Patent ID: 8285183

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a sheet, said image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit including a fixing roller, a back-up member configured to cooperate with said fixing roller to form a nip therebetween, and a rotatable heating member contactable to a surface of said fixing roller to heat said fixing roller, wherein the sheet is outputted from said image forming apparatus after an unfixed toner image is fixed on the sheet, wherein said image forming apparatus is operable in a cleaning mode for cleaning said fixing unit, and wherein when the cleaning mode is selected, a predetermined unfixed toner image is formed on the sheet, and the sheet is fed to said fixing unit, and the toner is transferred from the sheet onto said fixing roller in said fixing nip, and then the toner transferred onto said fixing roller is brought into contact with said heating member, and thereafter, the toner on said fixing roller is transferred onto the sheet in said fixing nip.