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:
May. 04, 2010
Filed:
Sep. 19, 2007
Atsushi Nakafuji, Ota-Ku, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Yokohama, JP;
Shin Kayahara, Yokohama, JP;
Hiromitsu Takagaki, Yokohama, JP;
Takashi Seto, Yokohama, JP;
Katsuaki Miyawaki, Yokohama, JP;
Kazumi Suzuki, Sunnto-gun, JP;
Hirohmi Tamura, Ebina, JP;
Atsushi Nakafuji, Ota-Ku, JP;
Takashi Fujita, Yokohama, JP;
Shin Kayahara, Yokohama, JP;
Hiromitsu Takagaki, Yokohama, JP;
Takashi Seto, Yokohama, JP;
Katsuaki Miyawaki, Yokohama, JP;
Kazumi Suzuki, Sunnto-gun, JP;
Hirohmi Tamura, Ebina, JP;
Ricoh Company Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier for bearing a visible image thereon, an endless transfer-fixing belt stretchedly disposed between a plurality of spanning members, a pressure member for pressing the transfer-fixing belt to the image carrier while contacting a backside of the transfer-fixing belt at the transfer nip, and a heater for heating the visible image. The visible image on the image carrier is transferred onto the front surface of the transfer-fixing belt at the transfer nip and is transported to the transfer-fixing nip while heated by the heater, where the visible image is transferred and fixed on a recording member. The transfer-fixing belt is stretchedly arranged such that the transfer-fixing belt travels in a direction substantially perpendicular to a pressure direction of the pressure member in the proximity of the transfer nip.