An example image forming apparatus includes a main body, a printing engine to be disposed in the main body to form an image on a printing medium, a fixing apparatus including a fixing roller and a fixing belt disposed to face the fixing roller, and a jam prevention apparatus including a fixed frame disposed adjacent to the fixing apparatus, and a movable apparatus to be detachably fastened to the fixed frame through a plurality of adjusting screws, to adjust a gap with the fixing belt according to a fastening direction of the plurality of adjusting screws.

An image forming apparatus includes two rotators, a driver driving the rotators, a heating device to heat the rotator, a blower blowing air to the heating device, a temperature detector, a recording medium detector, a cover, an open-close detector, and circuitry. The circuitry detects an abnormal state and stops heat generation, determines whether the cover is closed using the open-close detector, controls the blower to blow air when the cover is closed, determines whether the recording medium is in the nip using the recording medium detector, controls the driver to rotate the two rotators when the cover is closed and no recording medium is in the nip, determines whether a temperature detected is equal to or lower than a threshold value before the cover is opened, and controls the blower to decrease an air volume when the temperature detected is equal to or lower than the threshold value.

An image forming apparatus includes two rotators, a driver driving the rotators, a heating device to heat the rotator, a blower blowing air to the heating device, a temperature detector, a recording medium detector, a cover, an open-close detector, and circuitry. The circuitry detects an abnormal state and stops heat generation, determines whether the cover is closed using the open-close detector, controls the blower to blow air when the cover is closed, determines whether the recording medium is in the nip using the recording medium detector, controls the driver to rotate the two rotators when the cover is closed and no recording medium is in the nip, determines whether a temperature detected is equal to or lower than a threshold value before the cover is opened, and controls the blower to decrease an air volume when the temperature detected is equal to or lower than the threshold value.

A fixing device includes first and second rotatable members, a moving mechanism, a flag, a sensor, a movable guide, and a stationary guide. The moving mechanism is configured to move the first rotatable member away from the second rotatable member. The flag is provided downstream of the nip with respect to a recording material feeding direction and retractable by passing of the recording material. The sensor is configured to detect whether or not the flag is retracted by contact with the recording material. The movable guide is movable together with the first rotatable member away from the second rotatable member and from the flag by the moving mechanism. The stationary guide is fixed at a position opposing the flag, irrespective of a position of the movable guide member. The stationary guide does not move together with the movable guide.

A fixing device includes a fixing rotating member, a heater, a fixing pad, a pressurizing member, a lubricant, and a surface layer. The fixing rotating member is configured to fix a toner image on a recording medium and is heated by the heater. The fixing pad is positioned on an inner circumferential side of the fixing rotating member, and presses the fixing rotating member from the inner circumferential side. The pressurizing member faces an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotating member, and forms a nip for fixing between the pressurizing member and the fixing rotating member. The lubricant is applied to the fixing rotating member. The surface layer is disposed in a vicinity of an end portion of a pressurizing surface of the fixing pad and returns the lubricant to a longitudinal central side of the pressurizing surface.

A heating unit urging member urges a first support body of a heating unit toward a second support body of a fixing unit with elastic force. The heating unit urging member brings the first support body into contact with the second support body and brings the second support body into contact with two struts. An interlocking mechanism moves the heating unit along a direction in which the heating unit and the fixing unit are arranged, in conjunction with movement of an operation portion. When the operation portion moves from a first position to a second position, the interlocking mechanism moves the first support body from a reference position where the first support body is in contact with the second support body to a retracted position where the first support body is separated from the second support body.

A nip forming device includes an endless belt that is flexible and rotates and a nip former that is disposed opposite an inner circumferential face of the endless belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the endless belt to form a nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator, through which a conveyed object is conveyed. A separator is disposed downstream from the nip in a conveyance direction of the conveyed object. The separator separates the conveyed object from the endless belt. The separator includes a non-contact portion separated from the endless belt and a contact portion that contacts the endless belt. The contact portion retains a gap having a predetermined size between the non-contact portion and the endless belt.

A damper mechanism has first and second rail members, a biasing member, and a slide member. The first rail member is fixed inside the opening/closing member along the up/down direction, and has an oblong guide hole formed therein extending along the longitudinal direction. The second rail member has fixed to a top end part thereof an engaging pin inserted through the guide hole, and has a bottom end part swingably supported on the apparatus main body. The biasing member biases the first and second rail members in a direction in which these approach each other. The slide member is made of resin fixed to the engaging pin, slides while in contact with the first rail member and the opening/closing member, and prevents contact between the engaging pin and an inner circumferential rim of the guide hole.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body having an image forming unit that is configured to an image on a recording material, and a fixing unit removably attached to the apparatus body to fix the image on the recording material. The fixing unit includes a roll member having a roll body and a bearing provided at each end of the roll body to support the roll body rotatably, a pressurizing member provided in contact with the roll member to form a fixing pressurizing portion through which the recording material passes, and a storage member that stores the roll member and the pressurizing member in a state in which the roll member and the pressurizing member are pressed with a predetermined pressure. The apparatus body includes a positioning member that is in contact with the bearing to position the roll member in a transport direction of the recording material.

A fixing device includes a device body, a fixing unit, a pair of decurling units, and an open/close unit. The fixing unit is disposed on the device body to perform a fixing operation on a recording medium, and includes a removal assistance unit to assist removal of the recording medium. The pair of decurling units are disposed on the device body to correct a curl of the recording medium by holding the recording medium therebetween. The open/close unit is openably and closeably disposed on the device body to separate, when opened, the removal assistance unit from the fixing unit and one of the decurling units from the other decurling unit.