Patent ID: 8447221

Claim:
A fixing device comprising: a heating rotary body rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation; a heater disposed opposite the heating rotary body to heat the heating rotary body; a stationary pad contacting an outer circumferential surface of the heating rotary body that slides over the stationary pad in a center span in an axial direction of the heating rotary body; a flexible endless fixing belt looped over the heating rotary body and the stationary pad; a pressing rotary body, rotatable in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of the heating rotary body, pressed against the heating rotary body via the fixing belt and the stationary pad interposed between the fixing belt and heating rotary body to form a fixing nip between the pressing rotary body and the fixing belt through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed, the pressing rotary body to drive and rotate the fixing belt by friction therebetween which in turn drives and rotates the heating rotary body by friction between the fixing belt and the heating rotary body; and an anti-slip member contacting an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt in a lateral end span in the axial direction of the heating rotary body to press the fixing belt against the heating rotary body to prevent slippage of the heating rotary body and the fixing belt, the lateral end span being at each lateral end of the heating rotary body and outboard from the center span in the axial direction of the heating rotary body.