Patent ID: 8712268
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A fixing apparatus comprising: a heater; a belt member to which the heater is in contact with on an inner circumferential surface; a back-up member configured to form a fixing nip portion with the heater via the belt member for performing fixing processing on a recording material; and a pressure adjustment mechanism configured to be capable of setting a pressing force to be applied to the fixing nip portion to a first pressing force and a second pressing force that is lower than the first pressing force, wherein the fixing apparatus is capable of executing a first fixing mode in which fixing processing is performed at the first pressing force and a second fixing mode in which fixing processing is performed at the second pressing force, and wherein the heater includes a first heating member pattern and a second heating member pattern, and if the first pressing force is set to the pressing force to be applied to the fixing nip portion, all of the first heating member pattern and the second heating member pattern are contained within a contact region between the heater and the belt member, and if the second pressing force is set to the pressing force to be applied to the fixing nip portion, all of the first heating member pattern is contained within the contact region and at least a portion of the second heating member pattern is disposed outside the contact region.