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. 24, 2006
Filed:
Dec. 27, 2004
Masahiko Satoh, Funabashi, JP;
Masami Tomita, Numazu, JP;
Setsuo Soga, Mitaka, JP;
Takahiro Yoshikawa, Sagamihara, JP;
Toshiharu Hachisuka, Kawasaki, JP;
Yasuhiro Kohira, Machida, JP;
Ken Omura, Machida, JP;
Akira Shinshi, Koto-ku, JP;
Naoki Iwaya, Kawasaki, JP;
Masahiko Satoh, Funabashi, JP;
Masami Tomita, Numazu, JP;
Setsuo Soga, Mitaka, JP;
Takahiro Yoshikawa, Sagamihara, JP;
Toshiharu Hachisuka, Kawasaki, JP;
Yasuhiro Kohira, Machida, JP;
Ken Omura, Machida, JP;
Akira Shinshi, Koto-ku, JP;
Naoki Iwaya, Kawasaki, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A belt fixing unit, an image forming apparatus, and a toner material are disclosed capable of obviating undesirable fixing belt deformation and low image quality. The belt fixing unit includes a fixing roller, a heating roller, a fixing belt, and a pressing roller in contact with the fixing roller to form a fixing nip having the fixing belt intervening there between, the fixing belt including at least a base member formed of a heat-resisting resin having a thickness of 90 μm or smaller and acted upon by a tensile force of 0.49 N/mm or less. The toner is a low-melting point toner formed by subjecting a toner preparatory solution containing at least a prepolymer having a functional group containing a nitrogen atom, a polyester, a colorant and a releasing agent dispersed in an organic solvent to extension and/or crosslinking reactions in an aqueous medium.