Patent ID: 9405248
Filing Date: 2016-08-02
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image heating apparatus comprising: a cylindrical film; a rotatable member contacting an outer surface of said film; a nip forming member contacting an inner surface of said film and cooperating with said rotatable member to form a nip for nipping a recording material carrying an image; and an inner surface opposing member opposing an inner surface of an end portion of said film in a generatrix direction of said film, wherein said inner surface opposing member includes a film supporting surface, wherein the inner surface of the end portion of said film slides on the film supporting surface, wherein the film supporting surface is provided with a groove recessed relative to the film supporting surface and extending in a rotational moving direction of said film, wherein a lubricant is provided between said film and said nip forming member, wherein said groove has an entrance which is provided immediately after a downstream side end portion of said nip forming member with respect to the rotational moving direction, wherein said groove has a wall, wherein said wall has a surface in a plane intersecting the rotational axis of said film at the position downstream of the entrance of said groove with respect to the rotational moving direction, wherein said wall is configured to remove from said film the lubricant which is deposited on the inner surface of said film and which moves with rotation of said film, wherein said wall is disposed at the same position as said groove along the generatrix direction of said film, and wherein said wall is provided in an area between a center portion of said nip and 180° away therefrom with respect to the rotational moving direction.