Fusing apparatus and electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the same

A fusing apparatus to fuse a toner image transferred to a printing medium by applying heat and pressure, comprising:

• a heating roller and a pressing roller that form a fusing nip and rotate by being engaged with each other;
• a separation member that separates a printing medium passed through the fusing nip, from one of the heating roller and the pressing roller, the separation member including a separation portion that contacts an outer circumference of the roller from which the printing medium is to be separated, and is capable of rotating around a rotation axis that is parallel to a lengthwise direction of the roller from which the printing medium is to be separated;
• and
• an elastic member that applies an elastic force to the separation member that rotates the separation portion to contact the outer circumference of the roller from which the printing medium is to be separated,
• wherein the separation member comprises a hollow portion into which the rotation axis is inserted,
• wherein the hollow portion comprises a center portion rotatably supporting the rotation axis and two end portions having a long hole shape, and
• wherein a long axis direction of the two end portions has an inclination angle within a range of ±10° with respect to a line that connects a contact point between the separation portion and the outer circumference of the roller from which the printing medium is to be separated and the center of the roller from which the printing medium is to be separated, so that the separation member is pitched in the direction of the long axis.