Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Keiju Ishida

Takehiro Sato

Sachio Izumichi

An image forming apparatus includes a movable unit, a support unit, a protruding portion, a guide portion, and a pressing portion. The movable unit includes a fixing member and a pressure member, and swings along a width direction of a sheet. The support unit supports the movable unit. The protruding portion is electrically conductive and is provided to protrude from a first unit of one of the movable unit and the support unit toward a second unit of the other. The guide portion is electrically conductive and is formed in the second unit so that the protruding portion can be inserted therein, and guides the protruding portion along the width direction. The pressing portion presses the movable unit in a pressing direction perpendicular to the width direction and along a horizontal plane.

Image forming apparatus capable of stabilizing electrical connection between movable unit and support unit included in fixing device

A fixing unit includes a plurality of first engagement portions which respectively engage with a plurality of first to-be-engaged portions to restrict a movement of a heating unit in a third direction intersecting with a first direction and a second direction. A fixed unit includes a second engagement portion which engages with a second to-be-engaged portion to restrict a movement of the heating unit in the first direction. The fixing unit includes a movable unit, a supporting member, and a reciprocating mechanism. The supporting member supports the movable unit such that the movable unit is movable along the first direction. The reciprocating mechanism causes the movable unit to reciprocate. The reciprocating mechanism causes the movable unit to reciprocate once every time a plurality of sheets pass between a first rotation member and a second rotation member in the fixing unit.

Image forming apparatus including reciprocatable fixing unit next to heating unit

A heating unit includes a to-be-engaged portion. A fixing unit includes an engagement portion. The heating unit or the fixing unit includes an engagement guide portion. A movement mechanism retains the heating unit in a tilted attitude when causing the heating unit to move at a position set apart from the fixing unit. The engagement guide portion causes the heating unit to rock from the tilted attitude to a reference attitude while guiding the to-be-engaged portion to the engagement portion. The engagement portion engages with the to-be-engaged portion to restrict a movement of the heating unit in a longitudinal direction. A unit bias portion retains an engagement state between the engagement portion and the to-be-engaged portion.

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Osaka, Japan

Keiju Ishida