A fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller, a fixing belt forming a nip
between them, a heat source for heating at least one of the rollers,
wherein a recording medium carrying an unfixed toner image passes through
the nip to perform fixing operation, and a flattener having a conveyance
roller and a pressure contact member which is in pressure contact with the
conveyance roller, which is provided downstream in the conveying direction
of the recording medium of the nip. A convex shape of the nip formed by
the fixing roller and the fixing belt, and a convex shape of a nip of the
flattener formed by the conveyance roller and the pressure contact member
are arranged to have opposite directions to each other, when viewed from a
direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording
medium.
