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. 13, 2005
Filed:
May. 27, 2003
Kiyoaki Kawamoto, Tokyo, JP;
Hideaki Tanaka, Tokyo, JP;
Shinichi Tsukamura, Tokyo, JP;
Konica Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit having a heat roller and a press roller which abuts against and presses the heat roller. The image forming apparatus further includes at least one cleaning unit including a backup roller which abuts against and presses the heat roller in order to remove remaining toner attaching to a surface of the heat roller. The backup roller has a two-layer structure of a metal shaft core and a resilient layer, as an outer layer for the shaft core, made of a resilient body. The diameter of the backup roller gradually reduces from a projecting axial center of 10 mm to 30 mm toward two axial ends, so that an entire outer shape of the backup roller forms a crown or spindle like shape.