Patent ID: 8249491

Claim:
A fixing device, comprising: a heater; a fixing member formed in a loop, to rotate in a predetermined direction and fix a toner image on a recording medium by heating and fusing the toner image; a rotary pressing member disposed opposite the fixing member, to press against the fixing member to form a nip between the fixing member and the pressing member through which the recording medium bearing the toner image passes; a recording medium passing area defined on the fixing member and through which the recording medium is conveyed, having a width extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium; an air supply tube disposed downstream from the nip in the direction of conveyance of the recording medium and connected to an air source of an image forming apparatus, to supply compressed air; a plurality of nozzles diverging from the air supply tube along a long axis direction of the nip perpendicular to the direction of conveyance the recording medium, to inject compressed air against the recording medium passing through the nip; and an exhaust opening in the air supply tube, disposed outside the recording medium passing area at an extreme upstream end in the direction of the flow of compressed air near the air source before the nozzles.