Patent ID: 7053345

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: magnetic flux generation means, a rotatable induction heating element for generating heat by the action of magnetic flux generated by said magnetic flux generation means, said induction heating element heating a material to be heated by contacting the material to be heated; temperature detection means for detecting a surface temperature of said induction heating element; energization control means for controlling energization to said magnetic flux generation means on the basis of an output from said temperature detection means so that a surface temperature of said induction heating element is a preliminarily set setting temperature; Curie temperature reaching detection means for detecting that a temperature of said induction heating element reaches a Curie temperature; and abnormality detection means for detecting abnormality when said abnormality detection means detects, before said image forming apparatus is placed in an image formable state, that the surface temperature of said induction heating element has reached the Curie temperature before it reaches the setting temperature which is lower than the Curie temperature of said induction heating element.