To provide an excessive temperature rise preventing element which presents an excessive temperature rise of a detection object like a fixing belt without exerting an influence upon a thermal response speed.

The excessive temperature rise preventing element comprises a thermal fuse 2 which is brought into contact with a surface of a movable body like the fixing belt and fuses at a prescribed temperature or higher to cut off an electric connection, and a pair of long-sized metallic flat springs 6a and 6b which are electrically and physically connected to the thermal fuse 2 through lead terminals 4a and 4b to bring the thermal fuse 2 into contact with the surface of the movable body and comes into contact with the surface of the movable body. Metallic flat springs 6a and 6b coming into contact with the surface of the movable body have L-shaped head end portions.