| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively prevent an erroneous determination of abnormal heat generation in an image forming apparatus that determines the presence/absence of the abnormal heat generation of a resistance heating element layer by detecting the amount of powdery smoke. <P>SOLUTION: This image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that thermally fixes an unfixed image onto a recording sheet using a resistance heating element that generates heat by Joule heat through energization. This image forming apparatus monitors the amount of powdery smoke generated in the fixing device, and determines the presence/absence of the abnormal heat generation of the resistance heating element by whether the amount of the powdery smoke in the fixing device exceeds a predetermined threshold or not. In not printing, this image forming apparatus sets the threshold used for determining the presence of the abnormal heat generation to a first threshold, however, in printing, for avoiding an erroneous determination due to powdery smoke generated irrelevant to the abnormal heat generation, sets the threshold used for determining the presence of the abnormal heat generation, to a second threshold (S802) that is higher than the first threshold by an amount equivalent to the amount of the powdery smoke. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT |
