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:
Jan. 05, 2016
Filed:
Mar. 27, 2015
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Tomoaki Hazeyama, Yokkaichi, JP;
Naoyuki Iwata, Kagamihara, JP;
Yasuhiro Maruyama, Kasugai, JP;
Akihiro Kobayashi, Yokkaichi, JP;
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device includes an endless belt, a nip member having a contact surface that is in contact with the inner surface of the endless belt, a backup member configured to pinch the endless belt in conjunction with the nip member, an upstream guide disposed upstream of the nip portion in the rotating direction, and a regulating portion. The upstream guide and the nip member are disposed while a first gap is provided, in a conveying direction of the recording sheet, between a middle portion of the upstream guide and a middle portion of the nip member. The regulating portion and one of the upstream guide and the nip member are disposed while a second gap is provided therebetween in the conveying direction of the recording sheet. The second gap is smaller than the first gap in the conveying direction of the recording sheet.