A fixing device includes a first pressing member that is heated and that presses a recording medium moving along a recording medium transport path; a second pressing member that is disposed opposite the first pressing member across the recording medium transport path and presses the recording medium, the second pressing member including an opposing portion opposing the first pressing member, the opposing portion having, at a part, a pressed portion pressed against the first pressing member; and a heat receiver that is disposed to oppose an upstream portion of the opposing portion, the upstream portion of the opposing portion being located upstream of the pressed portion in a direction in which the recording medium moves, the heat receiver being disposed upstream of the recording medium transport path and receiving heat from the first pressing member.

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a fixing device, an inductive heater configured to heat the fixing device, and a magnetic shunt alloy disposed at an inner surface of the fixing device. A temperature detector is configured to detect a temperature of the magnetic shunt alloy. A thermostat contacting the magnetic shunt alloy is configured to shut off electric power to the inductive heater when the thermostat reaches or exceeds a first threshold temperature value. A controller is configured to reduce electric power to the inductive heater if the detected temperature of the magnetic shunt alloy is equal to or higher than a second threshold temperature value lower than the first threshold temperature value.

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a controller, and a storage. The fixing device includes a fixing part that fixes a toner image on a sheet, a heating part that heats the fixing part, and a detecting part that detects an actual temperature of the fixing part. The controller controls the actual temperature of the fixing part based on a target temperature of the fixing part and a cumulative deviation of the actual temperature of the fixing part. The storage stores a convergence value of the cumulative deviation. Every time a heating operation to the fixing part by the heating part is executed, the controller updates the convergence value of the cumulative deviation stored in the storage by a convergence value of the cumulative deviation of a latest heating operation.

A fixing device includes a fixing rotator and a lateral end heater to heat a lateral end span of the fixing rotator in an axial direction thereof. A thermal conduction aid contacts the fixing rotator. A nip formation pad contacts the thermal conduction aid. A lateral end temperature detector detects a temperature of the fixing rotator in a lateral end detection span in the axial direction of the fixing rotator. The thermal conduction aid contacts the nip formation pad in a first span including the lateral end detection span in the axial direction of the fixing rotator with a first contact area. The thermal conduction aid contacts the nip formation pad in a second span disposed outboard from the first span in the axial direction of the fixing rotator with a second contact area smaller than the first contact area.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion; a first rotatable member and a second rotatable member; a belt unit including an endless belt configured to externally heat the first rotatable member and a supporting mechanism rotatably supporting the endless belt; a moving mechanism configured to move the belt unit so as to be movable between a contact position where the endless belt contacts the first rotatable member and a spaced position where the endless belt is spaced from the first rotatable member; and a controller configured to execute exchange of the endless belt or belt unit on the basis of information prompting exchange thereof, and execute a process in which the belt unit with a new endless belt or a new belt unit with a new endless belt is moved to the contact position and then the new endless belt is rotated for a predetermined time by the first rotatable member.

An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device having: a heating member having a heat source; a pressing member; and a fixing member heated by the heating member and forming a nip portion passing through a recording material together with the pressing member; and a hardware processor that: estimates a temperature of the fixing member based on a temperature of the heating member; and estimates a durability state of the fixing member according to the temperature of the fixing member estimated.

A fixing device includes a heating device, a fixing belt, a pressing roller, a thermostat, and a temperature sensor. The fixing belt is heated by the heating device. The pressing roller is pressed toward the outer surface of the fixing belt, and forms a fixing nip portion through which a recording medium passes between the pressing roller and the outer surface of the fixing belt. The thermostat is disposed in proximity to the fixing belt. The temperature sensor is disposed in proximity to the fixing belt, and detects the temperature of the fixing belt and outputs a detection signal to a temperature control portion of the heating device. The thermostat and the temperature sensor are disposed on the same surface side of the fixing belt and also in the same phase position in the width direction of the fixing belt.

A thermal fixing roll or belt-forming silicone rubber composition having a high thermal conductivity, a low compression set, and an improved heat resistance which is well adapted for use as a coating material in a fixing roll or fixing belt is provided. Also provided are a fixing roll and a fixing belt formed by using such composition. The thermal fixing roll or belt-forming silicone rubber composition comprises 100 parts by weight of a heat-curable silicone rubber composition and 50 to 800 parts by weight of silicon carbide having an iron content of up to 0.2% by weight at the surface and an average particle size of 1 to 50 m.

A fixing apparatus includes a heater that is in contact with an inner surface of a film, a restricting member that restricts movement of the film in a longitudinal direction of the film, a connector that is connected electrically to the heater for supplying electric power to the heater, and a lock member that maintains a position of the restricting member and a position of the connector relative to each other.

This heat fixing belt is provided with a tubular belt base that is formed from an insulating heat-resistant resin, an elastic resistive heat generation layer that is formed from an elastic base material containing an elastic material and contains conductive material, a toner release layer, and a pair of electrode layers for feeding a power to the elastic resistive heat generation layer. The elastic resistive heat generation layer is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the belt base. The toner release layer is provided as the outermost layer. The pair of electrode layers are provided on both end portions of the outer circumferential surface of the elastic resistive heat generation layer, and have a volume resistivity that is lower than the volume resistivity of the elastic resistive heat generation layer.