Patent ID: 8909074

Claim:
A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium, comprising: a fixing roller to rotate in a predetermined direction of rotation; a pressing roller to rotate and contact an outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller to form a nip between the pressing roller and the fixing roller through which the recording medium bearing the toner image passes to fix the toner image on the recording medium with heat and pressure, a position of the pressing roller changeable relative to the fixing roller; at least one of a sheet guide disposed upstream from the nip in the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, to guide the recording medium to the nip; a sheet separation plate disposed downstream from the nip in the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, to separate the recording medium from the pressing roller; and an electric component module; and a sheet discharger rotatably supported and disposed downstream from the sheet separation plate in the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, to discharge the recording medium separated from the pressing roller by the sheet separation plate, at least one of the sheet guide, the sheet separation plate, and the electric component module moving in conjunction with movement of the pressing roller as a single integrated unit without changing relative positions with respect to the pressing roller.