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:
Sep. 03, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 18, 2012
Takahiro Yoshikawa, Sagamihara, JP;
Takahiro Yoshikawa, Sagamihara, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The fixing device includes a fixing roller, a separation roller, an endless fixing belt, and a pressing roller. The fixing roller includes a first elastic layer as a surface layer and has a roller hardness A. The separation roller includes a second elastic layer as a surface layer and has a roller hardness B smaller than the roller hardness A of the fixing roller. The endless fixing belt is wound around the fixing roller and the separation roller. The pressing roller is pressed against the fixing roller and the separation roller via the fixing belt to form a nip portion between the fixing belt and the pressing roller through which the recording medium bearing the toner image passes. The pressing roller includes a third elastic layer as a surface layer and has a roller hardness C not smaller than the roller hardness A of the fixing roller.