Fixing device configuration for an image forming apparatus

A fixing device comprising:

• a belt member provided to be circularly movable having a width;
• a first fixing member disposed inside the belt member;
• a second fixing member that is disposed to be in press contact with the first fixing member across the belt member, and forms a passing portion between the belt member and the second fixing member, through which a recording medium passes;
• and
• a pressing member that is disposed along a direction of the width of the belt member and disposed downstream of the passing portion in a moving direction of the belt member, the pressing member having a surface enclosed by a plurality of sides including a side positioned in the proximity of the first fixing member and configured to contact an inner peripheral surface of the belt member to press the belt member against the second fixing member,
• wherein the side positioned in the proximity of the first fixing member among the plurality of sides is further apart from the first fixing member when moving a center portion to an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the side.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium;
• and
• a fixing unit that fixes the image on the recording medium, the image having been formed thereon,
• wherein the fixing unit comprises:
• a belt member provided to be circularly movable having a width;
• a first fixing member disposed inside the belt member;
• a second fixing member that is disposed to be in press contact with the first fixing member across the belt member, and forms a passing portion between the belt member and the second fixing member, through which the recording medium carrying the image formed by the image forming unit passes;
• and
• a pressing member that is disposed along a direction of the width of the belt member and has a pressing surface that presses an inner peripheral surface of the belt member at a position downstream of the first fixing member in a moving direction of the belt member to press the belt member against the second fixing member,
• wherein the pressing surface is curved further toward the second fixing member when moving from an end portion to a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the pressing member,
• wherein the pressing surface of the pressing member does not move in the downstream direction.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium;
• and
• a fixing unit that fixes the image on the recording medium, the image having been formed thereon,
• wherein the fixing unit comprises:
• a belt member provided to be circularly movable having a width;
• a first fixing member disposed inside the belt member;
• a second fixing member that is disposed to be in press contact with the first fixing member across the belt member, and forms a passing portion between the belt member and the second fixing member, through which the recording medium carrying the image formed by the image forming unit passes;
• and
• a pressing member that is disposed along a direction of the width of the belt member and has a pressing surface that presses an inner peripheral surface of the belt member at a position downstream of the first fixing member in a moving direction of the belt member to press the belt member against the second fixing member,
• wherein a width of the pressing surface of the pressing member in the moving direction of the belt member becomes narrower when moving from a center portion to an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the pressing member,
• wherein the pressing surface of the pressing member does not move in the downstream direction.