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:
Jun. 23, 2009
Filed:
Jun. 01, 2007
Takashi Seto, Yokohama, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Yokohama, JP;
Katsuaki Miyawaki, Yokohama, JP;
Shin Kayahara, Yokohama, JP;
Atsushi Nakafuji, Tokyo, JP;
Kazumi Suzuki, Suntoh-gun, JP;
Hirohmi Tamura, Ebina, JP;
Hiromitsu Takagaki, Yokohama, JP;
Takashi Seto, Yokohama, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Yokohama, JP;
Katsuaki Miyawaki, Yokohama, JP;
Shin Kayahara, Yokohama, JP;
Atsushi Nakafuji, Tokyo, JP;
Kazumi Suzuki, Suntoh-gun, JP;
Hirohmi Tamura, Ebina, JP;
Hiromitsu Takagaki, Yokohama, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a latent electrostatic image forming unit, a developing unit, an intermediate transferring unit which has an intermediate transfer belt and a plurality of rollers supporting the intermediate transfer belt, and a transfer fixing unit. The transfer fixing unit has a transfer fixing belt, a plurality of rollers supporting the transfer fixing belt, a heating member, and a pressurizing member forming a transfer fixing nip with the transfer fixing belt. A first roller, which is one of the plurality of rollers supporting the intermediate transferring belt, is opposite to a second roller, which is one of the plurality of rollers supporting the fixing transfer belt. The first roller and the second roller form a transfer nip between the intermediate transferring belt and the fixing transfer belt. The diameter of the first roller is smaller than the diameter of the second roller.