Patent ID: 8862039

Claim:
An image forming apparatus configured to form a toner image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an unfixed toner image on the sheet; and a fixing unit configured to fix the unfixed toner image on the sheet by heating the sheet bearing the unfixed toner image while conveying the sheet at a fixing nip portion, wherein the image forming apparatus can perform a cleaning mode for cleaning the fixing unit by conveying a sheet with an unfixed toner image for cleaning formed thereon by the fixing nip portion and an image formation mode, not including the cleaning mode, for forming the toner image on the sheet, wherein the image forming unit is configured, at a time of the image formation mode, to form the unfixed toner image on a first sheet surface, and wherein the image forming unit is configured, at a time of the cleaning mode, to form the unfixed toner image for cleaning on a second sheet surface, opposite to the first sheet surface, without reversing the sheet surface toward the image forming unit.