Patent ID: 9037061
Filing Date: 2015-05-19
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A fixing apparatus comprising: a cylindrical belt; a back-up member contacting an inner surface of said belt; and a roller contacting an outer surface of said belt, said roller being provided with an elastic layer, said roller being cooperative with said back-up member to sandwich said belt and form a fixing nip between said belt and said roller; wherein a recording material carrying an unfixed toner image is nipped and fed through the fixing nip, during which the unfixed toner image on the recording material is heated and fixed thereon by the fixing nip, wherein said back-up member includes a portion contactable with the inner surface of said belt, the portion having such a configuration that said belt forms a first curved surface which is substantially convex toward said roller in an upstream region in said fixing nip with respect to a moving direction of said belt and that said belt forms a second curved surface which is substantially convex toward said back-up member in a downstream region in said fixing nip with respect to the moving direction, and wherein a region of the first curved surface extends from a center portion of said fixing nip with respect to the moving direction to a downstream side of said fixing nip.