Abstract: A fixing belt according to the present invention has an endless shape and includes a base layer made of a heat-resistant resin; an elastic layer made of an elastic material; and a releasing layer which are stacked on one another in this order in which: the loss tangent tan ? of the elastic material at 20 Hz is 0.1 or smaller; and the fixing belt is mounted in a fixing device in the state where the belt is rotatably supported by two or more rollers including a heating roller, whereby favorable fixation performance and favorable separativeness relative to a recording medium can be achieved even in high speed image formation of an electrophotographic process.

Abstract: A fixation device includes: an endless fixation belt an outer surface of which comes into contact with a printing medium at a fixation position; a contact member which includes a contact surface in contact with an inner surface of the fixation belt at the fixation position, the contact surface being displaceable, in a region corresponding to an end portion in the width direction of the printing medium; and a support member which includes a support surface supporting the contact member. A second distance from a reference passage surface of the printing medium to a widthwise end position on the support surface is larger than a first distance from the reference passage surface of the printing medium to a widthwise center position on the support surface.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a girder disposed inside of a loop of the endless belt and extending in the width direction, a plate disposed between the girder and the endless belt, a pressing member disposed outside of the loop of the endless belt, a heater disposed inside the loop pf the endless belt, a first support disposed between the plate and the girder, and a second support disposed between the plate and the girder while being away from the first support. The first height of the second support is greater than the second height of the second support. A first difference between the first height of the first support and the second height of the first support is less than a second difference between the first height of the second support and the second height of the second support.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt and including an elastic layer as a surface layer. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator.

Abstract: A fixing device has: a nip member; a tubular belt looped around the nip member and including a metal tube, the metal tube having an outer peripheral surface; and a roller having a shaft and an elastic portion covering the shaft, the roller defining an axial direction, the elastic portion and the nip member being configured to nip a predetermined portion of the tubular belt. The outer peripheral surface of the metal tube has an end region in the axial direction, and a rough region between the end regions. The rough region has a surface roughness greater than a surface roughness of the end region. And the end region and the rough region provide a boundary region, therebetween which is positioned outward of the predetermined region in the axial direction.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless, rotatable fixing belt, a pressure rotator, a nip formation pad, a support, and a vibration repressor. The pressure rotator presses an outer surface of the fixing belt. The nip formation pad is disposed at an inner side of the fixing belt, to abut on the pressure rotator with the fixing belt interposed between the nip formation pad and the pressure rotator to form a fixing nip. The support is disposed at the inner side of the fixing belt, to support the nip formation pad. The vibration repressor is disposed between the nip formation pad and the support, to repress vibration of the nip formation pad.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a frame including a first side plate and a second side plate, a cylindrical rotatable member, a heater, a holder having a length longer than a distance between the first and second side plates, a first preventing member, and a second preventing member. An image formed on a recording material is heated by heat of the heater while moving in a state in which the recording material contacts the rotatable member. The holder is unintegral with the first and second preventing members. The holder includes a positioning portion, contacting the first side plate, for positioning a position of the holder with respect to the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring roller pressured to the fixing belt, a heat source heating the fixing belt, a pressing member pressing the fixing belt toward the pressuring roller's side, and a sliding contact sheet interposed between the fixing belt and the pressing member to hold lubricant. The sliding contact sheet includes a sliding contact portion arranged at the center in a sheet conveying direction to come into contact with the fixing belt, a first fixed portion arranged at an upstream side in the conveying direction and wound around the pressing member at the heat source's side, and a second fixed portion arranged at a downstream side in the conveying direction and wound around the pressing member at the heat source's side from the first fixed portion. The sliding contact sheet is configured so that the second fixed portion becomes smaller than the first fixed portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in the rotation direction of the fixing belt. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator. A mover is coupled to the presser to move the presser between a contact position where the presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator and an isolation position where the presser isolates the fixing belt from the pressure rotator.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing belt, a pressure rotator, a nip formation pad, a lubricant impregnated member, and restrictors. The pressure rotator contacts an outer circumferential face of the fixing belt. The nip formation pad is disposed at an inner circumferential side of the fixing belt, to contact the pressure rotator via the fixing belt to form a nip. The lubricant impregnated member is disposed on the nip formation pad to contact an inner circumferential face of the fixing belt. The lubricant impregnated member is impregnated with lubricant. The restrictors, each disposed at an inner side than each end in a width direction of the fixing belt, regulate movement of the lubricant adhering to the fixing belt, toward each end of the fixing belt in the width direction. The restrictors have a lower absorbability of the lubricant than an absorbability of the lubricant impregnated member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.

Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including a belt that generates heat by an action of a magnetic field to fix an image to a medium by the heat, a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field which heats the belt, a heat generation control member that includes a first magnetic body which is changed from ferromagnetism to paramagnetism at a Curie temperature, and suppresses heat generation of the belt, a sensor that is disposed in a first space, measures a temperature of an object present on the belt side, and is heated by an action of a magnetic field, and a second magnetic body that is disposed in a second space.

Abstract: A fixing device includes first and second rotatable members, a heating portion, a detecting portion configured to detect a temperature of the first rotatable member, a controller configured to control supplied electrical power to the heating portion depending on the detected temperature, and a setting portion configured to set a nip pressure at a first pressure when a recording material of a first kind is subjected to a fixing process and configured to set the nip pressure at a second pressure less than the first pressure when a recording material of a second kind is subjected to the fixing process. The controller controls the supplied electrical power depending on a difference between a target temperature of the first rotatable member and the detected temperature. The supplied electrical power is less when the nip pressure is the second pressure than when the nip pressure is the first pressure.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording material. A heater radiates radiant light to heat a nip plate. A roller cooperative with the nip plate forms a nip between a cylindrical belt and an outer peripheral surface of the roller. A recording material carrying the image is fed through and heated in the nip to fix the image on the recording material. The nip plate has a projection in a region downstream of the nip with respect to a feeding direction of the recording material. At least a part of one of the two end portions of a supporting member overlaps the projection of the nip plate with respect to the feeding direction of the recording material and the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical belt to support the projection. A spacer is provided between the projection and at least part of one of the two end portions.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, which includes heat-generating layer, and an induction heater to inductively heat the fixing member. The induction heater includes an excitation coil disposed facing an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to generate a magnetic flux, a ferromagnetic core assembly containing a ferromagnetic core to form a magnetic path to direct the magnetic flux generated by the excitation coil to the fixing member, and a holder to hold the excitation coil and the ferromagnetic core assembly. The ferromagnetic core is insert-molded in and covered by the holder. The holder has a plurality of spherical marks created by a plurality of stabilizing members each having a spherical tip to stabilize the ferromagnetic core in a mold.

Abstract: A fixing device including an endless belt, a rotary body positioned outside of the endless belt, the rotary body having an axis extending in an axial direction, an elastic member positioned at an inner space of the endless belt and configured to nip the endless belt in cooperation with the rotary body, and an adhering member having rigidity higher than rigidity of the elastic member. The elastic member has a contact surface in contact with the endless belt. The adhering member has an adhered portion adhered to an opposite surface opposite to the contact surface. The adhering portion has a length in the axial direction smaller than the length of the elastic member in the axial direction.

Abstract: A fusing apparatus, including a base member, a sheet member, a fixing portion, and an endless member, is provided. The sheet member includes a contact portion to contact an inner peripheral surface of the endless member, a first portion having a first hole, and a second portion to be fixed to the base member. The base member includes a first face to support the contact portion, a second face, and an inner face recessed from the second face to form a recessed portion. The fixing portion includes a first engagement portion protruding from the inner face of the recessed portion to be engageable with the first hole, and a holder provided at the first engagement portion to hold a peripheral portion around the first hole in the first portion of the sheet member at a position between the inner face of the recessed portion and the holder.

Abstract: A fixing device including fixing belt, a heat source to heat the fixing belt, a rotating member in engagement with an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt, a nip forming member to pressurize the fixing belt, thereby forming a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the rotating member, and sliding members on both ends of the fixing belt and rotated together with the fixing belt. A rotation center of each of the sliding members is on an upstream side compared to a rotation center of the rotating member along a feeding direction of a printing medium, and a shortest distance between a tangential line of an outer circumferential surface of each of the sliding members and the rotation center of the rotating member is equal to or greater than a shortest distance between the fixing nip and the rotation center of the rotating member.

Abstract: A semiconductive roller is provided, which includes a tubular main body having a multiplicity of concavities (2) provided in an outer peripheral surface (1) thereof in at least one of circumferentially overlapping relation and axially overlapping relation. The concavities are each gently concave toward a center thereof from an outer periphery thereof. A semiconductive roller production method is also provided, which includes the step of forming the concavities by a laser processing method.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first support portion that supports an endless belt, and relatively moves with respect to a rotating body to press the endless belt against the rotating body, a second support portion that supports the first support portion to be relatively movable, a first member that is supported in the endless belt by the second support portion, a second member that is supported in the endless belt to be capable of approaching and being separated from the first support portion, a first biasing member that is provided in the first support portion, and biases the second member to a rotating body side, a second biasing member that is provided in the second support portion, and biases the first support portion to the rotating body side, and a switching portion that switches between a first state and a second state.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt and an opposed rotator to press against a nip formation pad via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the opposed rotator. A primary heater and a secondary heater heat the fixing belt. The secondary heater includes a lateral end heat generator. The nip formation pad includes a base and at least one thermal conductor being interposed between the base and the fixing nip and having a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the base. The at least one thermal conductor includes an outboard edge disposed between an inboard edge and an outboard edge of the lateral end heat generator and disposed outboard from a conveyance span of the fixing belt in an axial direction of the fixing belt, where a recording medium is conveyed over the fixing belt.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a hardness adjusting unit to adjust hardness of an outer circumferential surface of a fixing belt at a nip. When a sheet to be passed through the nip is an envelope, and the envelope is passed through the nip by side-flap sheet passing for feeding the sheet so that a fold line between an envelope body and a flap extends in a sheet passing direction through the nip, the hardness adjusting unit brings the outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt at the nip during passage of the sheet into a softer state than when the sheet is a plain sheet.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatably-supported first fixing member and a second fixing member pressed against the first member. The second member includes a belt-shaped component, a support component, and a pressing component. The belt-shaped component extends in a width direction of a medium passing through a contact region between the belt-shaped component and the first member. The support component is disposed opposite the first member with the belt-shaped component interposed therebetween. The pressing component has a base end supported by the support component and a free end extending toward the contact region and presses the belt-shaped component against the first member. The pressing component has biasing portions arranged apart in the width direction and elastically deformable in correspondence with the medium thickness. The biasing portions are connected in the width direction by the free end. The free end is disposed at an upstream side in a medium transport direction.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a heater that heats the fixing rotator. A nip formation pad is disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator. A pressure rotator presses against the nip formation pad via the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. A low-friction member is sandwiched between the nip formation pad and the fixing rotator and bears a lubricant that flows in a flow direction. A thermal absorber is mounted on the inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator. At least one irregular portion, mounted on the thermal absorber, blocks the lubricant flowing in the flow direction.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical film; a plate heater including an electrode portion, wherein a lubricant is applied in a region where the heater contacts the film; a supporting member; and a sealing member contacting a surface of the heater where the electrode portion of the heater is provided, the sealing member being provided at a position closer to a center of the heater than the electrode portion is. The sealing member includes an engaging portion engaging with an end portion of the supporting member with respect to a widthwise direction of the heater and a cantilever contact portion contacting the surface of the heater where the electrode portion is provided.

Abstract: There is provided a fixing device. An endless belt comes into contact with a developer image on a recording medium. A heat source is provided on an inner side of the belt and emits radiant heat. A heat transmitting member includes a contact portion which contacts with an inner circumferential surface of the belt, absorbs the radiant heat of the heat source, and transmits the heat to the belt. A deforming unit deforms when a temperature of the contact portion exceeds a predetermined setting temperature, and separates the belt and at least a part of the contact portion from each other.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a heater to heat the fixing rotator. A pressure rotator contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotator. A nip formation pad presses against the pressure rotator via the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The nip formation pad includes an upstream portion disposed upstream from the fixing nip in the rotation direction of the fixing rotator. A recess is disposed in the upstream portion of the nip formation pad. A friction reducer is sandwiched between the nip formation pad and the fixing rotator and bears a lubricant.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: an endless fusing belt; a heater; a nip member; and a backup member. The endless fusing belt has a width in a widthwise direction. The nip member is disposed spaced apart from the heater. The nip member has a contact surface. The contact surface has widthwise end portions in the widthwise direction. The backup member is configured to nip the fusing belt in cooperation with the nip member. The fusing belt is configured to move in a moving direction at a position where the fusing belt is nipped between the nip member and the backup member. The contact surface has at least two grooves one formed in corresponding one of the widthwise end portions and another formed in the other of the widthwise end portions and extending at an angle equal to or smaller than 10 degrees with respect to the moving direction.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first belt that heats a developer image on a recording medium; a support member that is arranged inside the first belt and supports the first belt; a second belt that sandwiches the recording medium with the first belt; a pressing roller that is provided with the second belt having an inner peripheral surface wound thereon, is provided rotatably in a direction orthogonal to a recording-medium transport direction as an axial direction, presses the second and first belts toward the support member, and forms a first press region; and a forming member that is provided inside the second belt, at an upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the pressing roller, presses the second and first belts toward the support member, and forms a second press region having a larger width than that of the first press region in the transport direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms a first image and a second image and transfers the first and second images to a recording medium, the first image including a metallic color image, the second image not including the metallic color image; and a fixing unit that fixes the first image and the second image to the recording medium. The image forming apparatus has a mode in which, when forming the first image on only one of a first surface and a second surface of the recording medium, the image forming unit transfers the first image to the first surface of the recording medium and the fixing unit fixes the first image to the first surface, and subsequently the image forming unit transfers the second image to the second surface of the recording medium and the fixing unit fixes the second image to the second surface.

Abstract: A fuser assembly for a device capable of printing, including: at least one heater roller; at least one first heater element located within the at least one heater roller; at least one second heater element located within the at least one heater roller; an electrical line; a power input component including a first power input for the at least one first heater element, a second power input for the at least one second heater element and a third power input for the electrical line; a first electrical circuit designed to operate at a first voltage range and including the at least one heater element and the first electrical line; and a second electrical circuit designed to operate at a second voltage ranged, different from the first voltage range and including the first and second heater elements.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt formed into a loop, a heater to heat the endless belt, a nip formation assembly disposed inside the loop, and a pressure rotator to press against the nip formation assembly to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator. The nip formation assembly includes a pressure pad and a supplementary thermal conductor to conduct heat from the heater in an axial direction of the endless belt. The supplementary thermal conductor has an edge portion dimensioned to distance the supplementary thermal conductor from the endless belt at an end portion of a face over which the endless belt slides in a longitudinal direction of the supplementary thermal conductor. A distance between the edge portion of the supplementary thermal conductor and the endless belt increases toward an end portion of the endless belt in the axial direction thereof.

Abstract: There is provided a fixing device. An endless fixing belt has an inner circumferential surface to which lubricant is applied and that is rotated. A first plate-shaped body is disposed along the inner circumferential surface and is in contact with the inner circumferential surface. A second plate-shaped body is disposed along the first plate-shaped body at a distance to cause a capillary phenomenon in the lubricant. A bent portion is provided in an end portion of the second plate-shaped body in a rotating direction of the fixing belt and is bent on an inner circumferential surface side on a downstream side of an end portion of the first plate-shaped body in the rotating direction of the fixing belt.

Abstract: A sliding member includes siloxane having a reactive substituent, and a holding member having a group which can react with the substituent and bonds to the substituent to hold the siloxane.

Abstract: A fuser device fusing a developer image on a medium includes a stable first unit, a movable second unit, and a movement mechanism moving the second unit between first and second positions. The first unit includes an endless first belt and a rotatably fuser member about a rotation shaft inside the first belt, the second unit includes an endless second belt, a pressure application member rotatably held about another rotation shaft displaceable inside the second belt, and a first bias member that biases the pressure application member toward the fuser member, and the pressure application member at the first position presses the fuser member such that a nip part is formed between the pressure application member and the fuser member, and at the second position, is detached from the fuser member so that the nip part is eliminated.

Abstract: A nip member is disposed inside the endless belt and elongated in a longitudinal direction. A backup member sandwiches the endless belt against the nip member to form a nip portion at which the backup member and the endless belt are in contact with each other and configured to convey a recording sheet in a conveying direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A downstream end of the nip portion in the conveying direction is arced with a longitudinal center portion thereof further upstream than longitudinal end portions thereof. The nip member includes a first portion sandwiching the endless belt against the backup member, and a second portion positioned downstream of the first portion in the conveying direction and bent in a direction away from the backup member. The second portion is arced with a longitudinal center portion thereof further upstream in the conveying direction than longitudinal end portions thereof.

Abstract: A fixing belt includes a base layer made of a heat-resistant resin, an elastic layer made of an elastic material, and a releasing layer, which are laminated in this order, and the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of viscoelastic modulus within a range of 100 to 200° C. is 0.8% or less. Further, the viscoelastic modulus of the fixing belt within the range of 100 to 200° C. is within a range of 50 to 62%.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt formed into a loop rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure roller disposed opposite the fixing belt. The pressure roller includes a shaft fixedly positioned and a deformable elastic layer. A fixing pad is disposed inside the loop formed by the fixing belt and separably pressed against the pressure roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure roller, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A biasing member biases the fixing pad and the fixing belt against the pressure roller. A stopper restricts motion of the fixing pad biased by the biasing member. The stopper contacts the fixing pad while the recording medium bearing the toner image is conveyed through the fixing nip.

Abstract: A rotatable feeding member for feeding a recording material includes a surface layer formed of a resin material, and a character portion including characters selected from alphabetical and numeral characters made visible by recessing the surface layer, wherein the characters are arranged along a circumferential direction of the rotatable feeding member. The characters are slanted with respect to a longitudinal direction of the rotatable feeding member.

Abstract: A rotatable fixing member includes an elastic layer, a primer layer provided on the elastic layer, and a parting layer provided on the primer layer. The primer layer contains a crystalline fluorocarbon polymer having a functional group and has a thickness of 850 nm or less. The parting layer is a coating layer of a crystalline fluorocarbon polymer.

Abstract: A fixation device includes a fixation belt, a heat source that heats the fixation belt, and a reflector unit that reflects heat from the heat source to the belt. The reflector unit includes a reflective member that reflects the heat from the heat source, and a radiation member that is disposed on an opposite side to a side of the reflective member facing the heat source, and that radiates heat of the reflective member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first belt that contacts a developer image on a recording medium; a second belt that sandwiches the recording medium with the first belt and hence forms a nip region extending in a transport direction of the recording medium; a rotational body that is provided inside the first belt in a region at a downstream side in the transport direction of the nip region, rotates, and turns the first belt; a pressing member that is provided inside the second belt and presses the second belt toward the rotational body; and a heating unit that is provided inside the first belt in a region at an upstream side in the transport direction of the nip region in a non-contact manner with respect to the first belt, and heats the developer image on the recording medium.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a heat source, a nip member, and a backup member. The endless belt has an inner surface. The nip member has a contact surface slidably contacting the inner surface. The nip member is configured to be heated by the heat source. The backup member is configured to pinch the endless belt in cooperation with the nip member while the backup member rotates together with endless belt. The contact surface includes a first portion receiving urging force from the backup member and a second portion other than the first portion. At least a part of the first portion is coated by a first material providing a slidability higher than that of the nip member. The second portion includes a region uncoated with the first material.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring member, an exciting coil and a belt guide. The pressuring member comes into pressure contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip. The exciting coil is provided at an outer diameter side of the fixing belt and configured to generate a magnetic flux to inductively heat the fixing belt. The belt guide supports the fixing belt from an inner diameter side. The belt guide includes a contact part which is in contact with an inner circumferential face of the fixing belt and a non-contact part which is not in contact with the inner circumferential face of the fixing belt. The non-contact part is provided with a slit configured to inhibit induction heating of the non-contact part due to the magnetic flux generated by the exciting coil.

Abstract: A belt device includes an endless belt and a rotary driver contacting an outer circumferential surface of the belt to drive and rotate the belt. An opposed belt support is disposed opposite the rotary driver and in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the belt. A rotary belt support is disposed opposite the rotary driver via the opposed belt support and in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the belt. A belt support holder holds the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support to retain a predetermined interval between the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support. A biasing assembly presses against the belt support holder to move the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support collectively with respect to the rotary driver and bias the opposed belt support against the rotary driver.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording material, the apparatus includes a cylindrical film; a plate-like nip forming member contacted with an inner surface of the film, the nip forming member including a base member and a coating layer on the base member, the coating layer having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the base member; and a roller cooperative with the nip forming member to form a nip, wherein the coating layer is provided on a first surface of the nip forming member which is opposed to the film and on a second surface opposite from the first surface except for an outer edge portion of the nip forming member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a frame, a first fixing member, a second fixing member, a first conducting member, and a second conducting member. The second fixing member includes a belt configured to form a nip region. The first fixing member is positioned at a first side and the second fixing member is positioned at a second side opposite to the first side. The first conducting member includes a first contacting portion exposed to an outside from the frame, and a first connecting portion electrically connecting the first fixing member and the first contacting portion. The second conducting member includes a second contacting portion exposed to an outside from the frame, and a second connecting portion electrically connecting the second fixing member and the second contacting portion. Both of the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion are positioned at one of the first side and the second side.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary endless fixing belt; a nip forming member disposed in an interior of the fixing belt; a rotary opposed member to contact the nip forming member via the fixing belt to form a nip together with the fixing belt; a heat source to directly heat the fixing belt at a portion other than the nip, including at lease one heat-generation part disposed outside lateral ends of a maximum area of the fixing belt where a recording medium passes through, wherein a recording medium carrying an unfixed image is conveyed to the nip and the fixing device fixes the unfixed image onto the recording medium; and a shielding member disposed between the fixing belt and the heat generation part of the heat source and configured to shield heat from the heat source at least at an area outside the maximum passing area of the recording medium.