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:
Apr. 10, 2018
Filed:
Oct. 27, 2015
Kenji Nozawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Masahiko Satoh, Tokyo, JP;
Masami Okamoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Keisuke Kubota, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuuki Kikushima, Kanagawa, JP;
Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumihiro Hirose, Kanagawa, JP;
Kensuke Yamaji, Kanagawa, JP;
Kaori Hemmi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Nozawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Masahiko Satoh, Tokyo, JP;
Masami Okamoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Keisuke Kubota, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuuki Kikushima, Kanagawa, JP;
Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumihiro Hirose, Kanagawa, JP;
Kensuke Yamaji, Kanagawa, JP;
Kaori Hemmi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt stretched taut across a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation. A pressure rotator is pressed against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt to separate the recording medium from the fixing belt, includes a contact face contacting an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt and a bulge disposed at a center of the contact face in a longitudinal direction of the separation aid. The bulge projects toward the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt relative to each lateral end of the contact face in the longitudinal direction of the separation aid.