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:
Apr. 27, 2021
Filed:
May. 22, 2020
Makoto Nakamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Tanaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Makoto Nakamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Tanaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device receives a recording material having a toner image and applies pressure and heat to fix the toner image. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a sliding member, a pressing member, and a heating member. The fixing member has a rotatable endless belt shape that includes an inner circumferential resin layer. The sliding member is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member with a lubricant interposed between the sliding member and the inner circumferential surface. The sliding member has a resin coating layer and slides on the inner circumferential surface. The pressing member presses the recording material toward an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member. The heating member generates heat to heat the recording material. A surface hardness of the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member is smaller than a surface hardness of the sliding surface of the sliding member.