Patent ID: 8437672

Claim:
A separation unit which is provided on a downstream side of a contact area between a belt-like rotating body and a pressure rotating body disposed in contact with the belt-like rotating body so as to apply elastic pressure thereto, and which separates a recording material disposed adjacently to the contact area inside the belt-like rotating body and adhering to the belt-like rotating body, the separation unit comprising: a pressure member that is provided to extend along a width direction of the belt-like rotating body, the width direction crossing a moving direction of the belt-like rotating body, and that presses the belt-like rotating body so as to deform the belt-like rotating body into a bent shape changing a course of the belt-like rotating body away from a surface of the pressure rotating body after the belt-like rotating body is disposed in contact with the pressure rotating body; a guide portion that is provided on the pressure rotating body side of the pressure member and that guides the belt-like rotating body so that an angle portion of the bent shape of the belt-like rotating body bites into the pressure rotating body; and a pressure portion that is provided on the surface of the pressure member in the pressure rotating body side, wherein the pressure portion is provided so that the surface of the pressure member separates sequentially from the pressure rotating body in the extending direction of the pressure member from a center portion of the pressure portion to an end portion of the pressure portion.