Patent ID: 9392642
Filing Date: 2016-07-12
CPC Classification: G03G,H05B

Claim Text:
1. An image heating apparatus comprising: a heating rotatable member configured to heat a toner image on a recording material, in a nip; a nip forming member cooperating with said heating rotatable member to form the nip; a rubbing rotatable member configured to rub a surface of the heating rotatable member; a moving mechanism configured to move said rubbing rotatable member between a position spaced from said heating rotatable member and a position for rubbing said heating rotatable member; and a controller configured to execute, when the recording material is not passing through the nip, an operation in a first mode and continuously therewith an operation in a second mode, wherein in the first mode, said heating rotatable member is rotated at least through one full-turn in a state that said rubbing rotatable member is in the spaced position and that said heating rotatable member is in contact with said nip forming member with a target temperature of said heating rotatable member higher than a target temperature of said nip forming member, and in the second mode, said rubbing rotatable member contacts said heating rotatable member by said moving mechanism and rubs the surface of said heating rotatable member, wherein said controller causes a temperature difference in the first mode between the target temperature of said heating rotatable member and a target temperature of said nip forming member to be larger than the temperature difference when the toner image is heated by the nip, and wherein said controller raises the temperature of said heating rotatable member in a state that said heating rotatable member and said nip forming member are spaced from each other, before said at least one rotation, in the first mode.