FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

To provide a fixing device and an image forming apparatus that can effectively prevent contact of a foreign substance with heating means.SOLUTION: A fixing device comprises: a fixing belt; a contact member that is brought into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt; a pressure member that is brought into pressure contact with the contact member from the outside of the fixing belt to form a fixing nip area with the fixing belt; heating means that heats the fixing belt; a protective member that is provided between the heating means and the fixing belt and protects the fixing belt from the heating means; and a pair of holding members that hold both ends of the protective member in an axial direction that is a direction of a revolution axis of the fixing belt. The pair of holding members are each provided with an inside holding part that holds the protective member from the inside and an outside holding part that is opposite to the inside holding part and holds the protective member from the outside. The inside holding part extends toward a center part in the axial direction compared with the outside holding part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7A 【課題】加熱手段への異物の接触を効果的に防止することができる定着装置及び画像形成装置を提供する。【解決手段】定着装置は、定着ベルトと、定着ベルトの内周面に当接される当接部材と、定着ベルトの外側から当接部材に向けて圧接して定着ベルトとの間に定着ニップ領域を形成する加圧部材と、定着ベルトを加熱する加熱手段と、加熱手段と定着ベルトとの間に設けられて加熱手段に対し定着ベルトを保護する保護部材と、定着ベルトの周回軸線の方向である軸線方向における保護部材の両端部をそれぞれ保持する一対の保持部材とを備えている。一対の保持部材には、保護部材を内側から保持する内側保持部と、内側保持部に対向して保護部材を外側から保持する外側保持部とが設けられている。内側保持部は、外側保持部よりも軸線方向における中央部側に延びている。【選択図】図７Ａ