Image forming apparatus with pressure contact separation section to separate fixing side member and backside supporting member from each other

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a sheet conveyance section configured to convey a long sheet;
• an image forming section configured to transfer a toner image to a long sheet;
• a fixing section including a fixing side member configured to make contact with a fixing surface of a long sheet, a back side supporting member configured to be brought into pressure contact with the fixing side member so as to form a fixing nip, and a heating section configured to apply heat to the fixing side member, the fixing section being configured to apply heat and pressure to a long sheet conveyed along a sheet feeding path at the fixing nip so as to fix the toner image;
• a driving section configured to rotate the back side supporting member;
• a pressure contact separation section configured to bring the fixing side member and the back side supporting member into pressure contact with each other, or separate the fixing side member and the back side supporting member from each other;
• and
• a cooling section configured to cool down the back side supporting member, wherein:
• the sheet feeding path has a configuration in which a long sheet makes contact with the back side supporting member when the fixing side member and the back side supporting member are separated from each other;
• and,
• during cooling-down or warming-up of the fixing section,
• the pressure contact separation section separates the fixing side member and the back side supporting member from each other,
• the cooling section cools down the back side supporting member, and
• the driving section rotates the back side supporting member.