Patent ID: 8532552

Claim:
A fixing device for thermally fixing a developer image transferred onto a recording sheet, comprising: a tubular fusing film; a heating element extending longitudinally and disposed inside the fusing film; a nip member disposed in such a manner as to contact with an inner surface of the fusing film and to allow the fusing film to slide along the nip member; a reflecting plate extending along the heating element and configured to reflect radiant heat from the heating element in a direction toward the nip member; and a backup member configured to nip the fusing film with the nip member to thereby form a nip portion for the recording sheet between the fusing film and the backup member, wherein the reflecting plate includes: a central reflecting portion extending along a longitudinal direction of the heating element at least in a region corresponding to a heat generating portion of the heating element and along the heat generating portion; and end reflecting portions stationarily provided on both longitudinal ends of the central reflecting portion and tilted inward relative to the central reflecting portion, the end reflecting portions being disposed, with respect to the heating element, in positions longitudinally outward of the heat generating portion.