Patent ID: 7970326
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a determining unit that determines whether a borderless image is printable or not, when said determining unit receives a printing data of said borderless image from a host device; an image forming unit that forms a developer image on a recording medium, using a developer containing a wax, in accordance with said printing data so that said developer image reaches the vicinity of a leading end of said recording medium in a feeding direction thereof, in the case where said determining unit determines to print said borderless image; a fixing member heated by a heat source so as to fix said developer image to said recording medium; a pressing member disposed in opposition to said fixing member, said pressing member being pressed against said fixing member to form a nip portion therebetween; a separating member disposed on a downstream side of said nip portion so that said separating member has no contact with said fixing member, said separating member separating said recording medium from said fixing member, and a release agent applying member that applies a release agent to said fixing member, wherein said determining unit is configured to acquire information including a feeding direction and a basis weight of said recording medium, and determine whether said borderless image is printable on said recording medium or not based on a comparison of the feeding direction and the basis weight of the recording medium to a predetermined basis weight and predetermined feeding direction for which a peeling force between said recording medium and said fixing member exceeds a peel resistance with which said recording medium adheres to said fixing member resisting said peeling force, based on a content of said wax in said developer, an applying amount of said release agent by said release agent applying member, and a resilient hardness of said fixing member and said pressing member.