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:
Feb. 23, 2016
Filed:
Mar. 06, 2015
Fumihiro Hirose, Kanagawa, JP;
Masami Okamoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Keisuke Kubota, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Nozawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuuki Kikushima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshikuni Sasaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Kensuke Yamaji, Kanagawa, JP;
Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kanagawa, JP;
Kaori Hemmi, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumihiro Hirose, Kanagawa, JP;
Masami Okamoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Keisuke Kubota, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Nozawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuuki Kikushima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshikuni Sasaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Kensuke Yamaji, Kanagawa, JP;
Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kanagawa, JP;
Kaori Hemmi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device includes a fixing belt stretched taut across a fixing rotator and a support rotator. A pressure rotator is pressed against the fixing rotator via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. The pressure rotator includes a recess defining an outer diameter of each lateral end of the pressure rotator in an axial direction thereof that is greater than an outer diameter of a center of the pressure rotator in the axial direction thereof. A first separator is disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction and contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The first separator is isolated from the pressure rotator and includes a projection disposed opposite the recess of the pressure rotator.