Belt transporting device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160601-B2
Application number	US-201715683373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2017
Priority date	Nov 29, 2012
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A belt transporting device includes a belt; first and second adjustment members provided at two respective ends of a tension roller in a belt width direction orthogonal to a direction of rotation of the belt, the first and second adjustment members each being movable by receiving a force from the belt; and a link member that interlocks the movement of the first adjustment member and the movement of the second adjustment member. If the belt is laterally shifted in the belt width direction, one of the first and second adjustment members moves by receiving a force from the belt while the other is moved by the link member such that the tension roller is tilted with respect to a driving roller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A belt transporting device comprising:
an endless belt configured to rotate;
a first stretching member configured to stretch the belt;
a second stretching member configured to stretch the belt; and
a belt adjusting unit configured to adjust movement of the belt with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt perpendicular to a movement direction of the belt by tilting the first stretching member with respect to the second stretching member,
wherein the belt-adjusting unit includes:
a first adjustment member provided at one end side of the first stretching member with respect to the widthwise direction, wherein the first adjustment member is rotatable relative to the first stretching member to change a position of an end portion of the first stretching member,
a second adjustment member provided at another end side of the first stretching member with respect to the widthwise direction, wherein the second adjustment member is rotatable relative to the first stretching member to change a position of another end portion of the first stretching member,
a first frictional surface configured to cause friction against the first adjustment member,
a second frictional surface configured to cause friction against the second adjustment member, and
an interlocking device configured to rotate the second adjustment member with respect to the second frictional surface according to a rotation of the first adjustment member with respect to the first frictional surface, in a case where the first adjustment member receives a force from the belt when the belt is shifted in the widthwise direction of the belt.

2. The belt transporting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first adjustment member includes a first force receiving portion configured to receive a force from the belt, and
wherein, in a case where the first adjustment member rotates in the belt moving direction when the first force receiving portion receives the force from the belt, the interlocking device rotates the second adjustment member in an opposite direction to a belt moving direction.

3. The belt transporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member respectively comprise a curved cam surface and rotatable with respect to the first stretching member.

4. The belt transporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the interlocking device connects the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member.

5. The belt transporting device according to claim 3 , wherein the interlocking device is swingable by centering around a pivot shaft provided at a substantive central area in the widthwise direction.

6. The belt transporting device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member respectively comprise an engaging portion configured to engage with the interlocking device, and
wherein the engaging portion is provided at an inner circumferential side of the belt.

7. The belt transporting device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the belt is shifted in widthwise direction, the first force receiving portion receives a force from an edge portion in widthwise direction of the belt.

8. The belt transporting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the belt comprises ribs which are provided on an inner circumferential side of the belt at both sides of the belt in widthwise direction, and
wherein, in a case where the belt is shifted in widthwise direction, the first force receiving portion receives a force from the ribs provided on the belt.

9. The belt transporting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first stretching member is a tension roller configured to apply a tension to the belt by being urged by an urging member, and
wherein the first stretching member includes:
a first bearing supporting member configured to hold a shaft of the tension roller and the first adjustment member, and
a second bearing supporting member configured to hold a shaft of the tension roller and the second adjustment member,
wherein the first bearing supporting member and the second bearing supporting member are respectively configured to be rotatable by centering around a supporting point.

10. The belt transporting device according to claim 9 , wherein the supporting point of the bearing supporting member is set below a bisector of a belt winding angle with respect to the tension roller.

11. The belt transporting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first frictional surface and the second frictional surface are positioned on a same height position, and
wherein inclination of the first stretching member with respect to the second stretching member is maintained by a contact state between the first frictional surface and the first adjustment member and a contact state between the second frictional surface and the second adjustment member.

12. The belt transporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first stretching member includes a roller and a shaft.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of image carrying members each configured to carry a toner image in a different color; and
a belt transporting device, wherein the belt transporting device includes:
an endless belt configured to rotate,
a first stretching member configured to stretch the belt,
a second stretching member configured to stretch the belt, and
a belt adjusting unit configured to adjust movement of the belt with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt perpendicular to a movement direction of the belt by tilting the first stretching member with respect to the second stretching member,
wherein the belt-adjusting unit includes:
a first adjustment member provided at one end side of the first stretching member with respect to the widthwise direction, wherein the first adjustment member is rotatable relative to the first stretching member to change a position of an end portion of the first stretching member,
a second adjustment member provided at another end side of the first stretching member with respect to the widthwise direction, wherein the second adjustment member is rotatable relative to the first stretching member to change a position of another end portion of the first stretching member,
a first frictional surface configured to cause friction against the first adjustment member,
a second frictional surface configured to cause friction against the second adjustment member, and
an interlocking device configured to rotate the second adjustment member with respect to the second frictional surface according to a rotation of the first adjustment member with respect to the first frictional surface, in a case where the first adjustment member receives a force from the belt when the belt is shifted in the widthwise direction of the belt,
wherein the belt transporting device is configured to transfer the toner image.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kawanami Takeo
• Ito Yoshihiro
• Watanabe Kenji
• Yamauchi Daigo
• Sawashima Fumiya
• Sasaoka Osamu
• Iizuka Yoichiro
• Fujinaka Hiromi
• Kasaishi Takugo

Classifications

• B65G39/16

  for aligning belts or chains · CPC title

• G03G15/0189 Primary

  primary transfer to an intermediate transfer belt (G03G15/0184 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G15/1615

  relating to the driving mechanism for the intermediate support, e.g. gears, couplings, belt tensioning · CPC title

• G03G15/161

  with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent · CPC title

• G03G2215/00156

  by controlling drive mechanism · CPC title