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:
Jun. 09, 2015
Filed:
Jan. 29, 2013
Teruki Kusahara, Shizuoka, JP;
Tomoyuki Satoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoshi Ogawa, Nara, JP;
Kiwako Hirohara, Miyagi, JP;
Teruki Kusahara, Shizuoka, JP;
Tomoyuki Satoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoshi Ogawa, Nara, JP;
Kiwako Hirohara, Miyagi, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus including: image bearing member; latent image forming unit; developing unit; transfer unit; fixing unit, wherein toner in the developing unit contains amorphous polymer, crystalline resin and releasing agent, when the toner is measured for G' at 40° C. to 210° C. with rheometer at 1 Hz and 1 deg, G′(100) is ≦20,000 and G′(150) is ≧500 Pa, and straight line drawn by connecting points of the G′(100) and G′(110) on curve of the G′ has gradient of ≦0.035, the gradient being 'a' expressed by: a=|logG′(100)−logG′(110)|/10, and the fixing unit includes: heating member containing flexible endless belt; heat source fixed within the flexible endless belt; and press member in contact with the belt to form nip portion, and the fixing unit is configured to heat/press the medium passing through the nip portion to fix the image on the medium.