Patent ID: 7593678

Claim:
A fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a sheet of paper to form an image, comprising: a fixing roller which includes a heat source therein; an endless belt which is brought into contact with the fixing roller by pressure; a pressure applying member for bringing the endless belt into contact with the fixing roller to form a pressure-contact region between the endless belt and the fixing roller; a separation member, integrated with the pressure applying member, for separating a sheet of paper by curvature separation by pressing the endless belt against the fixing roller downstream of the pressure applying member in the running direction of the endless belt to cause an elastic deformation so as to depress the endless belt into the fixing roller; and a driving device for swinging the pressure applying member and the separation member together such that an area of the pressure contact region is varied by the swing of the pressure applying member, and a depth of the depression of the endless belt into the fixing roller is varied by the swing of the separation member, wherein the driving device swings the separation member in a direction where the depth of the depression of the endless belt into the fixing roller is decreased when swinging the pressure applying member in a direction where the area of the pressure contact region between the endless belt and the fixing roller is increased, and swings the separation member in a direction where the depth of the depression of the endless belt into the fixing member is increased when swinging the pressure applying member in a direction where the area of the pressure contact region between the endless belt and the fixing roller is decreased.