Patent ID: 9429886
Filing Date: 2016-08-30
CPC Classification: F04D,G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit configured to heat the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fix the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion, the fixing unit including a heating member; and a pressurizing member that contacts the heating member so as to form the nip portion therebetween; a first blower configured to blow air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium on the heating member; a second blower configured to blow air to a non-sheet-passing area of the small-size recording medium on the pressurizing member; an end portion temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the small-size recording medium on the heating member; and a controller configured to control a power supplied to the first blower and the second blower independently, the controller controlling the power supplied to the first blower according to a detected temperature detected by the end portion temperature detector, wherein the controller is capable of executing a first cooling mode in which the first blower blows air and the second blower does not blow air, and a second cooling mode in which both the first blower and the second blower blow air, the first cooling mode starting at a timing when the detected temperature detected by the end portion temperature detector reaches a threshold temperature, the first cooling mode being switched to the second cooling mode at a timing when the power supplied to the first blower reaches a threshold power smaller than the maximum power which can be supplied to the first blower.