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:
Oct. 07, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 24, 2001
Masao Ando, Shizuoka, JP;
Takahiro Azeta, Shizuoka, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing apparatus that has a fixing rotator in contact with a recording material supporting an unfixed image, a pressure rotator in pressure contact with the fixing rotator, a support member supporting the pressure rotator and swingable around a plurality of fulcrums, an elastic member for biasing the support member so that the pressure rotator is biased to the fixing rotator, and pressure contact force changing device for changing a pressure contact force by swinging the support member against the biasing force of the elastic member, wherein the pressure contact force changing device can change the pressure contact force while the pressure rotator is in pressure contact with the fixing rotator.