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:
May. 10, 2016
Filed:
Sep. 04, 2014
Konica Minolta, Inc., Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, JP;
Satoshi Ogata, Hachioji, JP;
Takeshi Tamada, Toyohashi, JP;
Kenji Izumiya, Hachioji, JP;
Hiroshi Oyama, Hino, JP;
Masayuki Watanabe, Fuchu, JP;
KONICA MINOLTA, INC., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing apparatus comprises a fixing nip width adjustment unit configured to adjust the fixing nip width of a fixing nip portion; a braking force generation motor configured to generate an effective braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of an upper pressure roller; and a control unit configured to perform restore control for rotating the upper pressure roller and a lower pressure roller by driving a drive motor and speed keeping control for keeping the rotational speed of the braking force generation motor no higher than a predetermined speed during the restore control in a non-fixing period in which the fixing nip width adjustment unit is controlled to decrease the fixing nip width smaller than in a fixing period and a braking force is applied to the fixing side member by the braking force generation motor.