Fixing device including a guide member for guiding a sheet to a fixing area and image forming apparatus including the same

摘要

A fixing device includes a pair of fixing members and a guide member. The guide member includes a guide plate having a guide surface, a back surface when the guide surface is defined as a front surface, and holes that are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction of the sheet and that extend through the guide surface and the back surface; and sheet receiving members that are disposed in correspondence with the holes, each sheet receiving member including a body and an insertion portion that protrudes from the body and that is inserted into the corresponding hole, the insertion portions being inserted into the corresponding holes and being moved along the guide surface, so that the sheet receiving members are mounted to the guide plate while the bodies protrude from the guide surface.

主权项

1. A fixing device comprising:
a pair of fixing members that contact each other and that are configured to rotate or circulate, and that are configured to heat and press a sheet that is transported with a toner image being carried thereby and that is interposed between the pair of fixing members, to fix the toner image to the sheet; and a guide member configured to guide the sheet that is transported towards the pair of fixing members to a fixing area where the pair of fixing members contact each other, and wherein the guide member includes:
a guide plate having:
a guide surface;a back surface, defined as such when the guide surface is defined as a front surface; anda plurality of holes that are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction of the sheet and that extend through the guide surface and the back surface, the guide surface being configured to face the sheet that is transported towards the guide member; anda plurality of sheet receiving members that are disposed in correspondence with the plurality of holes,
each sheet receiving member including a body and an insertion portion that protrudes from the body and that is configured to be inserted into the corresponding hole,the insertion portions being configured to be inserted into the corresponding holes and being configured to be moved along the guide surface, so that the sheet receiving members are mounted to the guide plate while the bodies protrude from the guide surface, andthe plurality of sheet receiving members being configured to be struck by a transport-direction front edge of the sheet that is transported towards the guide member, wherein the insertion portions of the sheet receiving members each include:
a first wing-like protrusion and a second wing-like protrusion, each including:
a first protruding portion configured to protrude in an insertion direction in which the insertion portion is inserted into the corresponding hole; andlugs that are spaced apart from the body for allowing the guide plate to be interposed between the body and the lugs and that extend from the first protruding portion to respective sides in a widthwise direction that crosses both the insertion direction and a movement direction in which the insertion portion is moved along the guide surface after inserting the insertion portion into the corresponding hole,the first wing-like protrusion being disposed behind the second wing-like protrusion in the movement direction, andthe second wing-like protrusion being disposed in front of the first wing-like protrusion in the movement direction.