Patent ID: 7190914

Claim:
An image heating apparatus for heating a toner image formed on a recording material, comprising: a rotatable member; heating means for heating an outer peripheral surface of said rotatable member, said heating means including a heater for forming a heating nip portion in cooperation with said rotatable member; back-up means for forming a conveying nip portion in cooperation with said rotatable member, the conveying nip portion conveying the recording material; and control means for controlling a temperature of said heater and a rotation of said rotatable member; wherein said apparatus has a cleaning mode to remove toner from said heating means, wherein said control means, in the cleaning mode, starts energizing said heater to dissipate heat in a condition that said rotatable member stops and afterward stops energizing said heater, and wherein said control means rotates said rotatable member until a part which forms a heating nip portion in a peripheral direction of said rotatable member reaches the conveying nip portion.