Patent ID: 9075357
Filing Date: 2015-07-07
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A fixing device for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a rotatable fixing member to rotate while contacting an unfixed image; a pressure member to press against the fixing member to form a fixing nip in cooperation with the fixing member; a power supply; a heating member divided into a plurality of heating elements in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of a sheet of recording medium and to heat the fixing member with power from the power supply; a heat performance sensor to detect the heating performance of each heating element of the heating member; and a controller to control the heating member, wherein the image is fixed on the recording medium by passing the sheet of recording medium through the nip portion, and wherein the controller is configured to: control each heating element independently such that a temperature of a portion of the fixing member corresponding to a blank area on the recording medium becomes lower than the temperature of a portion of the fixing member corresponding to an image area on the recording medium; and control the temperature to be maintained at each heating element based on the detected heating performance of each heating element detected by the heat performance sensor.