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:
Jul. 04, 2017
Filed:
Mar. 08, 2016
Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshio Hattori, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Haruyuki Honda, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshio Hattori, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryuuichi Mimbu, Kanagawa, JP;
Haruyuki Honda, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device includes a fixing member; a heater to heat the fixing member; a nip forming member to contact the fixing member; and a pressure member, disposed opposite the nip forming member to press against the fixing member to form a fixing nip portion together with the nip forming member. The fixing device applies heat and pressure to fix an image transferred to a recording sheet when the recording sheet passes through the fixing nip. The nip forming member includes a first and second planar portions disposed at an upstream end and a downstream end, respectively, of the fixing nip portion, and the first planar portion and the second planar portion are continuous with a curved portion of the nip forming member. A guide member guides the recording sheet to bend in a direction opposite a back curl of the recording sheet generated in the fixing nip portion.