Patent ID: 8874021

Claim:
A mechanism for guiding a recording medium into a nip formed between a first rotary member subjected to heating, and a second rotary member pressed against the first rotary member, the mechanism comprising: a guide member disposed upstream from the nip to guide the recording medium therealong; and a biasing member connected to the guide member to mechanically bias the guide member, the guide member being subjected to a constant biasing force from the biasing member and to a pressure force from the recording medium, the pressure force being opposite the biasing force and variable with a stiffness of the recording medium being guided, the guide member being movable to different operational positions depending on the biasing and pressure forces acting thereon, wherein the guide member comprises: a shaft defining a rotational axis around which the guide member is rotatable; a pair of upstream and downstream guide plates arranged in series in a direction in which the recording medium is conveyed to together define a smooth, continuous guide surface along which the recording medium is guided, and the shaft is affixed to the downstream guide plate but not to the upstream guide plate.