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:
Feb. 28, 2012
Filed:
Dec. 04, 2008
Yoshiaki Kawasaki, Shizuoka, JP;
Akihiro Sugino, Shizuoka, JP;
Mitsuaki Hirose, Shizuoka, JP;
Susumu Muramatsu, Shizuoka, JP;
Katsuo Kuribayashi, Shizuoka, JP;
Shoichi Wakabayashi, Shizuoka, JP;
Yoshiaki Kawasaki, Shizuoka, JP;
Akihiro Sugino, Shizuoka, JP;
Mitsuaki Hirose, Shizuoka, JP;
Susumu Muramatsu, Shizuoka, JP;
Katsuo Kuribayashi, Shizuoka, JP;
Shoichi Wakabayashi, Shizuoka, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
There is provided a temperature control unit for an electrophotographic photoconductor substrate, containing a stretchable membrane member which is detachably disposed in a hollow space of the cylindrical substrate, wherein the membrane member is configured to sequentially stretch until reaching the deepest part of the hollow space of the cylindrical substrate as a result of an introduction of a refrigerant therein to closely contact with an entire inner wall of the cylindrical substrate, and to sequentially shrink to the original shape thereof as a result of a release of the refrigerant therefrom, so that the membrane member is detachably disposed in the hollow space, and wherein the membrane member is configured to make a heat transfer between a surface of the cylindrical substrate and the refrigerant via the membrane member closely contacted with the inner surface of the cylindrical substrate, to control a surface temperature of the cylindrical substrate.