Patent ID: 8602414

Claim:
A separating device, comprising: a fixing portion including a first fixing member and a second fixing member that contact each other and form a fixing nip portion therebetween, said first fixing member and said second fixing member being configured to fix a developer to a medium at said fixing nip portion and to convey said medium through said fixing nip portion; a conveying portion provided on a downstream side of said fixing portion in a conveying direction of said medium, said conveying portion including a first conveying member and a second conveying member that contact each other and form a conveying nip portion therebetween, said first conveying member and said second conveying member being configured to convey said medium through said conveying nip portion; a separating portion provided between said fixing portion and said conveying portion; and a biasing portion that biases said separating portion in a direction in which said separating portion contacts said fixing portion; wherein said separating portion comprises: a separating claw biased by said biasing portion to contact said first fixing member so as to separate said medium from said first fixing member; a first guiding portion rotatably provided on said separating claw, said first guiding portion being movable along with said separating claw; and a rotation fulcrum provided on a downstream side of said first guiding portion in said conveying direction of said medium, said rotation fulcrum supporting said separating claw so that said separating claw is movable to contact with or separate from said first fixing member; wherein said separating claw contacts with or separates from said first fixing member based on said first guiding portion being biased by said medium; wherein said first guiding portion protrudes to a side opposite to said rotation fulcrum across a first straight line connecting a terminal point of said fixing nip portion of said fixing portion and a starting point of said conveying nip portion of said conveying portion; wherein said first guiding portion protrudes to the side opposite to said rotation fulcrum across said first straight line, irrespective of whether said first guiding portion is biased by said medium or not; wherein said separating portion further comprises a second guiding portion rotatably provided on said separating claw for guiding said medium separated from said fixing portion to said conveying portion; and wherein said second guiding portion is located between said rotation fulcrum and said conveying portion and below said rotation fulcrum in a vertical direction, said second guiding portion being located so that a lower end of an outer circumference thereof contacts a second straight line connecting a lower end of an outer circumference of said first guiding portion and said conveying nip portion of said conveying portion.