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. 28, 2012
Filed:
Jun. 30, 2010
Osamu Okamoto, Moriya, JP;
Osamu Okamoto, Moriya, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable member; a belt member, contactable to the rotatable member, for forming a nip in which an image on a recording material is heated; a pressing member, disposed inside the belt member, for pressing the belt member against the rotatable member; a lubricant application member for applying a lubricant onto an inner surface of the belt member; a contact-and-separation device for moving the belt member toward and away from the rotatable member; and a switching mechanism for switching a contact pressure of the lubricant application member on the belt member, when the belt member is separated from the rotatable member, so as to be smaller than that when the belt member contacts the rotatable member.