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:
Sep. 21, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 03, 2002
Hisashi Kikuchi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Shigeo Kurotaka, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kiyoshi Ohshima, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Tokyo-to, JP;
Toshihiko Baba, Chiba-ken, JP;
Atsushi Nakafuji, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hirokazu Ikenoue, Tokyo-to, JP;
Jun Yura, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Echigo Katsuhiro, Saitama-ken, JP;
Hideki Kosugi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Ricoh Company, LTD, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member to be heated and a pressure-contacting member for pressure contacting the fixing member. The fixing apparatus directs and conveys a recording member through a nip formed between the fixing member and pressure applying member in such a manner that a toner image carried on a recording member contacts the fixing member in order to be fixed thereto with heat and pressure. The fixing apparatus is configured to direct a tip margin of the recording member toward the pressure applying member across a virtual linear extension line drawn from a downstream end to upstream end of the nip when only the tip margin exits from the nip. A fixing member side separation device may be separately provided from the surface of the fixing apparatus so as to separate the recording member exiting from the nip. A gap formed between the downstream end of the nip and the tip of the fixing member side separation device is set smaller than the width of the tip margin.