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. 22, 2015
Filed:
Sep. 05, 2013
Yuji Kato, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasufumi Takahashi, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Sengoku, Kanagawa, JP;
Junpei Fujita, Kanagawa, JP;
Osamu Ichihashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuji Kato, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasufumi Takahashi, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Sengoku, Kanagawa, JP;
Junpei Fujita, Kanagawa, JP;
Osamu Ichihashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit; an intermediate transfer member; a secondary transfer member to form a secondary transfer nip with the intermediate transfer member and the secondary transfer member; a biasing mechanism to bias the secondary transfer member toward the intermediate transfer member; a cam member rotatable between a first position, at which a predetermined space is formed in the secondary transfer nip, and a second position, at which the secondary transfer member and the intermediate transfer member contact each other; and a contact-separation controller configured to put the cam member in the first position before entry of the recording medium into the secondary transfer nip, rotate the cam member toward the second position when the recording medium enters the secondary transfer nip, and change a start timing of rotation of the cam member in accordance with a thickness of the recording medium.