Patent ID: 8873987

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing device including a heating rotary body that fixes toner onto a sheet by heating the toner on the sheet, a pressing body that forms a nip portion between the heating rotary body and the pressing body, and conveys the sheet in cooperation with the heating rotary body, with the sheet interposed therebetween, and a heating member that heats the heating rotary body; a job acquiring unit that acquires an image forming job that gives instructions for performing forming of an image; an image forming process control unit that controls performance of the image forming job that the job acquiring unit acquires; a temperature information acquiring unit that acquires information showing temperature of the heating rotary body; a determining unit that determines whether the temperature of the heating rotary body which is acquired by the temperature information acquiring unit is equal to or larger than a predetermined stand-by temperature set as a temperature in a stand-by state that stands by to perform the image forming process, when temperature drop control is completed, the temperature drop control being performed for decreasing the temperature of the heating rotary body when the image forming process corresponding to one image forming job is completed; and a fixing device control unit, which controls the fixing device, that performs the temperature drop control, performs a first stand-by control process that increases the temperature of the heating rotary body from a temperature at completion of the temperature drop control to the stand-by temperature in stages by heating the heating rotary body with the heating member while rotating the heating rotary body with the heating rotary body and the pressing body in contact, when the determining unit determines that the temperature of the heating rotary body at completion of the temperature drop control is lower than the stand-by temperature, and performs a second stand-by control process that stops the rotation of the heating rotary body and makes the fixing device stand by, without heating the heating rotary body with the heating member, when the determining unit determines that the temperature of the heating rotary body at completion of the temperature drop control is at the stand-by temperature or higher.