Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.
Transfer-fixing unit with a surface layer of predefined hardness for use in an image forming apparatus
A transfer-fixing unit for use in an image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer member and a transfer-fixing unit, which includes a pressure member and a transfer-fixing member. The intermediate transfer member receives a toner image thereon. The transfer-fixing member has a deformable surface layer thereon, and directly receives the toner image from the intermediate transfer member, and transfers and fixes the toner image to a recording medium while deforming the surface layer in response to surface irregularities of the recording medium. The transfer-fixing member forms a nip portion with the pressure member and presses the recording medium at the nip portion when the recording medium passes through the nip portion with a nip time.
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
G G
G03G G03G
additional inventional
Toshihiko Hiroyuki Atsushi Hisashi Hiromitsu Shigeo Katsuhiro Kohji Takashi Yukimichi Hirohmi
Baba Kunii Nakafuji Kikuchi Takagaki Kurotaka Echigo Ue Fujita Someya Tamura