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:
Jan. 07, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 07, 2011
Tadashi Ogawa, Tokyo, JP;
Masanao Ehara, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoshi Ueno, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Seo, Kanagawa, JP;
Takahiro Imada, Kanagawa, JP;
Takamasa Hase, Kanagawa, JP;
Tadashi Ogawa, Tokyo, JP;
Masanao Ehara, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoshi Ueno, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Seo, Kanagawa, JP;
Takahiro Imada, Kanagawa, JP;
Takamasa Hase, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing unit includes a fixing member to fuse a toner image on a recording medium on the recording medium; a pressure member to press against the fixing member to define a first nip between the fixing member and the pressure member through which the recording medium is transported; a shifting unit to move the pressure member relative to the fixing member to increase or decrease a pressure of the first nip; a curling correction unit disposed downstream from the first nip in a transport direction of the recording medium that imparts a second curling direction to the recording medium; and a variable setting unit operatively connected to the curling correction unit to variably set an amount of the second curling direction to the recording medium by the curling correction unit depending on the first nip pressure increased or decreased by the shifting unit.