Patent ID: 7974560

Claim:
A fixing device, comprising: a fixing member; a pressing member held in contact with the fixing member to form a nip area therebetween, the fixing member and the pressing member operable to sandwich a paper, on which a toner image has been formed, at the nip area and fix the toner image onto the paper, and a separation mechanism arranged on a downstream side of the fixing member in a convey direction of the paper and capable of stripping from the fixing member the paper that has undergone the fixing process, wherein the separation mechanism includes: a separation member extending in a direction orthogonal to the paper convey direction and arranged opposite the fixing member in a state apart from the fixing member by a predetermined gap, a support shaft member extending in a direction orthogonal to the paper convey direction and rotatably supporting the separation member, a first gap adjustment unit capable of rotating the separation member around the support shaft member to adjust the predetermined gap in a rotation direction, and having a first biasing member biasing the separation member to rotate the separation member, and a first adjustment member regulating a biasing force of the first biasing member to adjust a rotation amount of the separation member, and a second gap adjustment unit capable of moving the separation member in a direction in which an imaginary surface from the support shaft member towards the fixing member extends, to adjust the predetermined gap in a surface direction, wherein the separation member is a single flat plate member having one end and an other end along the support shaft member, and the second gap adjustment unit allows the other end to move freely relative to the one end defined as a base that is fixed in position with respect to the support shaft member, so as to adjust the predetermined gap in the surface direction, and the second gap adjustment unit has a second biasing member biasing the other end of the separation member to cause the other end to move freely in the surface direction, and a second adjustment member regulating a biasing force of the second biasing member to adjust a free movement amount of the separation member in the surface direction.