Patent ID: 7187880
Filing Date: 2007-03-06
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A thermal fixing device that performs fixing operations to thermally fix one medium to another medium, the thermal fixing device performing a first fixing operation before a second fixing operation with a non-fixing time interval in between, the thermal fixing device comprising: a fixing member that during each fixing operation thermally fixes one medium to another medium, the fixing member being elongated in an elongated direction and having a main portion and an end portion aligned side by side with respect to the elongated direction; a main heater that heats the main portion of the fixing member; an end heater that heats the end portion of the fixing member; and a heater controller that drives the main heater and the end heater to heat up the main portion and the end portion of the fixing member to within a fixing temperature range during the first fixing operation and that stops driving the main heater and the end heater during the non-fixing interval, the heater controller driving the end heater at start of the second fixing operation, and then driving the main heater when a time lag elapses after starting drive of the end heater.