Patent ID: 7831186

Claim:
A fixing device comprising: a heating unit; an endless member arranged with the heating unit to form a nip portion therebetween; a pressurizing unit including a pressurizing member and a supporting member supporting the pressurizing member, the pressurizing member including an elastic member and the supporting member including an entering portion on an entering side from where a recording medium enters the nip portion, an exit portion on an exit side from where the recording medium exits the nip portion, and a center portion between the entering portion and the exit portion, a thickness of the center portion in a direction of an application of a load being larger than a thickness of the entering portion and a thickness of the exit portion in the direction of the application of the load so that the supporting member has a convex portion; a friction-reducing member between the pressurizing unit and the endless member, the friction-reducing member configured to reduce friction between the pressurizing unit and the endless member; and a pressurizing spring configured to press the pressurizing member and the supporting member against the recording medium, wherein the fixing device is configured to fix an unfixed toner image on the recording medium by applying heat from the heating unit and pressure from the pressurizing unit to the unfixed toner image on the recording medium located in the nip portion between the heating unit and the pressurizing unit.