Patent ID: 8571457

Claim:
A fixing device comprising: a thermal member that is stationary and at least partially tubular, the thermal member having a tubular portion extending in an axial direction and defining a closed axial cross-section, and a circumference of the thermal member is subjected to heating; a flexible fuser belt looped for rotation around the thermal member, an inner circumference of the flexible fuser belt at least partially facing the thermal member to transfer heat from the circumference of the thermal member; a fuser pad held stationary inside the loop of the flexible fuser belt; and a rotatable pressure member extending opposite the thermal member in the axial direction with the flexible fuser belt interposed between the fuser pad and the rotatable pressure member, wherein the fuser pad is pressed against the rotatable pressure member through the flexible fuser belt to form a fixing nip through which a recording medium is passed to fix a toner image on the recording medium under heat and pressure, wherein the thermal member is spaced apart from the fuser pad, so as to isolate the thermal member from pressure transmitted through the fuser pad from the rotatable pressure member, and wherein a first gap between adjacent surfaces of the thermal member and the fuser pad is substantially the same as a second gap between adjacent surfaces of the thermal member and the flexible fuser belt.