Patent ID: 9395673
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A fixing device comprising: an endless belt; a heater, which extends inside the endless belt; a nip plate, which is capable of being in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt; a backup member, which forms a nip, where a recording sheet is to be conveyed in a conveyance direction, between the endless belt and the backup member by interposing the endless belt between the nip plate and the backup member; a reflective plate, which is disposed between the heater and the nip plate; a stay, which is disposed between the reflective plate and the nip plate; and a heat insulating member, which is interposed between the stay and the nip plate, wherein the heat insulating member includes: an upstream support face, which supports the nip plate; and a downstream support face, which is disposed downstream in the conveyance direction separated from the upstream support face and supports the nip plate, wherein the conveyance direction is perpendicular to the heat insulating member, and wherein a gap in the conveyance direction between the upstream support face and the downstream support face at a central portion in a longitudinal direction of the heat insulating member is smaller than a gap in the conveyance direction between the upstream support face and the downstream support face at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the heat insulating member.