| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that a calorific value taken away by a recording medium per unit time is large and the melting of toner is gradually deteriorated according as the number of the recording media on which an image is formed gets large in a high-speed image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: In the image forming apparatus, a toner image formed on an image carrier by electrophotographic processing operation is transferred onto the recording medium and then thermally fixed by a heating means. The image forming apparatus has a fuel cell which produces electric energy and by-product from electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and air and supplies the electric energy to the heating means. Before the toner image on the recording medium is thermally fixed, the heat of the by-product produced from the fuel cell is transmitted to the recording medium. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI |
