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:
Nov. 07, 2006
Filed:
Jul. 13, 2004
Masahiro Fukuda, Tokyo, JP;
Tatsuya Murakami, Tokyo, JP;
Masato Sakai, Tokyo, JP;
Oki Data Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller, a separator, and spacers. The fixing roller is heated while rotating. The fixing roller is in pressure contact with a recording medium that is advancing so that the developer deposited on the recording medium is fused. The separator extends across a path of the recording medium so that a predetermined amount of gap is defined between the separator and the fixing roller. The separator guides the recording medium to separate from the fixing roller. The spacers are disposed at longitudinal end portions of the separator outside of the path between the fixing roller and the separator to define the predetermined amount of gap. The spacers are movable in a direction at an angle with a surface of the recording medium. The urging member urges the spacers against the fixing roller.