Patent ID: 8014710

Claim:
An image heating apparatus, comprising: a heating rotary member for heating a toner image on a sheet at a heating nip; an endless belt for forming the heating nip between the endless belt and the heating rotary member; a pressure member provided slidably on an inner surface of the endless belt at the heating nip, for bringing the endless belt into pressure contact with the heating rotary member; and a lubricant applying roller including a lubricant retaining layer for retaining a lubricant and a lubricant applying amount controlling layer, which is provided at an outer surface of the lubricant retaining layer, for controlling an applying amount of the lubricant, the lubricant applying roller abutting against the inner surface of the endless belt to apply the lubricant onto the inner surface of the endless belt while rotating, wherein the lubricant applying roller includes a high frictional portion, which is brought into contact with the inner surface of the endless belt and has a coefficient of friction higher than at least that of the lubricant applying amount controlling layer.