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:
Sep. 22, 2020
Filed:
Feb. 27, 2020
Ippei Fujimoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ippei Fujimoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a heat source, a nip formation pad, and a support. The nip formation pad presses against the pressure rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The support supports the nip formation pad toward the fixing nip. A longitudinal end portion of the pressure rotator has an outer diameter greater than that of a longitudinal center portion of the pressure rotator. The pressure rotator includes a grip that contacts the nip formation pad via the fixing rotator outside a recording medium with a maximum width conveyable passing through the fixing nip and applies a frictional force to the fixing rotator. The nip formation pad includes a nip face having an inflection point from which a longitudinal direction of the nip face is curved toward the support within an area opposite the grip.