Patent ID: 8626018

Claim:
A fixing unit, comprising: a fixing member to fuse a toner image on a recording medium by heating and melting the toner image on the recording medium; a pressure member to press against the fixing member, to define a first nip, as a fixing nip, between the fixing member and the pressure member through which the recording medium is transported; a shifting unit to move the pressure member relative to the fixing member to increase or decrease a pressure of the first nip; a curling correction unit disposed downstream from the first nip in a transport direction of the recording medium that imparts a second curling direction to the recording medium, opposite of a first curling direction of the recording medium exiting the first nip; and a variable setting unit operatively connected to the curling correction unit to variably set an amount of the second curling direction to be applied to the recording medium by the curling correction unit depending on the first nip pressure increased or decreased by the shifting unit, wherein the curling correction unit includes two rollers, separate from the fixing member and pressure member, the two rollers being disposed contactable against each other to form a second nip, as a correction nip, through which the recording medium is transported after exiting the first nip.