A heating device (9) includes a heater (22), a holder (23), a device frame (40), a primary positioner (A), a secondary positioner (B), and a tertiary positioner (C). The heater includes a heat generator (60). The holder holds the heater. The device frame is configured to support the holder. The primary positioner is configured to position the heater and the holder in a longitudinal direction of the heater. The secondary positioner is configured to position the holder and the device frame in the longitudinal direction of the heater. The tertiary positioner is configured to position the device frame and a body of an image forming apparatus in the longitudinal direction of the heater. The primary positioner and one of the secondary positioner and the tertiary positioner are disposed on an identical side defined by a center of the heat generator in the longitudinal direction of the heater.

An image forming apparatus includes a sheet storage, a sheet feed roller, an image forming device, a fixing device, a motor, a sensor, and a controller having a processor. The sheet storage is configured to store a sheet. The sheet feed roller is configured to feed the sheet stored in the sheet storage into the conveyance path. The image forming device is configured to form an image on the sheet. The fixing device includes a fixing belt and a pressure roller abutting on an outside of the fixing belt, and is configured to fix the image formed on the sheet. The motor is configured to drive and rotate the fixing belt by rotating the pressure roller. The sensor is configured to measure the drive current in the motor. The processor is configured to control a conveyance speed of the sheet based on the measured drive current.

A recording-medium transport device includes: a rotating first and second member, the first and second member forming a nip area therebetween and transporting a recording medium while nipping; a gripping member that grips the recording medium; a separating member that separates the recording medium passing through the nip area from the first or second member; and a control mechanism that controls contact and separation between the first and second member and opening and closing the gripping member where, in a first section, the gripping member passes between the first and second member, the first and second member are separated, and the gripping member is opened to release the recording medium until the first and second member come into contact with each other and, in a second section subsequent to the first section and before the recording medium reaches the separating member, the gripping member opens wider than the first section.

A fixing device for fixing an image comprising a liquid developer on a recording material includes a feeding belt for feeding the recording material; a plurality of air vents, provided in a region of the feeding belt on which the recording material is fed, for sucking the recording material onto the feeding belt; a fan for sucking the recording material toward the feeding belt; and a heating source for heating the image on the recording material fed by the feeding belt, by radiant heat, and satisfies the following equation:
db.Math.Φb.Math.K<44.9, wherein K: ρb.Math.cb/λp.Math.ρp.Math.dp.Math.cp cp: specific heat of developer and recording material (J/g.Math.K) ρp: density of developer and recording material (g/cm3) dp: thickness of developer and recording material (mm) λp: thermal conductivity of developer and recording material (W/(m.Math.K)) cb: specific heat of belt (J/g.Math.K) ρb: density of belt (g/cm3) db: thickness of belt (mm) Φb: diameter of air vent of belt (mm).

A heating device includes a heating unit that heats in a non-contact manner an upper surface of a transport material that is transported; and a blowing unit that blows air against a lower surface of the transport material via multiple blowing holes that open with respect to the lower surface, the multiple blowing holes being disposed so that blowing holes that are closest and adjacent to each other in a transport direction of the transport material are shifted from each other in an intersection direction that intersects the transport direction.

A fixation device includes: a heating roll that heats a transported recording medium whose front end is gripped by a gripping part while rotating; a pressing roll that is disposed so as to face the heating roll, around which at least a part of the transported recording medium is wound, and presses the wound part of the recording medium toward the heating roll while rotating; a peeling part that peels the recording medium off from the pressing roll by lifting the front end of the recording medium up in a state where the front end of the recording medium has passed a portion where the pressing roll and the heating roll face each other and is no longer gripped by the gripping part; and a reducing part that reduces momentum of the peeling part lifting the front end of the recording medium up.

A fixing device includes a rotator, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The rotator has flexibility and a sleeve form. The rotator includes an inner portion having a sliding surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The secured member is disposed inside a loop of the rotator and has a slide surface on which the sliding surface of the rotator slides. The slide surface has a larger hardness than a hardness of the sliding surface of the rotator. The pressure rotator presses the rotator against the secured member and forms a nip between the rotator and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is provided between the rotator and the secured member.

A pressure device applies pressure to a sheet medium on part of a surface of which an image bearer is formed. The pressure device includes: a driving unit that changes a distance between a first pressing unit and a second pressing unit; a control unit that controls the driving unit such that the distance between the first pressing unit and the second pressing unit becomes a set target value; and a target setting unit that sets the target value to a first distance that is larger than a thickness of the sheet medium when the sheet medium is not present between the first pressing unit and the second pressing unit, and sets the target value to a second distance for applying a target pressure to the sheet medium when the sheet medium and the image bearer are present between the first pressing unit and the second pressing unit.

A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, and a cleaning device. The cleaning device cleans a surface of at least one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The cleaning device includes a cleaning web, a web holder, a winder, a cleaning pressure rotator, a pressure applier, and a temporary holder. The cleaning web slides over and cleans the at least one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The web holder holds and sends out the cleaning web. The winder winds the cleaning web. The cleaning pressure rotator presses the cleaning web against the at least one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The pressure applier presses against the cleaning web along a width direction of the cleaning web perpendicular to a direction in which the cleaning web is wound. The temporary holder temporarily holds the pressure applier.

The present invention is characterized in that a control portion respectively sets a heating amount with respect to a region in which an image is formed and a heating amount with respect to a region in which an image is not formed in a single sheet of a recording material, and a difference between the heating amount with respect to the region in which an image is formed and the heating amount with respect to the region in which an image is not formed differs depending on a type of the recording material.