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. 27, 2016
Filed:
Oct. 23, 2015
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshio Hattori, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasunori Ishigaya, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuya Saito, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Keitaro Shoji, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing rotator and an opposed rotator pressed against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heater heats the fixing rotator. A temperature sensor contacts the opposed rotator to detect a temperature of the opposed rotator. A conveyor conveys the recording medium to the fixing nip. A driver drives the conveyor. A controller, operatively connected to the temperature sensor and the driver, controls the driver to drive the conveyor to convey the recording medium to the fixing nip based on the temperature of the opposed rotator detected by the temperature sensor. The controller causes the driver to be ready to drive the conveyor when a change in the detected temperature of the opposed rotator per unit time reaches a predetermined threshold.