Abstract: A fixing device that fixes toner images carried on a recording material, including: a rotary member; a belt member that is brought into contact with the rotary member, wherein a nip part through which the recording material passes is formed between the belt member and the rotary member; and a roller member that stretches the belt member and presses the belt member against the rotary member, wherein the roller member includes an elastic layer, and a surface layer coated on a surface of the elastic layer, the surface layer being made of a material having a higher elastic modulus than that of the elastic layer.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer body to be used in an image forming apparatus for transferring and fixing a toner image from a photosensitive body onto a recording medium using an intermediate transfer body having the surface of a material such as silicone rubber which image forming apparatus reduces the friction coefficient between the photosensitive body and the intermediate transfer body to allow easy driving running control of the intermediate transfer body, and reduces the fog toner transfer rate to prevent deterioration of the image quality when the medium (40 to 70%) gloss is employed, and an image forming apparatus using the intermediate transfer body are provided. The intermediate transfer body, which receives a toner image held on a toner image carrier and transfers again the toner image onto a recording medium to form an image on the recording medium, has the surface for receiving the transfer of a toner image on which the peak area and roughed recess area are formed mixedly.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer medium and the like for image formation includes transferring and fixing a toner image from a photoreceptor onto a recording medium such as paper by using the intermediate transfer medium. The intermediate transfer medium can yield a high gloss desirable for color image and the control of the driving run of the intermediate transfer medium can be maintained readily by reducing the frictional coefficient with the photoreceptor and the intermediate transfer medium can reduce the fog toner transfer rate to prevent the deterioration of the resulting image quality. The surface of the intermediate transfer medium where the image is primarily transferred (primary image transfer medium) is of smooth surface with protrusions dispersed thereon in a manner such that the smooth surface and the protrusions might be discriminated from each other. The relation between the area ratio of the smooth surface on the primary image transfer surface [Cin %] and the height of the protrusions [h (.mu.