摘要 |
A fixing unit prevents surface temperature of a fixing roller from becoming too high or too low and of always attains good fixing performance by employing an external heating method that makes an external heating member abut the surface of the fixing roller to heat the surface of the fixing roller. The fixing unit has the fixing roller having a heating source therein, a pressurizing member which press-contacts the fixing roller, the external heating member which heats the surface of the fixing roller from the outside, an abutting-separating device that makes the external heating member abut or separate from the surface of the fixing roller; and a control unit which controls timing for making the external heating member abut the surface of the fixing roller according to at least one of the surface temperature of the external heating member and/or fixing roller, the type of the transfer medium which undergoes the fixing process and an image forming mode for the transfer medium.
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