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:
Mar. 30, 2021
Filed:
Feb. 25, 2020
Takuya Seshita, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuya Seshita, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device is provided that includes a rotatable endless fixing member; a heat source for heating the fixing member; a pressure member that forms a nip with the fixing member; and a nip forming portion that faces the pressure member inside the fixing member and forms the nip; wherein the nip forming portion has a base material and a heat equalizing member, the heat equalizing member has a flat portion between the base material and the pressure member and a bent portion that begins to bend away from the pressure member at an upstream side edge of the base material with respect to a conveyance direction of a recording medium that is configured to be conveyed between the pressure member and the fixing member, and then the bent portion further bends to at least partially hook over a convex part of the base material that is formed at the upstream side of the base material such that an end portion of the bent portion is farther downstream with respect to the conveyance direction of a recording medium than the upstream side edge of the base material.