Fixing apparatus

A fixing apparatus comprising:

• a fixing belt that is rotatable and endless, wherein the fixing belt has a width and is configured to be moved in a direction of the width of the fixing belt that includes a first width direction and a second width direction;
• a heating roller configured to contact an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt and apply heat to the fixing belt;
• a steering roller configured to contact the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt along with the heating roller;
• a pressure rotation member configured to press the fixing belt, wherein the pressure rotation member and the fixing belt are configured to contact in a contact state to form a nip portion and, to fix an unfixed toner image to a recording material, the recording material bearing the unfixed toner image is conveyed to the nip portion and sandwiched between the pressure rotation member and the fixing belt;
• a contact-separation mechanism having structure configured to move the pressure rotation member to a position where the pressure rotation member is in the contact state with the fixing belt and to a position where the pressure rotation member is in a separated state from the fixing belt;
• a belt position detection unit configured to detect a position of the fixing belt in the width direction of the fixing belt;
• and
• a control unit configured to move the fixing belt in the first width direction and in the second width direction by controlling swing of the steering roller based on a detection result of the belt position detection unit,
• wherein the steering roller is at a first angle when the fixing belt is at a predetermined position during a belt moving period while the fixing belt is moved in one of the first and second width directions of the fixing belt in the contact state, and
• wherein the steering roller is at a second angle which is smaller than the first angle when the fixing belt is at the predetermined position during the belt moving period while the fixing belt is moved in the one of the first and second width directions of the fixing belt in the separated state.