Patent ID: 7890008

Claim:
An image forming apparatus including: a toner image forming section which includes an image bearing member and forms a toner image on a surface of the image bearing member; a transfer section which transfers the toner image on the surface of the image bearing member to a recording sheet; a fixing device which fixes the unfixed toner on the recording sheet, the fixing device including: a fixing member which heats the recording sheet bearing an unfixed toner image, and fuses toner constituting the unfixed toner image, a pressure member which is provided so as to be pressed against the fixing member to form a pressure-contact region between the pressure member and the fixing member, and pressurizes the recording sheet bearing the unfixed toner image which is conveyed to the pressure-contact region so as to fix the unfixed toner image on the recording sheet in cooperation with the fixing member, an external heating section which is provided so as to come into contact with a peripheral surface of the fixing member from an exterior thereof, and heats the peripheral surface, and a fixing member temperature detection section which detects a surface temperature of the fixing member; and an interrupt control section which carries out an interrupt control so as to interrupt a job printing when the surface temperature of the fixing member during the job printing which is detected by the fixing member temperature detection section decreases to a job interrupt reference temperature, wherein at least two levels are set as the job interrupt reference temperature, and the job interrupt control section individually selects, from among the at least two levels set as the job interrupt reference temperature, the level to be used for either or both of a job immediately after a start-up from a power-on and a job immediately after a return from a sleep mode, and the level(s) for other job(s), and carries out the interrupt control using the selected level of job interrupt reference temperature.