Patent ID: 7792475

Claim:
An image forming apparatus including a heating unit and a pressing unit which forms a fusing nip between the heating unit and the pressing unit to fuse a visible image formed on a printing medium, the image forming apparatus comprising: the heating unit including an indirect heating member disposed inside a fusing belt of the heating unit to generate a radiant heat and to indirectly transfer the radiant heat to the visible image formed on the printing medium passing through the fusing nip and a direct heating member having a resistance heating element to generate a resistance heat and to directly transfer the resistance heat to the visible image formed on the printing medium passing through the fusing nip, wherein the direct heating member includes the resistance heating element to generate the resistance heat when power is applied to the resistance heating element, and an insulation element disposed on the resistance heating element so that power is stably applied to the resistance heating element, and wherein the heating unit includes a support element to support the resistance heating element and the insulation element, and the support element includes a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 , or a light transmitting material of a high heat-resistant polymer material, wherein the high heat-resistant polymer material is PI.