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. 06, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 17, 1999
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image fixing apparatus includes such an image fixing roller for thermally fixing images on an image receiving material that includes (a) a core roller member; and (b) an exothermic phase transition layer provided on the core roller member. The exothermic phase transition layer includes an exothermic phase transition material capable of performing reversible phase transition from an amorphous state to a crystalline state and vice versa, and crystallizing at a crystallization temperature which is lower than a predetermined image fixing temperature, with liberation of crystallization heat therefrom, and the exothermic phase transition material having a melting point higher than the image fixing temperature, thereby additionally increasing the temperature elevation rate before the temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the image fixing roller reaches the image fixing temperature to shorten the warm up time of the image fixing roller.