Patent ID: 7428390

Claim:
An image fixing apparatus for fixing an image formed on a recording material, comprising: a heater; a sleeve having an inner peripheral surface contacted with said heater; a backup member for forming a fixing nip portion with said heater through said sleeve; a first temperature detection element for detecting a temperature of said sleeve; a second temperature detection element for detecting a temperature of said heater; a current supply control portion for controlling a current supply to said heater so that the detection temperature of said first temperature detection element maintains at a set temperature; and a pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting a pressure applied to the fixing nip portion, said pressure adjustment mechanism being capable of setting the pressure applied to the fixing nip portion to a first pressure and a second pressure lower than the first pressure; wherein said fixing apparatus is capable of setting a first fixing mode for executing a fixing process under the first pressure and a second fixing mode for executing the fixing process under the second pressure, and wherein in case the detection temperature of said second temperature detection element before starting the fixing process under the second fixing mode is higher than a reference temperature, a time period from upon receipt of the print signal until starting the fixing process under the second fixing mode is longer than the case where the detection temperature is lower than the reference temperature.