Patent ID: 7006773
Filing Date: 2006-02-28
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a forming unit to which electric power is supplied from a power supply unit, and which forms an image onto a recording medium on the basis of acquired image information; a fixing unit at which electric power is supplied from the power supply unit to a heater thereof, and the formed image is fixed by heating the recording medium on which the image has been formed; a detecting unit which detects an electric power consumption of the forming unit and an electric power consumption of the fixing unit; and a control unit which controls the power supply unit so as to increase the electric power consumption of the fixing unit when the electric power consumption of the forming unit detected by the detecting unit is less than or equal to a predetermined amount, and determines surplus electric energy by subtracting the electric power consumption of the forming unit and the electric power consumption of the fixing unit from available electric energy of the image forming apparatus, and controls so as to increase the electric power consumption of the fixing unit within a range of the surplus electric energy.