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:
Aug. 04, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 28, 2006
Atsushi Nakafuji, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroyuki Kunii, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Yukimichi Someya, Saitama-ken, JP;
Katsuhiro Echigo, Saitama-ken, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Kanagawa-Ken, JP;
Hisashi Kikuchi, Kanagawa-Ken, JP;
Toshihiko Baba, Tokyo, JP;
Shigeo Kurotaka, Kanagawa-Ken, JP;
Atsushi Nakafuji, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroyuki Kunii, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Yukimichi Someya, Saitama-ken, JP;
Katsuhiro Echigo, Saitama-ken, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Kanagawa-Ken, JP;
Hisashi Kikuchi, Kanagawa-Ken, JP;
Toshihiko Baba, Tokyo, JP;
Shigeo Kurotaka, Kanagawa-Ken, JP;
Ricoh Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus, includes an image forming mechanism configured to form an image, and a fixing unit configured to fix a toner image formed on a recording medium. The fixing unit includes a fixing device having a first endless moving member configured to rotate, and a second endless moving member configured to rotate to form a nip area together with the first endless moving member to fix, at the nip area, a toner image disposed on the recording medium onto the recording medium with heat and pressure, the second endless moving member including a surface layer having a universal hardness HU and a maximum nip surface pressure P each within a predetermined range.