Patent ID: 8099008

Claim:
An image heating apparatus comprising: a coil for generating a magnetic flux by a current flowing therethrough; an image heating member having an electroconductive layer in which an eddy current is generated by the magnetic flux by which heat is generated, said image heating member being effective to heat an image on a recording material; an electroconductive magnetic flux adjusting means for adjusting a magnetic flux directed toward said image heating member from said coil at an end portion of said image heating member; moving means for moving said magnetic flux adjusting means between a first image fixing position at which an image fixing operation is carried out and at which the magnetic flux directed toward said image heating member from said coil is reduced by said magnetic flux adjusting means and a second image fixing position at which said magnetic flux adjusting means is retracted from the first image fixing position and at which an image fixing operation is carried out with the magnetic flux not reduced by said magnetic flux adjusting means; a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of said image heating member; and setting means for setting a smaller amount for the electric power to be supplied to said coil in response to a temperature difference between target and detected temperatures of said image heating apparatus during an image fixation operation when said magnetic flux adjusting means is in the first image fixing position than when said magnetic flux adjusting means is in the second image fixing position; and electric power control means for controlling, under the condition set by said setting means, the electric power supplied to said coil on the basis of an output of said temperature sensor so that the temperature of said image heating member is a preset target temperature.