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. 12, 2016
Filed:
Feb. 20, 2014
Junichi Ichikawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Seiichi Kogure, Kanagawa, JP;
Junpei Fujita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuki Yogosawa, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Sugiura, Kanagawa, JP;
Junichi Ichikawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Seiichi Kogure, Kanagawa, JP;
Junpei Fujita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuki Yogosawa, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Sugiura, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A transfer device includes a nip forming member to contact a surface of an image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween, a pressing device, and a nip pressure changing device. The pressing device includes a plurality of elastic members, to produce a contact pressure between the nip forming member and the image bearing member according to a restoring force of at least one of the elastic members upon deformation of the elastic member. The nip pressure changing device changes an amount of elastic deformation of the elastic member between at least two stages to change a nip pressure of the transfer nip. While the contact pressure is produced by one of the elastic members, the nip pressure changing device changes the amount of elastic deformation of a different elastic member, different from the one that produces the contact pressure, to change the nip pressure of the transfer nip.