Patent ID: 7086727

Claim:
A heat fixing apparatus for heating a recording medium having a substrate, a fixing layer and a surface layer so as to sublimate sublimating ink applied in advance to the surface layer for transferring the sublimated ink to the fixing layer, the apparatus comprising: a heating case for forming a heating space; a flat guide member for guiding the recording medium introduced into the heating case by supporting the medium from a lower face thereof; a sheet heater acting as a first heater provided on a lower arc of the guide member for heating the guide member; an upper-face contact roller for coming into contact with an upper face of the recording medium as being supported by the flat guide member so as to apply a transporting force to the recording medium; a second heater provided upwardly of the guide member; and a blower fan for supplying air heated by said second heater on the upper face of the recording medium as being supported by the guide member; wherein an outer peripheral face of said upper-face contact roller and an upper face of the guide member define therebetween a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the recording medium, and wherein said upper-face contact roller is arranged to oppose to said sheet heater through said guide member proximately above said sheet heater.