Patent ID: 8280291

Claim:
A fixing device for fixing an unfixed image on a recording sheet by applying heat and pressure to the unfixed image while the recording sheet is passing through a fixing nip, the fixing nip being formed by pressing a pressing member against an inside surface of a rotatable pressure belt via a low friction sheet, so that an outside surface of the pressure belt presses against a rotatable fixing member, wherein the pressing member includes a first pressing part whose front-side portion, which faces the pressure belt, is made of an elastic material, and a second pressing part whose front face presses against a rear face of the first pressing part, the second pressing part has a side wall that is provided near an upstream portion of the first pressing part or elastically presses against the upstream portion, the upstream portion being upstream from the front-side portion with respect to a rotation direction of the pressure belt, an upstream end of the low friction sheet is sandwiched between the side wall and the upstream portion, which is near the side wall or is elastically pressed by the sidewall, of the first pressing part, the upstream end being upstream with respect to the rotation direction of the pressure belt, the first pressing part includes an elastic pressing part that is made of an elastic material, and a reinforcing member that is harder than the elastic pressing part and is attached to a rear face of the elastic pressing part, and the upstream end of the low friction sheet is sandwiched between the side wall and the reinforcing member.