recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed through the fixing nip. A clearance detector detects a clearance between the first roller and the second roller. A mover moves the pressure rotator with respect to the second roller in a pressing direction in which the pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt and a separation direction in which the pressure rotator separates from the second roller. A controller controls an amount of movement of the pressure rotator moved by the mover toward the second roller based on the clearance detected by the clearance detector.