Patent ID: 8515312

Claim:
A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium, comprising: a first fixing station including a fixing roller to rotate about a shaft in a predetermined direction of rotation; a pressing roller disposed opposite the fixing roller to rotate and contact an outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller to form a nip between the pressing roller and the fixing roller through which the recording medium bearing the toner image passes to fix the toner image with heat and pressure, a position of the pressing roller changeable relative to the fixing roller; a positioning mechanism operatively connected to the pressing roller to change the position of the pressing roller; a sheet separator disposed downstream from the nip to move in conjunction with movement of the pressing roller to separate the recording medium from the fixing roller without changing position relative to the fixing roller; and a bracket disposed rotatable about the shaft of the fixing roller, to hold the sheet separator, a portion of the bracket contacting a portion of the positioning mechanism to be positioned in place.