Patent ID: 8805218

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a photoconductive member configured to carry a toner image; an endless annular intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image is transferred from the photoconductive member; an endless annular transfer and fixing belt onto which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt; a fixing and pressing roller configured to nip and convey a sheet in cooperation with a belt surface of the transfer and fixing belt; a heating device configured to heat the toner image on an outer circumferential surface of the transfer and fixing belt between a first toner image transfer position for transfer from the intermediate transfer belt onto the transfer and fixing belt and a second toner image transfer position for transfer from the transfer and fixing belt onto the sheet in a moving direction of the belt surface of the transfer and fixing belt and, at the same time, heat the sheet conveyed to the second toner image transfer position; a heat insulating plate located between the heating device and the sheet conveyed to the second toner image transfer position and configured to suppress heat transmission from the heating device to the sheet; a sensor configured to detect thickness of the sheet conveyed to the second toner image transfer position; a heat-insulating-plate driving unit configured to move the heat insulating plate; and a control unit configured to control the heat-insulating-plate driving unit on the basis of a detection result of the sensor and adjust a position of the heat insulating plate to thereby adjust a heat transmission amount from the heating device to the sheet.