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. 11, 2007
Filed:
Jul. 11, 2005
Yukimichi Someya, Saitama, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Yokohama, JP;
Atsushi Nakafuji, Ota-ku, JP;
Katsuhiro Echigo, Asaka, JP;
Hiroyuki Kunii, Yokohama, JP;
Shigeo Kurotaka, Sagamihara, JP;
Hisashi Kikuchi, Kawasaki, JP;
Toshihiko Baba, Ota-ku, JP;
Kohji Ue, Kawasaki, JP;
Hiromitsu Takagaki, Yokohama, JP;
Hirohmi Tamura, Yokohama, JP;
Yukimichi Someya, Saitama, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Yokohama, JP;
Atsushi Nakafuji, Ota-ku, JP;
Katsuhiro Echigo, Asaka, JP;
Hiroyuki Kunii, Yokohama, JP;
Shigeo Kurotaka, Sagamihara, JP;
Hisashi Kikuchi, Kawasaki, JP;
Toshihiko Baba, Ota-ku, JP;
Kohji Ue, Kawasaki, JP;
Hiromitsu Takagaki, Yokohama, JP;
Hirohmi Tamura, Yokohama, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A transfer-fixing unit for use in an image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer member and a transfer-fixing unit, which includes a pressure member and a transfer-fixing member. The intermediate transfer member receives a toner image thereon. The transfer-fixing member has a deformable surface layer thereon, and directly receives the toner image from the intermediate transfer member, and transfers and fixes the toner image to a recording medium while deforming the surface layer in response to surface irregularities of the recording medium. The transfer-fixing member forms a nip portion with the pressure member and presses the recording medium at the nip portion when the recording medium passes through the nip portion with a nip time.