Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode. The first mode is a mode in which a sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that an arrival time from a passage of a trailing edge of a preceding sheet through a nip portion to an arrival of a leading edge of a succeeding sheet succeeding to the preceding sheet at the nip portion becomes a first time. The second mode is a mode in which the sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that the arrival time becomes a second time. The third mode is a mode in which the sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that the arrival time becomes a third time. The second time is longer than the first time, and the third time is longer than the second time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material according to image information on a predetermined image; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the recording material by heating the recording material having thereon the toner image while conveying the recording material by a nip portion; an acquisition portion configured to acquire an image end position that is a position of one end of the toner image in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the recording material; a determination portion configured to determine a target temperature based on the image end position; and a control portion configured to control the fixing portion based on the target temperature.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode. The first mode is a mode in which a sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that an arrival time from a passage of a trailing edge of a preceding sheet through a nip portion to an arrival of a leading edge of a succeeding sheet succeeding to the preceding sheet at the nip portion becomes a first time. The second mode is a mode in which the sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that the arrival time becomes a second time. The third mode is a mode in which the sheet conveyance unit is controlled so that the arrival time becomes a third time. The second time is longer than the first time, and The third time is longer than the second time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material according to image information on a predetermined image; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the recording material by heating the recording material having thereon the toner image while conveying the recording material by a nip portion; an acquisition portion configured to acquire an image end position that is a position of one end of the toner image in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the recording material; a determination portion configured to determine a target temperature based on the image end position; and a control portion configured to control the fixing portion based on the target temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an acquiring portion configured to acquire image information and operation information of the image forming apparatus; an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image to the recording material by heating the recording material on which the toner image is formed; and a control portion configured to, when the acquiring portion acquires image information corresponding to a first page and fails to acquire image information corresponding to a second page following the first page, set a temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the first page as a first temperature based on the image information corresponding to the first page and the operation information, and set the temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the second page as a second temperature based on the operation information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a fixing, onto a recording material, a toner image that is formed in accordance with image data, and constituted of a first image that is formed by a toner of a first color and a second image that is formed by a toner of a second color which is different from the first color, and that is superimposed on the first image; an acquiring a gradation value of the first image and a gradation value of the second image based on the image data; a determining a target temperature and target speed based on the gradation value of the first image and the gradation value of the second image; a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing unit based on the target temperature; and a controlling conveying speed of the recording material based on the target speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a dividing the image data into regions including pixels; an obtaining a first ratio by dividing a total number of the pixels included in groups, the pixels having a density equal to or higher than a predetermined value and arranged consecutively in a predetermined direction, by a total number of the pixels having the density and included in each of the regions; an obtaining a second ratio by dividing the total number of pixels having the density and included in each of the regions by a total number of the pixels included in each of the regions; a determining a target temperature for maintaining a temperature of a fixing portion based on the first and second ratios; and a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing portion so that the fixing portion is maintained at the target temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an acquiring portion configured to acquire image information and operation information of the image forming apparatus; an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image to the recording material by heating the recording material on which the toner image is formed; and a control portion configured to, when the acquiring portion acquires image information corresponding to a first page and fails to acquire image information corresponding to a second page following the first page, set a temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the first page as a first temperature based on the image information corresponding to the first page and the operation information, and set the temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the second page as a second temperature based on the operation information.

Abstract: A fixing member used for a fixing device includes a tubular base layer; an electrode portion formed on the base layer; a heat generating portion formed on the base layer in such a manner as to be positioned next to the electrode portion in a longitudinal direction of the fixing member, the heat generating portion being electrically connected to the electrode portion; and an overcoat layer formed on the heat generating portion. The heat generating portion is a layer formed by a plurality of thin linear layers extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member and spaced from one another along a circumferential direction of the fixing member. The overcoat layer extends over a boundary between the heat generating portion and the electrode portion in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a fixing, onto a recording material, a toner image that is formed in accordance with image data, and constituted of a first image that is formed by a toner of a first color and a second image that is formed by a toner of a second color which is different from the first color, and that is superimposed on the first image; an acquiring a gradation value of the first image and a gradation value of the second image based on the image data; a determining a target temperature and target speed based on the gradation value of the first image and the gradation value of the second image; a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing unit based on the target temperature; and a controlling conveying speed of the recording material based on the target speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a dividing the image data into regions including pixels; an obtaining a first ratio by dividing a total number of the pixels included in groups, the pixels having a density equal to or higher than a predetermined value and arranged consecutively in a predetermined direction, by a total number of the pixels having the density and included in each of the regions; an obtaining a second ratio by dividing the total number of pixels having the density and included in each of the regions by a total number of the pixels included in each of the regions; a determining a target temperature for maintaining a temperature of a fixing portion based on the first and second ratios; and a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing portion so that the fixing portion is maintained at the target temperature.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a heating member, a supporting member that supports the heating member, a film slidably disposed on the heating member, and a pressing member that forms a nip portion, in collaboration with the film, through which the recording medium is conveyed. The fixing apparatus further includes a first thermally conductive member and a second thermally conductive member that are disposed between the heating member and the supporting member. The first thermally conductive member has a thermal conductivity higher than that of a substrate of the heating member. The thermal conductivity in in-plane directions of the second thermally conductive member is higher than the thermal conductivity in a thickness direction thereof. The second thermally conductive member is in contact with the heating member, and the first thermally conductive member is in contact with the second thermally conductive member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a heating member, a supporting member that supports the heating member, a film slidably disposed on the heating member, and a pressing member that forms a nip portion, in collaboration with the film, through which the recording medium is conveyed. The fixing apparatus further includes a first thermally conductive member and a second thermally conductive member that are disposed between the heating member and the supporting member. The first thermally conductive member has a thermal conductivity higher than that of a substrate of the heating member. The thermal conductivity in in-plane directions of the second thermally conductive member is higher than the thermal conductivity in a thickness direction thereof. The second thermally conductive member is in contact with the heating member, and the first thermally conductive member is in contact with the second thermally conductive member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical film including a heat generating layer, a first temperature detecting member contacting the film, and a second temperature detecting member contacting the film and provided at such a position that a temperature change at the position, at which the second temperature detecting member is provided, is slower in responsiveness than at a position at which the first temperature detecting member is provided. A controller stops supply of electrical power to the film depending on a difference between a detection temperature value output by the first temperature detecting member, and a detection temperature value output by the second temperature detecting member. In addition, a toner image, formed on a recording material, is heated by heat from the film and is fixed on the recording material.