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:
May. 26, 2015
Filed:
Feb. 26, 2014
Takamasa Hase, Shizuoka, JP;
Shinya Nakayama, Shizuoka, JP;
Atsushi Yamamoto, Osaka, JP;
Hideyuki Santo, Kanagawa, JP;
Minoru Masuda, Shizuoka, JP;
Yukiko Iwasaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Tsuneyasu Nagatomo, Shizuoka, JP;
Takamasa Hase, Shizuoka, JP;
Shinya Nakayama, Shizuoka, JP;
Atsushi Yamamoto, Osaka, JP;
Hideyuki Santo, Kanagawa, JP;
Minoru Masuda, Shizuoka, JP;
Yukiko Iwasaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Tsuneyasu Nagatomo, Shizuoka, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a charger; an irradiator; a development device having an accommodation unit to accommodate toner to obtain a visible image; a transfer device; and a fixing device to fix the visible image transferred onto a recording medium. The fixing device having a fixing rotation member; and a pressure rotation member to form a nipping portion by contacting the fixing rotation member, wherein the surface pressure of the nipping portion is 1.5 kgf/cmor less, wherein the fixing rotation member has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mmor less at 23° C., wherein the ratio of the projected area of a single particle of the toner onto the recording medium at 120° C. to the projected area of a single particle of the toner onto the recording medium at 23° C. is 1.60 or less.