An electrophotographic image forming apparatus, including: a fixing device including a heater and a presser; a discharge-roller unit including a first frame and a discharge roller pair; and an arm supporting the heater or the presser, wherein, when the first frame is located at a first position, a nip position of the discharge roller pair is located at a first nip position and the arm supports the heater or the presser at a first press-contact position such that the heater and the presser are held in pressing contact at a predetermined pressure, and wherein, when the first frame is located at a second position, the nip position is located at a second nip position shifted from the first nip position and the arm supports the heater or the presser at a second press-contact position such that the heater and the presser are held in pressing contact at a lower pressure.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveying device; a fixing device; and a controller. The controller is configured to perform: in response to determining that a first condition is met, starting sheet conveyance by the sheet conveying device upon expiration of a first predetermined period of time starting from receipt of a print instruction; and in response to determining that a second condition different from the first condition is met, starting sheet conveyance by the sheet conveying device at selective one of a first timing and a second timing. The second timing is selected upon determination that an accumulated amount of usage of the fixing device is not greater than a predetermined amount. The first timing is a timing at which a sensed temperature has reached a first threshold value. The second timing is a timing at which a second predetermine period of time has expired after the first timing.

A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.

Provided is an image heating apparatus including: a heater having a plurality of heating elements arranged in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the recording material; and a control portion that controls electric power to be supplied to the plurality of heating elements and is capable of individually controlling the plurality of heating elements, the image heating apparatus heating an image formed on the recording material with heat by the heater, wherein the control portion sets a heating condition when controlling each of the plurality of heating elements, according to the thermal history of a heating region heated by one heating element and the thermal history of a heating region heated by a heating element adjacent to the one heating element.

To provide a manufacturing method for a peeling member in which a non-adhesive resin film formed by fluororesin resin or the like is adhered to a metal plate, the method capable of manufacturing the peeling member which can prevent adhesion of a paper right after fixing for a long period of time with high productivity and without variations in quality. The manufacturing method for the peeling member provided with a peeling sheet 1a formed by a metal plate 2 and a non-adhesive resin film 4 adhered to the metal plate 2, the manufacturing method including a groove forming step of forming a pattern portion 5 formed by a plurality of recessed grooves on at least apart of a paper passing side surface of the non-adhesive resin film 4 along a longitudinal direction of the non-adhesive resin film 4 before the non-adhesive resin film 4 is adhered to the metal plate 2, and a film adhering step of adhering the non-adhesive resin film 4 obtained in the groove forming step such that the pattern portion 5 is arranged along at least a longitudinal direction of the distal end portion 2a of the paper passing side surface of the metal plate 2.

A fixing device includes a separator disposed downstream from a nip former in a recording medium conveyance direction and isolated from a pressure rotator via a fixing belt. The separator stretches the fixing belt. A presser is interposed between a fixing nip formed between the living belt and the pressure rotator and an upstream end of the separator in a rotation direction of the fixing belt. The presser comes into contact with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to press the fixing belt against the pressure rotator. A pressure adjuster, contacting the pressure rotator, changes a pressing position of the pressure rotator relative to the fixing belt to adjust pressure exerted from the pressure rotator to the fixing belt. A presser position adjuster, contacting the presser, changes a presser position of the presser relative to the fixing belt according to the pressing position of the pressure rotator.

A fixing device includes an endless belt, a drive rotator, a driven rotator, a rotation detector, and circuitry. The drive rotator contacts and rotates the endless belt. The driven rotator contacts an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The rotation detector detects a rotational speed of the driven rotator. The circuitry is operatively connected to the rotation detector to control a rotational speed of the drive rotator based on the rotational speed of the driven rotator detected by the rotational detector. The circuitry changes the rotational speed of the drive rotator when a recording medium bearing a toner image is not conveyed over the endless belt.

An image forming apparatus including a normal power mode and a power saving mode includes a fixing unit configured to bring first and second rotary members into contact with each other to form a nip portion and fix a toner image onto a sheet with a pressing force of the nip portion. The image forming apparatus executes a rotation operation or a separation operation to separate the first and second rotary members from each other in order to prevent a deformation of the nip portion in the fixing unit. The image forming apparatus measures a time during which the first and second rotary members are in contact with each other without rotating. The image forming apparatus determines whether to execute the separation operation or the rotation operation based on a result of the power mode determination and the measured time.

A guide unit holding portion is formed at a position between two struts in a longitudinal direction of a fixing unit. When a main cover portion rotates from an open position to a closed position, a supported portion of a swing guide unit moves from a position where the supported portion is separated from the guide unit holding portion to a position where the supported portion is in contact with the guide unit holding portion. Further, the supported portion slides on the guide unit holding portion. When the supported portion slides on the guide unit holding portion, the swing guide unit is swung upward, and then held at a target position by the guide unit holding portion.

A transport device includes: a first rotational member; a second rotational member that forms a nip with the first rotational member; a guide member that guides the medium in a predetermined direction; a changing part that supports the second rotational member so as to be rotatable and that moves the second rotational member to change a nip state between the second rotational member and the first rotational member; and an interposed member supported by the changing part and nipped between the first rotational member and the guide member, the interposed member including, in an intersecting direction intersecting a direction in which the interposed member is nipped, multiple portions having different thicknesses, the interposed member being nipped at any one of the multiple portions, while being moved in the intersecting direction in accordance with the movement of the second rotational member.