FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH SAME

摘要

A fixing device fixes an unfixed image onto a recording medium by heating the recording medium conveyed to a fixing nip. The fixing device includes a rotator, a belt rotatable by contacting the rotator, and a fixing nip-forming member provided inside a loop of the fixing belt to together form the fixing nip with the rotator via the fixing belt. A sliding pad is placed between the fixing nip-forming member and the fixing belt to retain lubricant and render the fixing belt to smoothly slide thereon. The sliding pad includes a first fibrous layer contacting the fixing belt and a second fibrous layer closer to the fixing nip-forming member than the first fibrous layer. The second fibrous layer has less fiber density than the first fibrous layer.

主权项

1. A fixing device to fix an unfixed image onto a recording medium by heating the recording medium, the fixing device comprising:
a rotator; a fixing belt contacting the rotator and rotatable by rotation of the rotator; a fixing nip-forming member provided inside a loop of the fixing belt to together form a fixing nip with the rotator via the fixing belt; and a sliding pad placed between the fixing nip-forming member and the fixing belt to retain lubricant and render the fixing belt to smoothly slide thereon, wherein the sliding pad comprises: a first fibrous layer contacting the fixing belt; and a second fibrous layer closer to the fixing nip-forming member than the first fibrous layer, the second fibrous layer having less fiber density than the first fibrous layer.