Patent ID: 7684724

Claim:
An image heating apparatus comprising: a heating rotary member that heats an image on a recording material at a nip portion; air blowing means for blowing air to cool an end portion, in a width direction, of the heating rotary member; temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the end portion, in the width direction, of the heating rotary member; and controlling means for letting the air blowing means blow air to the end portion of the heating rotary member between a completion of a previous image heating processing and a start of a subsequent image heating processing, wherein the controlling means lets the air blowing means blow air to the end portion of the heating rotary member in a case where (1) the length, in a width direction, of the recording material to be heated in the subsequent image heating processing is larger than the length, in the width direction, of the recording material having been heated in the previous image heating processing and (2) a detected temperature of the heating rotary member after the previous image heating processing is completed is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, and the controlling means does not let the air blowing means blow air to the end portion of the heating rotary member in a case where (3) the length, in a width direction, of the recording material to be heated in the subsequent image heating processing is shorter than the length, in the width direction, of the recording material having been heated in the previous image heating processing or (4) a detected temperature of the heating rotary member after the previous image heating processing is completed is lower than a predetermined temperature.