Patent ID: 8463150

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an electrophotographic imaging unit to form a toner image on a recording medium; a fixing device to fix the toner image in place on the recording medium traveling along a conveyance path, the fixing device including: a fuser member defining a first heatable surface rotatable to convey the recording medium therealong; a pressure member defining a second heatable surface rotatable to convey the recording medium therealong; a first motor connected to the fuser member to rotate at a first rotation rate to drive the first surface at a first conveyance speed; a second motor connected to the pressure member to rotate at a second rotation rate to drive the second surface at a second conveyance speed; a pressure adjuster disposed adjacent to the pressure member to press the pressure member against the fuser member at a variable pressure to form a fixing nip with a variable width extending along the conveyance path, the fuser and pressure members together passing the recording medium through the fixing nip to fix the toner image thereon with heat and pressure; and a controller connected to the first and second motors to adjust at least one of the first and second rotation rates relative to the other to keep the first and second conveyance speeds substantially equal to each other; and a glossing device disposed downstream from the fixing device along the conveyance path to provide a gloss on the toner image after fixing, the glossing device including a pair of first and second rotatable glossing members, at least one of the first and second glossing members being heated, and at least one of the first and second glossing member being pressed against the other at a variable pressure to form a glossing nip of a variable width extending along the conveyance path through which the recording sheet passes under heat and pressure to gloss the toner image, wherein the glossing device includes a third motor, separate from the first and second motors of the fixing device, connected to the controller and a selected one of the first and second glossing members, to rotate at a third rotation rate to drive the selected one of the first and second glossing members at a third conveyance speed, wherein the controller adjusts at least one of the second and third motor rotation rates relative to each other to maintain a specific ratio range between the second and third conveyance speeds, and wherein the controller adjusts the second and third motor rotation rates based on at least one of surface temperature of the pressure member, and surface temperature of the selected one of the first and second glossing members.