Electrophotography – Image formation – Photoconductive member
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-02-20
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Photoconductive member
C399S303000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192210
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based on application No. Hei 10-333283 filed in Japan, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a drive device for a continuous belt used in image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, facsimile machines, and machines combining any of these functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatuses that form images on a sheet, such as copying machines, printers and facsimile machines, conventionally are equipped with mechanisms to rotate a continuous belt at various locations inside the apparatus. The continuous belts used in conjunction with such mechanisms include, for example, a transfer medium conveyance belt, a photoreceptor belt and an intermediate transfer belt.
A high degree of parallelism is required of the multiple rollers over which the belt is suspended and which cause the belt to rotate. If the rollers are not parallel, the belt shifts along the axes of the rollers and meanders as it rotates, resulting not only in poor quality images exhibiting mismatched color images, for example, but also in damage to the belt itself in some cases. One well known type of belt has parallel elastic guide members located at either edge of the bottom side of the belt in order to minimize the need for the rollers to be precisely parallel. In this type of belt drive device, belt shifting may be prevented by hooking the elastic guide members onto the end areas of the rollers.
However, the coefficient of friction between the elastic guide member and the roller end area is usually high, at 0.3 or more. Therefore, a meandering force is generated in the belt, and the elastic guide member is pushed out along the radius of the roller where the elastic guide member and the roller end area are in contact with each other. Consequently, the elastic guide member rides up on the roller, resulting in meandering of the belt and ultimately damage to the belt.
In order to reduce the friction between the elastic guide member and the roller end area, a belt drive device has been proposed in which the coefficient of friction between the elastic guide member and the roller end area is reduced by means of a coating (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Hei 6-51578).
However, the coating for this belt drive device is expensive. Moreover, the elastic guide members warp around the rollers, giving rise to the problems that the coating comes off easily and the life of the coating is short.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to resolve the problems described above.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a belt drive device that can prevent shifting and/or meandering of the belt.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a belt drive device that uses a belt having guide members on its edges, said belt drive device being capable of preventing the belt from shifting and riding up on the roller.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a belt drive device that can prevent the belt from shifting and/or meandering using a simple construction.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a belt drive device that can prevent the belt from shifting and/or meandering using inexpensive components.
These and other objects are attained by a belt drive device having a continuous belt, a plurality of rollers which suspends the belt and has a shaft, a guide member which is mounted on edge of the belt and regulates the shifting of the belt along the roller shaft, and a support member which is located between a roller end surface and the guide member.
The objects stated above are also attained by a belt drive device equipped to image forming apparatus having a belt which has hook portion on its side, a roller which suspends the belt, and a buffer which is located between said hook portion and said roller.
The invention itself, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5017969 (1991-05-01), Mitomi et al.
patent: 5153655 (1992-10-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5343279 (1994-08-01), Nagata et al.
patent: 5387962 (1995-02-01), Castelli et al.
patent: 5422706 (1995-06-01), Tsunemi et al.
patent: 57-060346 (1982-04-01), None
Kurahashi Hideyuki
Munenori Seiichi
Onuki Tetsuya
Yamashita Hiroki
Chen Sophia S.
Minolta Co. , Ltd.
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
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