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. 11, 2019
Filed:
Jun. 11, 2018
Kiwako Hiroi, Gifu, JP;
Kohichi Utsunomiya, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuusuke Furuichi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device includes an endless belt, a pressure rotator that contacts the endless belt, a nip formation pad in the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator, a heater in the endless belt to heat the endless belt, a stay to support the nip formation pad, a contact-separation mechanism that presses the nip formation pad against the pressure rotator in a releasable manner, a holder movable between a nip formation position and a release position to support the stay, and an adjustment mechanism. The holder is provided with a slot to support the heater, and the adjustment mechanism makes a distance between the heater and the nip formation pad when the holder is at the nip formation position larger than a distance between the heater and the nip formation pad when the holder is at the release position.