IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS, LUBRICANT APPLICATION SYSTEM, LUBRICANT APPLICATION METHOD, AND LUBRICANT CONTAINER-APPLICATOR

摘要

An image heating apparatus to which a lubricant application container is dismountably mountable, the image heating apparatus includes an endless belt configured to heat, in a nip, a toner image on a sheet; a rotatable member cooperative with the belt to form the nip; an urging member extending in a widthwise direction of the belt and configured and positioned to urge the belt toward the rotatable member; and a guide portion configured and positioned to guide a sliding movement of the lubricant application container while substantially preventing dismounting of the lubricant application container during the sliding movement, wherein the lubricant application container applies a lubricant to a sliding surface of the urging member relative to the belt along a longitudinal direction, when the belt is dismounted from the image heating apparatus.

主权项

1. An image heating apparatus to which a lubricant application container is dismountably mountable, said image heating apparatus comprising:
an endless belt configured to heat, in a nip, a toner image on a sheet; a rotatable member cooperative with said endless belt to form said nip; an urging member extending in a widthwise direction of said endless belt and configured and positioned to urge said endless belt toward said rotatable member; and a guide portion configured and positioned to guide a sliding movement of the lubricant application container while substantially preventing dismounting of the lubricant application container during the sliding movement, wherein the lubricant application container is effective to apply a lubricant to a sliding surface of said urging member relative to said endless belt along a longitudinal direction, in a state that endless belt is dismounted from said image heating apparatus.