Fixing device fixing a toner image on a recording medium and image forming apparatus including the same

摘要

A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring member, a heating source, a heat conducting member and a reflecting member. The fixing belt is arranged rotatably. The pressuring member is arranged outside the fixing belt and comes into pressure contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip. The heating source is arranged inside the fixing belt to emit radiant heat. The heat conducting member comes into contact with an inner circumference face of the fixing belt and absorbs the radiant heat emitted from the heating source. The reflecting member includes a reflecting part and a nip forming part. The reflecting part reflects the radiant heat emitted from the heating source toward the heat conducting member. The nip forming part is unified with the reflecting part and comes into contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt to press the fixing belt to the pressuring member.

主权项

1. A fixing device comprising:
a fixing belt arranged rotatably; a pressuring member arranged outside the fixing belt and coming into pressure contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip; a heating source arranged inside the fixing belt to emit radiant heat; a heat conducting member coming into contact with an inner circumference face of the fixing belt and absorbing the radiant heat emitted from the heating source; a reflecting member including
a reflecting part reflecting the radiant heat emitted from the heating source toward the heat conducting member,a nip forming part unified with the reflecting part and coming into contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt to press the fixing belt to a side of the pressuring member, anda connecting part connecting an end part of the reflecting part and an end part of the nip forming part; a supporting member supporting the nip forming part; and a heat insulating member interposed between the nip forming part and the supporting member, wherein the supporting member and the heat insulating member are stored in a space partially covered by the reflecting part, the nip forming part and the connecting part, the space being opened to a downstream side from the fixing nip in a rotating direction of the fixing belt, wherein the heat conducting member is arranged so that one end part at an upstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction of the fixing belt is closer to the fixing nip than another end part at the downstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction, the reflecting part is inclined so as to be gradually close to the fixing nip from the downstream side from the fixing nip to the upstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction.