Patent ID: 8666270

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an imaging unit to form a toner image on a recording medium conveyed along a media conveyance path; a fixing device disposed downstream from the imaging unit along the media conveyance path to fix the toner image in place on the recording medium, the fixing device including: a fuser roller having a cylindrical core of metal, a circumference thereof formed of an elastic layer deposited on the cylindrical metal core; a heat roller disposed parallel to the fuser roller, a circumference thereof subjected to heating; an endless, fuser belt looped for rotation around the fuser roller and the heat roller; and a pressure roller disposed opposite the fuser roller with the fuser belt interposed between the pressure roller and the fuser roller, the pressure roller pressing against the fuser roller via the fuser belt to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is conveyed under heat and pressure as the fuser roller is driven to rotate with a given rotational speed; a first thermometer disposed adjacent to the cylindrical core of the fuser roller to detect a first temperature directly at the cylindrical core of the fuser roller; and a controller operatively connected with the first thermometer to control conveyance of the recording medium through the fixing nip according to the first temperature detected upon entry of the recording medium in the media conveyance path.