1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing device for image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a laser printer, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image forming apparatuses, such as a copying machine, a laser printer, or the like, are made compact, and the fixing device used therein is also made compact.
As a fixing device of this type, a heat roller type fixing device comprising a heat roller for melting and fixing a toner image on a recording member, and a compression roller for pressing the recording medium against the heat roller, are normally used, and a heat roller having a diameter of 30 mm or less has been commercially available.
In a conventional heat roller type fixing device, in order to prevent a recording medium from being wound around the heat roller, the distal ends of a plurality of peeling pawls biased by springs are pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the heat roller, thereby peeling the recording medium from the heat roller.
In the conventional device, a cleaning member for cleaning the outer circumferential surface of the heat roller is fixed to a holder, and is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the heat roller by a pressing member.
However, when the distal ends of the peeling pawls are pressed against the surface of the heat roller to peel a recording medium from the roller surface, the roller surface is often contaminated by the peeling pawls, or a coating layer formed on the roller surface is worn. For example, when a recording medium is jammed, the surface of the heat roller may be damaged by the peeling pawls. When the roller surface is damaged, it is difficult to maintain a satisfactory fixing operation. Furthermore, when the distal end portions of the peeling pawls are worn upon contact with the heat roller, it is difficult to peel a recording medium from the surface of the heat roller using the peeling pawls.
In the conventional fixing device, the holder and pressing member provided exclusively for bringing the cleaning member into contact with the heat roller are required, resulting in poor assembly efficiency, and an increase in manufacturing cost.