摘要 |
A fixing device includes a rotatable, flexible fuser belt, a heater, a fuser pad, and a pressure member. The fuser belt is looped into a generally cylindrical configuration. The heater is disposed adjacent to the fuser belt to heat the fuser belt. The fuser pad is disposed inside the loop of the fuser belt, and has an outer peripheral surface thereof formed in a generally concave configuration. The pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser pad with the fuser belt interposed between the fuser pad and the pressure member. The pressure member presses in a load direction against the outer peripheral surface of the fuser pad through the fuser belt to form a fixing nip therebetween. The fuser pad includes, along the outer peripheral surface thereof, a protruding portion and an inwardly curved portion adjoining the protruding portion to face an outer circumferential surface of the pressure member.
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