An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a
heating roller 2 fixed at a predetermined position, a pressurizing roller
3 press-fitted to the heating roller 2 by a pressurizing mechanism 4 to
be movable, and a hardness change detecting mechanism 310 which becomes
electrically conductive when the pressurizing roller 3 moves due to
thermal expansion of the heating roller 2, and which detects a hardness
change of the heating roller 2.