Patent ID: 8792794
Filing Date: 2014-07-29
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A fixing device comprising: a fixing unit that has a nip conveying a recording medium while fixing an image to the recording medium by pressure and heat applied to the recording medium; two rollers that are disposed downstream of the nip in a conveying direction of the recording medium and cooperating with each other to convey the recording medium discharged from the nip; a guide member that is disposed between the nip and the two rollers, faces a first side of the recording medium, the first side having no recorded image, and guides the recording medium through a conveying path; a detection unit that is disposed substantially parallel to the guide member opposite to the guide member across the recording medium conveyed between the nip and the two rollers, the detection unit detecting jamming of the recording medium on the basis of a pressure greater than a predetermined value applied by the recording medium between the nip and the two rollers; an urging unit that urges the recording medium toward the guide member between the nip and the two rollers, a position changing unit that changes the position of the detection unit with respect to the guide member; a distance determining unit that determines the distance between the guide member and the detection unit based on the weight per unit area of the recording medium; a position control unit that controls the operation of the position changing unit such that the distance between the guide member and the detection unit is set to the distance determined by the distance determining unit; an urging-force determining unit that determines the magnitude of an urging force applied by the urging unit based on the weight per unit area of the recording medium; and an urging control unit that controls the operation of the urging unit such that the magnitude of the urging force is set to the magnitude determined by the urging-force determining unit; wherein the distance between the nip and the two rollers is smaller than the length of the recording medium along the conveying direction, the distance between the guide member and the detection unit is greater than the distance between the guide member and the recording medium passing between the nip and the two rollers while being urged by the urging unit, and the distance determining unit determines the distance between the guide member and the detection unit based on the weight per unit area of the recording medium and the magnitude of the urging force to be applied by the urging unit determined by the urging-force determining unit.