Patent ID: 7957662

Claim:
A fixing apparatus comprising: first means for heating a developer-holding medium holding a developer image; second means, in contact with the first means, for pressurizing the developer-holding medium and the developer image; third means, including a plurality of heat-generating members, for generating heat to heat the first means; fourth means, including a plurality of thermoelectric converting elements formed along a curved surface of the first means, each of the thermoelectric converting elements having a heat-absorbing surface and a cooling surface and generating electromotive force by difference in temperature between the heat-absorbing surface and the cooling surface, the heat-absorbing surface being disposed with a predetermined space from an outer circumferential surface of the first means; fifth means for supplying electric power generated by the fourth means; sixth means, including a plurality of thermoelectric converting elements and formed along a curved surface of the second means, each of the thermoelectric converting elements having a heat-absorbing surface and a cooling surface and generating electromotive force by difference in temperature between the heat-absorbing surface and the cooling surface, the heat-absorbing surface being disposed with a predetermined space from an outer circumferential surface of the second means, the second means generating electric power being used for charging the fifth means; and seventh means for switching a first state in which electric power is supplied from utility power to the third means and a second state in which electric power is supplied from the fifth means to the third means, based on a predetermined signal, wherein the seventh means supplies electric power from the utility power to all the third means in the first state, and supplies electric power from an auxiliary power supply to all the third means in the second state.