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:
Nov. 10, 2015
Filed:
Sep. 12, 2013
Yutaka Naitoh, Hyogo, JP;
Shigeo Nanno, Kyoto, JP;
Tomohiko Fujii, Hyogo, JP;
Minoru Toyoda, Hyogo, JP;
Hitoshi Fujiwara, Osaka, JP;
Tomoya Adachi, Hyogo, JP;
Yasuharu Kawarasaki, Osaka, JP;
Tetsu Morino, Kanagawa, JP;
Yutaka Naitoh, Hyogo, JP;
Shigeo Nanno, Kyoto, JP;
Tomohiko Fujii, Hyogo, JP;
Minoru Toyoda, Hyogo, JP;
Hitoshi Fujiwara, Osaka, JP;
Tomoya Adachi, Hyogo, JP;
Yasuharu Kawarasaki, Osaka, JP;
Tetsu Morino, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device fixes a toner image on a recording medium transported to a fixing nip by applying pressure and heat to the recording medium. The fixing device includes an endless belt formed into a loop with both ends bonded together, the belt accommodating a heat source inside thereof, a pressing roller rotating in contact with the endless belt forming the fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing roller, and a fixed member provided inside a loop of the endless belt to press the endless belt against a pressing roller. A reinforcing member is bonded to the fixed member inside the loop of the endless belt to reinforce the fixed member. A reflector is provided to reflect light emitted from the heat source toward the inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The reflector is held on the reinforcing member by either plastically or elastically deforming by itself.