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. 01, 2020
Filed:
Nov. 06, 2019
Takahiro Imada, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshio Hattori, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshikuni Sasaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Hironori Yamaoka, Tochigi, JP;
Yasunori Ishigaya, Kanagawa, JP;
Takumi Waida, Kanagawa, JP;
Takahiro Imada, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshio Hattori, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshikuni Sasaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Hironori Yamaoka, Tochigi, JP;
Yasunori Ishigaya, Kanagawa, JP;
Takumi Waida, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a cleaner, and a moving assembly. The cleaner contacts and cleans a cleaning target, which includes one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The moving assembly moves the cleaner between a contact position at which the cleaner contacts the cleaning target and a separate position at which the cleaner is apart from the cleaning target. The moving assembly includes a biasing member that presses the cleaner to move to the contact position. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the contact position to the separate position against a biasing force of the biasing member. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the separate position to the contact position while increasing and then decreasing the biasing force of the biasing member greater than the biasing force applied when the cleaner is located at the contact position.