Patent ID: 9618890
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: G03G

Claim:
1. A fixing device comprising: a fixing member and a pressure member which are provided so as to separate away from or come in contact with each other and to form a fixing nip, the fixing member having a flexibility and deformable by separating away from or coming in contact with the pressure member, a separation member, which is a flexible thin plate, is disposed to face the fixing member along a length direction of the fixing member and is configured to separate a sheet passed through the fixing nip from the fixing member, and a separation/contact mechanism configured to support the separation member such that a fixing member side edge portion of the separation member is deformed along the fixing member in synchronization with the separating and contacting of the fixing member and the pressure member, wherein the separation/contact mechanism deforms the separation member so that a center portion in a length direction of the separation member protrudes toward the fixing member as a fixing pressure in the fixing nip is increased.