Patent ID: 7480480

Claim:
An image heating apparatus, comprising: a coil; a rotatable heating member for generating heat by magnetic flux generated by energization of said coil; a belt member, supported by said rotatable heating member, for heating an image on a recording material by heat; a heat pipe, which contains a liquid and is disposed in said rotatable heating member, for decreasing unevenness in temperature distribution of said rotatable heating member in a longitudinal direction of said rotatable heating member; a first cover portion, disposed with a spacing with respect to one of two end portions of said heat pipe in the longitudinal direction of said rotatable heating member, for covering the one of two end portions of said rotatable heating member in the longitudinal direction of said rotatable heating member, said first cover portion provided with a first opening penetrating through said fist cover portion; a first shaft, provided to said first cover portion, for permitting support of said rotatable heating member by said image heating apparatus; a second cover portion, disposed with a spacing with respect to the other end portion of said heat pipe in the longitudinal direction of said rotatable heating member, for covering the other end portion of said rotatable heating member in the longitudinal direction of said rotatable heating member, said second cover portion provided with a second opening penetrating through said second cover portion; and a second shaft, provided to said second cover portion, for permitting support of said rotatable heating member by said image heating apparatus.