Patent attributes
A fixing device includes a fixing member, pressure member, first temperature detector, and pressure adjustment mechanism. The pressure member presses against the fixing member to form a nip though which a recording medium bearing a toner image thereon is conveyed. The first temperature detector detects a temperature of the fixing member. The pressure adjustment mechanism performs an adjustment to contact pressure between the fixing and pressure members to be lower than an appropriate pressure for image fixing at the detected temperature of the fixing roller or separation of the pressure roller from the fixing member for a part of a period between a time at which a tailing end of a precedent recording medium is conveyed out from the nip and a time at which a leading end of a following recording medium is conveyed into the nip when a plurality of recording media are successively conveyed through the nip.
