Patent ID: 8107865

Claim:
An image forming apparatus including a fixing device having a first roller and a second roller to press against each other with a sheet of printing paper to be transferred therebetween, the apparatus comprising: a roller frame to support the first roller; a separation claw, which, when disposed in an operational position on an outer circumferential surface of the first roller, serves to separate the sheet of printing paper from the first roller; a claw frame to support the separation claw, which is movably attached to the roller frame to allow the separation claw to move between the operational position and a withdrawal position, at which the separation claw is withdrawn from the operational position, the claw frame being movably attached to the roller frame so as to enable a gravitational force applied to claw frame to pull the claw frame downward as the separation claw moves from the withdrawal position to the operational position; and an elastic member, which is coupled between the claw frame and the roller frame, to bias the claw frame such that a combination of biasing force applied to the claw frame and the gravitational force applied to the claw frame causes the separation claw to move from the withdrawal position to the operational position, wherein, the claw frame is movably attached to the roller frame such that the claw frame moves in a direction against the gravitational force applied to the claw frame as the separation claw moves from the operational position to the withdrawal position.