Patent ID: 7496307
Filing Date: 2009-02-24
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A fixing device for an electro-photographic recording apparatus, comprising: a back-up roller having an elastic layer on a surface of the back-up roller; and a heating roller, wherein a nip part is formed by a pressing mechanism where the back-up roller is pressed against the heating roller, wherein an axis-to-axis distance between the heating roller and the back-up roller is set to be a first value under a first fixing condition where an offset due to a rush/exhaust impact does not have adverse effect on the recording medium in case that a thin paper as the recording medium is transported through the nip part, while the back-up roller comes into contact with the heating roller to receive a driving force from the heating roller when the recording medium is not nipped at the nip part, wherein, when a thick paper as the recording medium is fixed, the axis-to-axis distance between the heating roller and the back-up roller is set to be a second value larger than the first value under the first fixing condition, and is set to be the second value under a second fixing condition where the back-up roller comes into contact with the heating roller to receive a driving force from the heating roller.