Patent ID: 7630677

Claim:
An image heating apparatus comprising: a first endless belt; a second endless belt held in contact with an outer peripheral surface of said first endless belt; a heating portion for heating at least one of said first endless belt and said second endless belt; a first pressure member held in contact with an inner peripheral surface of said first endless belt; and a second pressure member held in contact with an inner peripheral surface of said second endless belt, said first pressure member and said second pressure member holding said first endless belt and said second endless belt therebetween, said image heating apparatus heating a recording material bearing a toner image while the recording material is pinched and conveyed at a nip portion formed between said first endless belt and said second endless belt, wherein at least one endless belt of said first endless belt and said second endless belt is arranged in a relaxed state, wherein the nip portion has a first nip region formed between one endless belt of said first endless belt and said second endless belt and another endless belt of the first endless belt and said second endless belt due to relaxing of one endless belt, and a second nip region formed through contact between a region of said first endless belt with backup by said first pressure member and a region of said second endless belt with backup by said second pressure member, and wherein the nip portion starts from the first nip region in the recording material conveyance direction, and has the second nip region immediately after the first nip region.