Patent ID: 8027608

Claim:
A fixing device comprising: a main heating section adapted to be able to rotate around an axis thereof, and heating a recording material bearing an unfixed toner image by a heat source provided therein to fuse toner of the unfixed toner image; a pressure section disposed so as to form a pressure-contact region between the pressure section and the main heating section by coming into pressure-contact with the main heating section, the pressure section pressing, in cooperation with the main heating section, that recording material bearing the unfixed toner image which is fed at the pressure-contact region, and fixing a toner image on the recording material; and an external heating section disposed so as to come into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the main heating section or pressure section from an exterior thereof, the external heating section heating the main heating section or the pressure section, wherein in a standby mode in which the temperature of the main heating section is held up after the main heating section is heated by a target temperature, heating control is performed, after starting the operation of the heat source, to stop the operation of the heat source when the operation period of time of the heat source reaches a predetermined fixed period of time.