JP2008009005A - Paper separation prong and image fixing unit having it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a separation prong used to separate paper from a turning body such as a fixing roller, that can reduce its tip deformation within an extent not degrading its paper separating capability even when pressed to the turning body and deformed. <P>SOLUTION: A projection 35 is formed on the upper surface 33c of the prong piece 33. The separation prong 30 is biased by a tension coil spring 29 right after the fixing unit 8 is assembled and is arranged to form a gap D between the upper end of the projection 35 and the surface of the fixing roller 23 when the tip 33a of the prong piece 33 is pressed to the fixing roller 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a separation claw used for separating a sheet from a rotating body such as a fixing roller in a fixing unit and a developing unit of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, and a fixing device using the same. It is.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, and facsimile machines have a fixing (heat) roller that has a heater therein and is driven to rotate, and a pressure roller that is driven to rotate while being in pressure contact with the fixing roller. A fixing device that melts and fixes toner onto a sheet by sandwiching a sheet with unfixed toner between a fixing roller and a pressure roller and applying heat and pressure is widely used.

  In such a fixing device, an elastic layer (rubber layer) is provided on both the fixing roller and the pressure roller, and the paper after fixing is fixed by a nip shape formed at a contact portion between the fixing roller and the pressure roller. A device using means for separating from a roller is known. However, when an elastic layer is provided on the surface of the fixing roller, there are disadvantages that the temperature followability deteriorates during continuous paper feeding and the warm-up time becomes long due to the poor heat conduction of the elastic layer. This technology is not suitable for energy-saving image forming apparatuses.

  Also, an elastic layer is provided only on the pressure roller, an endless fixing belt is wound around the fixing roller and a plurality of support rollers, and the pressure roller is pressed against the fixing roller via the fixing belt. A fixing device using a means for separating the paper after fixing from the fixing belt according to the nip shape formed in the contact portion has been proposed and commercialized. However, the fixing device using such a fixing belt has a structure. However, there is a disadvantage that the cost becomes high.

  By the way, a fixing roller used in a monochrome machine, that is, a fixing device in which a so-called hard roller in which a core made of aluminum, iron, or the like is coated with a fluororesin coating or a tube is mounted on a color machine. It is known that the fixing device can be manufactured at low cost because the use of the toner can reduce the warm-up time due to the good thermal conductivity of the fixing roller.

  Here, when a hard roller is used as the fixing roller, the paper after fixing cannot be separated from the fixing roller due to the nip shape between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, so the paper after fixing is separated from the fixing roller. It is necessary to provide a separate means, and conventionally, as means for separating the paper from the fixing roller, it is formed from a heat-resistant resin such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or polyamideimide (PAI), Separation claws whose surfaces are coated with a fluororesin such as tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer resin (PFA) or polytetrafluoroethylene resin (PTFE) are frequently used.

  However, in the separation claw whose surface is coated with a fluororesin as described above, the thickness of the coating film is generally as thin as 20 to 50 μm. The background may be exposed, the releasability may be reduced, and the image may be rubbed due to toner adhesion, or the surface of the fixing roller may be worn by the separation claw where the resin background is exposed. In particular, in a color machine, it appears as a streak on the formed image and cannot be used practically.

Therefore, a separation nail that prevents image defects due to such peeling of the coating film has been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, the entire separation nail is made of a tetrafluoroethylene / hexafluoropropylene copolymer resin ( A separation claw that prevents toner adhesion and fixing roller wear by forming a fluororesin such as FEP) or tetrafluoroethylene / ethylene copolymer resin (ETFE) has been proposed.
JP 2003-241557 A

  However, in the separation claw described in Patent Document 1, the entire separation claw is made of fluororesin, but the strength of the fluororesin is weak and the leading edge of the separation claw pressed against the surface of the fixing roller is deformed. As a result, a gap more than the thickness of the sheet is formed between the fixing roller and the leading edge of the separation claw, and there is a disadvantage that the sheet separation property cannot be secured.

  In the present invention, in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, in order to separate the processed paper from the rotating body for processing the paper, the rotating body is disposed so as to be able to swing on the downstream side in the paper transport direction, and the leading edge thereof. In the separation claw configured to be in pressure contact with the surface of the rotating body, the surface of the separation claw on the rotating body side is provided with a protrusion that suppresses deformation of the tip edge pressed against the rotating body. The purpose is to be.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is disposed so as to be able to swing on the downstream side in the paper transport direction of the rotating body in order to separate the processed paper from the rotating body for processing the paper, In the separation claw configured such that the edge is pressed against the surface of the rotating body, the surface of the separating claw on the rotating body side has the deformation of the tip edge pressed against the rotating body within a predetermined range. It is characterized in that a projecting portion to be suppressed is provided.

  According to the present invention, in the separation claw configured as described above, the projecting portion is formed by arranging a plurality of chevron shapes in the axial direction of the rotating body.

  According to the present invention, in the separation claw having the above-described configuration, at least the leading edge, the protruding portion, and a guide surface for guiding the separated paper are formed of a fluororesin.

  The present invention also includes a heating rotator with a built-in heat source and a pressure rotator in contact with the heating rotator, and a sheet onto which toner has been transferred is brought into contact with the heating rotator and the pressure rotator. A separation claw according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the heating rotator and the pressure rotator is a fixing device that melts and fixes toner onto a sheet by heating and pressing. It is characterized by being attached.

  According to the first configuration of the present invention, by providing the protrusion on the upper surface of the separation claw, for example, even when the tip edge pressed against the rotating body is deformed, the tip edge is deformed. Since the protrusion abuts against the surface of the rotating body and the load applied to the tip edge is reduced, the tip edge is prevented from further deformation. Therefore, by adjusting the gap between the upper end of the protruding portion and the surface of the rotating body in the initial state, it is possible to suppress the deformation of the leading edge within a range that does not impair the paper separation property.

  According to the second configuration of the present invention, in the separation claw of the first configuration, the protrusion provided on the upper surface of the separation claw is formed by arranging a mountain shape in parallel with the axial direction of the rotating body. As a result, a groove extending in the rotation direction of the rotating body is formed between the adjacent chevron shapes, and even when toner adheres to the surface of the rotating body, the protrusion is scraped off from the surface of the rotating body. The toner does not collect in the contact area between the protrusion and the rotating body, but falls into the groove along the angle of the chevron, preventing it from adhering to the rotating body again and preventing image defects such as black spots. Is done.

  According to the third configuration of the present invention, in the separation claw of the first or second configuration, at least the tip edge, the protruding portion, and a guide surface for guiding the separated paper are formed of a fluororesin. As a result, the surface of the rotating body is prevented from being worn by the leading edge of the separation claw, and the toner is prevented from adhering to the guide surface of the separation claw, resulting in image defects caused by wear of the rotating body and toner adhesion to the separation claw. Can be prevented.

  Further, according to the fourth configuration of the present invention, the separation claw having any one of the first to third configurations is used as means for separating the paper from the heating rotator provided in the fixing device, so that the heating rotation Even when the leading edge of the separation claw is deformed due to the influence of the heat of the body, since the deformation of the leading edge is suppressed within the range in which the separation property of the sheet is not impaired by the protrusion, the sheet is wound around the heating rotating body. This can be surely prevented.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus equipped with a fixing device according to the present invention. As an example, a color laser printer is illustrated. Here, in the following description, a color image forming apparatus is described as an example, but the present invention can be applied not only to a color image forming apparatus but also to a monochrome image forming apparatus. In FIG. 1, the right side is the front side of the image forming apparatus.

  First, the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a paper feeding unit 2 for storing paper at a lower portion of the main body. One end of the paper feeding unit 2 separates paper for feeding the paper P one by one from the uppermost paper. A sending means 3 is provided. Above the paper feed unit 2, a conveyance path 5 is formed which extends substantially horizontally from the front of the main body to the rear of the main body and further extends upward to reach the paper discharge tray 4 formed on the upper surface of the main body. The separating / feeding means 3, the conveying roller pair 6, the secondary transfer roller 7, the fixing device 8, the conveying roller pair 9, and the discharge roller pair 10 are arranged in this order from the upstream side.

  An endless intermediate transfer belt 11 is rotatably disposed above the horizontal conveyance path 5. The intermediate transfer belt 11 is suspended from a drive roller 12, a driven roller 13, a tension roller 14, and a primary transfer roller 15. When the drive roller 12 is driven to rotate, the intermediate transfer belt 11 is rotated clockwise as indicated by an arrow with the above-described rollers. It is designed to be rotated. Further, the driving roller 12 contacts the secondary transfer roller 7 via the intermediate transfer belt 11, and the cleaning blade 16 is driven downstream of the contact portion (secondary transfer region) in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 11. 12 is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 11 so as to be in pressure contact therewith.

  A photosensitive drum 17 that is an image carrier is disposed above the intermediate transfer belt 11. The photosensitive drum 17 is disposed so as to contact the intermediate transfer belt 11 downstream of the tension roller 14 and upstream of the primary transfer roller 15 in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 11, and the intermediate transfer belt 11 is photosensitive by the tension roller 14 and the like. It is brought into pressure contact with the body drum 17, and this abutting portion is a primary transfer region.

  The photosensitive drum 17 is rotated counterclockwise by a driving device (not shown), and a charging roller 18, a developing unit 19, the primary transfer roller 15, and a cleaning unit 20 are arranged in that order from above. A laser optical unit 21 using a known optical system is disposed above the developing unit 19. The charging roller 18 is in contact with the upper portion of the photosensitive drum 17 and is rotated by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 17 to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 17.

  The developing unit 19 has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and is supported rotatably at both ends thereof. The interior of the developing unit 19 is divided into four rooms by a cross-shaped partition wall 19a, which corresponds to yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toners. The four developing units 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K are respectively configured, and the driving unit (not shown) is driven to rotate the developing unit 19 so that any one of the developing units is selectively used as the photosensitive drum 17. The developing operation is performed by arranging them facing each other. In addition, arrangement | positioning of the image development apparatus to illustrate is an example, Comprising: It is not limited to this.

  Next, an image forming operation by the image forming apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. First, when the photosensitive drum 17 is rotationally driven, the charging roller 18 is driven to rotate and the surface of the photosensitive drum 17 is uniformly charged. Based on the input image signal, the laser optical unit 21 operates to irradiate the charged photosensitive drum 17 with laser light, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 17. The electrostatic latent image thus formed is developed by the developing unit 19 as described above.

  That is, in the case of monochrome image formation, a black toner image is formed on the surface of the photoconductive drum 17 by disposing only the developing device 22K to the photoconductive drum 17 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, thereby forming a color image. In this case, by driving the driving unit, the developing unit 19 is rotated, and the four developing units 22Y to 22K are sequentially and selectively arranged to face the photosensitive drum 17, and the toner images of the respective colors are transferred to the photosensitive drum 17. Form on the surface.

  The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 17 in this way is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11 that rotates clockwise by the primary transfer roller 15. That is, in the case of monochrome image formation, a black toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 17 is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11 rotated by the primary transfer roller 15 to form a monochrome image, and color image formation is performed. In this case, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 17 are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11 that is sequentially rotated by the primary transfer roller 15, and these are superposed to form a color image. In the case of color image formation, the cleaning blade 16 is separated from the intermediate transfer belt 11 during the primary transfer operation.

  Then, in a predetermined secondary transfer region, the secondary transfer roller 7 feeds the paper P fed from the paper feed unit 2 by the separation feeding unit 3 and further transported along the transport path 5 by the transport roller pair 6. The monochrome or color image on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is secondarily transferred at once. Then, the sheet P on which the monochrome or color image is transferred in this manner is transported through the transport path 5, and the toner image on the sheet P is heated and fixed by the fixing device 8. After fixing, the paper P is further transported on the transport path 5 by the transport roller pair 9 and discharged onto the paper discharge tray 4 by the paper discharge roller pair 10.

  The untransferred toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 17 without being primary transferred is removed by the cleaning unit 20, and the untransferred toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 11 without being secondary transferred is removed by the cleaning blade 16. Removed. The removed toner is conveyed to a waste bottle (not shown) by a toner collecting device such as a collecting screw.

  Next, the fixing device 8 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the fixing device according to the present invention, and an arrow B indicates a sheet conveyance direction. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the separation claw according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of the leading edge of the separation claw (inside circle A in FIG. 2), (a) is an initial state immediately after the fixing device is assembled, and (b) is a deformation of the leading edge of the separation claw. The state is illustrated.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing device 8 includes a fixing roller 23, a pressure roller 24, a discharge roller pair 25, and a housing 26 that rotatably supports these rollers. The housing 26 constitutes the main body skeleton of the fixing device 8 and includes a fixing roller housing 26a and a pressure roller housing 26b. The housing 26a is the fixing roller 23, and the housing 26b is the pressure roller 24. It is configured to cover. An introduction hole 27 for introducing the paper P into the fixing device 8 is provided on the upstream side of the housing 26 in the paper conveyance direction, and the introduction hole 27 is introduced on the downstream side of the housing 26 in the paper conveyance direction. A discharge hole 28 for discharging the printed paper is provided.

  As the fixing roller 23, a so-called hard roller is used in which a cylindrical cored bar made of a metal such as aluminum or iron having excellent thermal conductivity is simply coated with a fluororesin coating or a tube. Inside, a heat source such as a halogen heater (not shown) is provided. The pressure roller 24 is a resin in which an elastic layer such as silicon rubber is formed on a cylindrical base material made of synthetic resin, metal or other material, and the surface of the elastic layer is excellent in releasability such as fluororesin. The one covered with is used.

  The fixing roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 are rotatably supported on the housings 26a and 26b by rotary shafts 23a and 24a provided respectively so as to intersect the conveyance direction of the paper P at right angles. Yes. Further, the fixing roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 are arranged so as to be in pressure contact with each other with a predetermined pressure and to be parallel to each other. The sheet P conveyed to the contact portion between the fixing roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 is configured to melt and fix the powdered toner by heating and pressurizing the sheet P after fixing. Is discharged out of the fixing device 8 by a discharge roller pair 25.

  Here, a toner image is transferred to the upper surface of the sheet conveyed to the contact portion between the fixing roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 (the surface in contact with the fixing roller 23). Since the sheet P after passing through the contact portion with the fixing roller 24 may be wound around the fixing roller 23, the sheet P is located downstream of the contact portion between the fixing roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 in the sheet conveying direction. A separation claw 30 for separating the paper P from the fixing roller 23 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the separation claw 30 includes a body portion 32 formed with a support shaft 31 extending in parallel with the rotation shaft 23 a of the fixing roller 23, and a tip edge 33 a extending from the lower end of the body portion 32. The nail | claw part 33 which contacts the surface of 23 is integrally formed. The claw portion 33 is formed in a substantially wedge shape, and its lower surface forms a guide surface 33b for guiding the paper P after separation. The support shaft 31 is formed so as to protrude from both side surfaces of the upper end portion of the body portion 32, and the separation claw 30 is supported by the support shaft 31 so as to be swingable with respect to the housing 26.

  Further, a substantially C-shaped hook 34 is integrally formed on the fixing roller 23 side of the upper end of the body portion 32, and a tension coil spring 29 is stretched so as to connect the hook 34 and the upper surface of the housing 26. The separation claw 30 is urged counterclockwise about the support shaft 31 by the elastic force of the tension coil spring 29 so that the leading edge of the claw 33 is pressed against the surface of the fixing roller 23 with a predetermined pressure. It is configured. Thereby, even when the paper P is wound around the fixing roller 23 after the fixing process, it can be satisfactorily peeled from the surface of the fixing roller 23 by the separation claw 30.

  The leading edge 33a of the claw portion 33 that is pressed against the fixing roller 23 and the guide surface 33b that guides the separated paper P are formed of a fluororesin such as FEP or ETFE. The front edge 33a prevents the surface of the fixing roller 23 from being worn out and the toner from adhering to the guide surface 33b of the claw portion 33, which is caused by the wear of the fixing roller 23 and the toner adhering to the separation claw 30. Image defects are prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a protruding portion 35 is provided on the upper surface 33 c (surface on the fixing roller 23 side) of the claw portion 33. When the separation claw 30 is urged by the tension coil spring 29 in the initial state immediately after assembly of the fixing device 8 and the leading edge 33a of the claw portion 33 is pressed against the fixing roller 23, the separation claw 30 is shown in FIG. As described above, the gap D is disposed between the upper end of the protrusion 35 and the surface of the fixing roller 23.

  By providing the protrusion 35 on the upper surface 33c of the claw portion 33 in this manner, for example, when the tip edge 33a of the claw portion 33 is formed of a resin having a low strength such as a fluororesin, the fixing roller 23 is moved to. The tip edge 33a that is in pressure contact may be deformed so as to bend toward the guide surface 33b. However, as shown in FIG. 4B, the protrusion 35 is fixed when the tip edge 33a is deformed. By abutting the roller 23 and reducing the load applied to the tip edge 33a, the tip edge 33a is prevented from further deformation.

  Accordingly, by arranging the separation claw 30 so that the gap D between the upper end of the protruding portion 35 and the surface of the fixing roller 23 in the initial state is about 0.5 mm, the leading edge 33a is deformed. Even in this case, the protrusion 35 suppresses the deformation of the leading edge 33a within a range that does not impair the separation of the paper P. The gap D may be appropriately changed depending on the shape of the separation claw 30 and the like. Further, since the protrusion 35 contacts the fixing roller 23 as described above, it is made of a fluororesin so as not to wear the surface of the fixing roller 23 like the tip edge 33a.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the separation claw according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the separation claw of FIG. FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is common in FIG. 3 of 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted. In the present embodiment, the protruding portion 35 provided on the upper surface 33 c of the claw portion 33 is formed by arranging a plurality of chevron shapes 35 a in the axial direction of the fixing roller 23.

  As a result, a groove 35b extending in the rotation direction of the fixing roller 23 is formed between the adjacent chevron shapes 35a. Even when toner adheres to the surface of the fixing roller 23, the fixing roller 23 is caused by the protrusion 35. The toner scraped off from the surface of the toner does not collect in the contact portion between the protruding portion 35 and the fixing roller 23 and falls to the groove portion 35b along the slope of the chevron 35a, so that it adheres to the fixing roller 23 again. Is prevented, and image defects such as black spots are prevented.

  The apex of the chevron 35a forming the protrusion 35 may not be formed into an acute angle, but the portion in contact with the fixing roller 23 may be formed in a substantially arc shape, thereby more effectively wearing the fixing roller 23. Can be prevented. Further, the chevron shape 35a is formed over the entire width of the claw portion 33 in the axial direction of the fixing roller 23. However, for example, the two chevron shapes 35a can be formed at both ends or near the center of the upper surface 33c. It is.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the leading edge of the claw portion 33 of the separation claw 30 is possible. 33a, the guide surface 33b, and the protrusion 35 provided on the upper surface 33c are made of fluororesin. However, the entire separation claw 30 may be made of fluororesin, or may be made of a material other than fluororesin. Is possible. However, in that case, it is preferable to form the leading edge 33 a and the protruding portion 35 from a material having a lower strength than the fixing roller 23. The guide surface 33b is preferably subjected to a treatment for preventing toner adhesion such as a fluororesin coating.

  In the above-described embodiment, the gap D is formed between the protrusion 35 and the fixing roller 23 when the leading edge 33a of the separation claw 30 is pressed against the fixing roller 23 in the initial state immediately after the fixing device 8 is assembled. However, this may be configured such that both the leading edge 33 a and the protruding portion 35 are in contact with the fixing roller 23 in the initial state. However, with this configuration, only the projecting portion 35 comes into contact with the housing 26 due to a dimensional error or the like, and the leading edge 33a may float from the fixing roller 23, resulting in poor separation of the paper P. It is preferable to form a gap between the portion 35 and the fixing roller 23.

  In the above embodiment, the separation claw 30 is attached only to the fixing roller 23. However, like the fixing device mounted in the image forming apparatus having the double-sided printing function, the paper P is also applied to the pressure roller 24. If there is a possibility of winding, the separation claw 30 may be attached to the pressure roller 24 as well. In the above embodiment, the roller type fixing device 8 including the fixing roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 has been described. However, a belt type fixing device using a thin belt may be used. Furthermore, the separation claw 30 of the present invention can also be used to separate the paper from the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt in the developing unit.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a separation claw used for separating a sheet from a rotating body such as a fixing roller in a fixing unit and a developing unit of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus equipped with a fixing device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a fixing device according to the present invention. These are perspective views of the separation claw concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of the tip edge of the separation claw (inside circle A in FIG. 2), (a) shows the initial state immediately after assembly of the fixing device, and (b) shows the state where the tip edge of the separation claw is deformed. Show. These are perspective views of the separation nail concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. These are sectional drawings when the separation claw of FIG. 5 is cut at a position indicated by a one-dot chain line C (cross-sectional view taken along line CC).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 8 Fixing apparatus 23 Fixing roller (rotating body)
24 Pressure roller (rotating body)
23a, 24a Rotating shaft 25 Discharge roller pair 26 Housing 27 Introduction hole 28 Discharge hole 29 Tension coil spring 30 Separating claw 31 Support shaft 32 Body 33 Claw 33a Tip edge 33b Guide surface 33c Upper surface 34 Hook 35 Projection 35a Mountain shape 35b Groove D D Gap

Claims (4)

In order to separate the processed paper from the rotating body for processing the paper, the rotating body is slidably disposed on the downstream side in the paper transport direction of the rotating body, and the leading edge thereof is in pressure contact with the surface of the rotating body. In the separation claw configured as follows,
A separation claw characterized in that a protrusion on the surface of the separation claw on the rotating body side is provided to suppress deformation of the tip edge pressed against the rotation body.   2. The separation claw according to claim 1, wherein the projecting portion is formed by arranging a plurality of chevron shapes in the axial direction of the rotating body.   The separation claw according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the leading edge, the protrusion, and a guide surface for guiding the separated paper are formed of a fluororesin. A heating rotator having a built-in heat source and a pressure rotator in contact with the heating rotator, and heat and pressurize the paper onto which the toner has been transferred at a contact portion between the heating rotator and the pressure rotator. In the fixing device that melts and fixes the toner onto the paper,
The fixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the heating rotator and the pressure rotator is provided with the separation claw according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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