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:
Dec. 11, 2012
Filed:
Jan. 14, 2011
Hiroyuki Kunii, Kanagawa, JP;
Akiyasu Amita, Kanagawa, JP;
Shuntaroh Tamaki, Kawasaki, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A gloss applicator, disposed downstream from a fusing device for fusing a non-fused image on a recording medium, includes a pair of pressure units, an endless belt, and a belt suction unit. The pair of pressure units define a gloss nip therebetween through which the recording medium is passed to enhance glossiness of the fused image. The endless belt, disposed in one of the pressure units in an extended loop configuration, transports the recording medium thereon. An outer face of the endless belt can contact the fused image on the recording medium. The belt suction unit, disposed inside the endless belt loop, exerts suction on the endless belt to locally deform a given portion of the endless belt and separate the recording medium from the endless belt at the given portion as a separation position.