| 主权项 |
1. A fixing device configured to thermally fix a developing agent image to a recording sheet, the fixing device comprising:
a fixing belt having a tubular shape defining an inner space; a heat generating member disposed in the inner space of the fixing belt; a nip plate made of metal and disposed in the inner space of the fixing belt such that an inner surface of the fixing belt is configured to make slide contact with a first side of the nip plate; a rotating member disposed outside the inner space of the fixing belt such that the fixing belt is nipped at a nip region between the first side of the nip plate and the rotating member, the rotating member having a downstream peripheral portion located downstream of the nip region in a conveying direction of the recording sheet; a stay configured to support a second side of the nip plate which is opposite to the first side and receive a force exerted by the rotating member on the nip plate, the stay including a first stay portion extending over the heat generating member in parallel with the conveying direction, and a second stay portion extending from the first stay portion toward the rotating member; a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the nip plate; and a cover member disposed inside of the fixing belt and outside of the stay and covering the first stay portion and the second stay portion, wherein the nip plate includes:
a plate-shaped portion holding the fixing belt against the rotating member; anda bent portion located downstream of the plate-shaped portion in the conveying direction, bent to define a recess on the second side of the nip plate, and protruding toward the downstream peripheral portion of the rotating member relative to the plate-shaped portion, the bent portion including an upstream bent segment and a downstream bent segment located respectively at an upstream end and a downstream end of the bent portion in the conveying direction, and a bottom segment located between the upstream bent segment and the downstream bent segment, the upstream end of the upstream bent segment being located downstream of a downstream end of the second stay portion in the conveying direction,wherein the upstream bent segment extends, in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, continuously over an entire width of a conveying region of the recording sheet, wherein, on the second side of the nip plate, the bottom segment supports a bottom surface of the temperature sensor, and the upstream bent segment and the downstream bent segment sandwich the temperature sensor in the conveying direction, to thereby restrict displacement of the temperature sensor in the conveying direction, wherein the cover member includes:
a wall portion extending parallel with the conveying direction and disposed over the first stay portion; anda contact portion extending from the wall portion toward the rotating member and in contact with a contact area of a top surface of the temperature sensor, the top surface being opposite to the bottom surface of the temperature sensor, and the contact area being downstream of the upstream bent segment and upstream of the downstream bent segment in the conveying direction, andwherein, on the first side of the nip plate, the upstream bent segment is configured to guide the recording sheet away from the fixing belt toward the downstream peripheral portion of the rotating member while the fixing belt travels along the upstream bent segment and the bottom segment. |
