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:
Dec. 29, 2015
Filed:
Jun. 29, 2012
Hirohmi Tamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoru Ishikake, Kanagawa, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuji Yoshida, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Bisaiji, Kanagawa, JP;
Hirohmi Tamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoru Ishikake, Kanagawa, JP;
Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuji Yoshida, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Bisaiji, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus including multiple imaging units and a fixing unit is provided. Each of the imaging units includes an image bearing member, a developing device containing a toner including a pressure-induced phase transition resin or a thermoplastic resin, a transfer device, and an image bearing member cleaner, and is adapted to form a toner image with the toner. The fixing unit includes a pressure fixing device adapted to fix the toner including the pressure-induced phase transition resin on the recording medium by applying a temperature Tb and a pressure Pb thereto in a pressure fixing nip, and a heat fixing device adapted to fix the toner including the thermoplastic resin on the recording medium by applying a temperature Ta and a pressure Pa thereto in a heat fixing nip. The image forming apparatus satisfies the following inequations: Tb<Ta and Pb>Pa.