Patent ID: 9354570
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A heater usable with an image heating apparatus including an electric energy supplying portion provided with a first terminal and a second terminal, and an endless belt for heating an image on a sheet, wherein said heater is contactable to the belt to heat the belt, said heater comprising: a substrate; a plurality of electrode portions provided on said substrate and arranged with gaps in a longitudinal direction of said substrate; a plurality of electrical contact portions provided on said substrate and electrically connectable with the energy supplying portion; a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent ones of said electrode portions so as to electrically connect between adjacent electrode portions, said heat generating portions being capable of generating heat by the electric power supply between adjacent electrode portions; and a plurality of electroconductive line portions provided on said substrate and connecting with said electrical contact portions and said electrode portions so that said electrode portions include first group electrode portions which are connectable with the first terminal and second group electrode portions which are connectable with the second terminal, said first group electrode portions and said second group electrode portions being arranged alternately in the longitudinal direction, wherein said plurality of electroconductive line portions comprise, a main line portion provided on said substrate and extending from said electrical contact portions in the longitudinal direction, a first branch line portion provided on said substrate and branching from said main line portion so as to electrically connect with a first electrode portion of said first group electrode portions, and a second branch line portion provided on said substrate and branching from said main line portion so as to electrically connect with a second electrode portion of said first group electrode portions, wherein said second electrode portion is spaced farther from said electrical contact portions than said first electrode portion in the longitudinal direction, and the electric resistance of said first branch line portion is larger than the electric resistance of said second branch line portion.