Fixing device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image forming unit for transferring a toner image to a sheet, and
• a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred in the image forming unit to the sheet by heating,
• wherein the fixing device comprises:
• a fixing roller for fixing a toner image transferred onto a sheet and conveying the sheet along a specified conveyance path,
• a separating mechanism for separating the sheet from the fixing roller, the separating mechanism including a claw member having a tip portion in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller to separate the sheet from the fixing roller, a holder member for holding the claw member, and a rotary member rotatably held in the holder member at a position downstream of the tip portion of the claw member with respect to the conveyance path and adapted to guide the sheet separated from the fixing roller to a downstream side along the conveyance path while being rotated, the holder member having a guiding portion for guiding the sheet to the rotary member on the conveyance path between the tip portion of the claw member and the rotary member, and
• wherein the holder member includes a first holder member and a second holder member so arranged as to rotatably sandwich the rotary member therebetween, the guiding portion being formed on each of the first holder member and the second holder member.

A fixing device comprising:

• a fixing roller for fixing a toner image transferred onto a sheet and conveying the sheet along a specified conveyance path;
• and
• a separating mechanism for separating the sheet from the fixing roller, the separating mechanism including:
• a claw having a tip in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller to separate the sheet from the fixing roller,
• a first holding portion extending in a specified direction for fixedly holding the claw,
• a second holding portion extending in the specified direction for rotatably holding a rotary member in the vicinity of the claw, and at a position downstream of the tip of the claw with respect to the conveyance path and adapted to guide the sheet separated from the fixing roller to a downstream side along the conveyance path while being rotated, the rotary member being held on the second holding portion with a specified play defined to the claw in the extending direction of the second holding portion so as to be movable away from the claw, and
• a guiding portion for guiding the sheet to the rotary member on the conveyance path between the tip of the claw and the rotary member, wherein the first and second holding portions are arranged so as not to touch the fixing roller, and the temperature of a contact part of the guide portion with the sheet is set to be lower than that of a contact part of the claw with the sheet in an operative state of the device.