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:
Mar. 19, 2013
Filed:
Sep. 09, 2010
Akiyasu Amita, Yokohama, JP;
Hiroyuki Kunii, Yokohama, JP;
Shuntaroh Tamaki, Kawasaki, JP;
Ricoh Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device including a fixing unit that fixes a toner image on a recording material by application of heat and pressure, and a glossing unit that controls a gloss of the toner image fixed on the recording material. The glossing unit includes a heating roller, an endless belt stretched taut over multiple rollers including the heating roller, a pressing roller pressed against the heating roller with the endless belt therebetween to form a nip therebetween, and a separating member that separates the recording material from the endless belt downstream from the nip. The multiple rollers are positioned to maintain the recording material in contact with the endless belt for a predetermined distance downstream from the nip. The separating member is movable along the endless belt downstream from the nip, to control a length of contact between the recording material and the endless belt.