Transport device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12116228-B2
Application number	US-202117542468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2021
Priority date	Aug 25, 2021
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

A transport device includes: a rotating member that rotates; a circulating member that is loop-shaped and wrapped around the rotating member, the circulating member being circulated by rotation of the rotating member; and a pair of pinching members attached to an attachment portion of the circulating member and circulated together with the circulating member, the pair of pinching members changing from a separated state, in which the pair of pinching members are separated from each other, to a closely positioned state to pinch a transport object that has entered a space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state. The attachment portion of the circulating member is in contact with the rotating member when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transport device comprising:
a rotating member that rotates;
a circulating member that is loop-shaped and wrapped around the rotating member, the circulating member being circulated by rotation of the rotating member;
a pair of pinching members attached to an attachment portion of the circulating member and circulated together with the circulating member, the pair of pinching members changing from a separated state, in which the pair of pinching members are separated from each other, to a closely positioned state to pinch a transport object that has entered a space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state; and
a medium guide guiding the transport object into the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state,
wherein the attachment portion of the circulating member is in contact with the rotating member when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state,
wherein the pair of pinching members change from the closely positioned state to the separated state, and then change to the closely positioned state to pinch the transport object that has entered the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state, and
wherein the attachment portion of the circulating member comes into contact with the rotating member before the pair of pinching members completely change from the separated state to the closely positioned state,
wherein the medium guide includes a first guide member that guides one surface of the transport object and a second guide member that guides other surface of the transport object, and the first guide member and the second guide member are comb-shaped.

2. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion of the circulating member is in contact with the rotating member from when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state to when the pair of pinching members start to change from the separated state to the closely positioned state.

3. The transport device according to claim 2 , wherein the attachment portion of the circulating member is in contact with the rotating member from when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state to when the pair of pinching members pinch the transport object.

4. The transport device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a guide groove that restricts displacement of the pair of pinching members from a predetermined circulating path from when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state to when the pair of pinching members start to change from the separated state to the closely positioned state.

5. The transport device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a guide groove that restricts displacement of the pair of pinching members from a predetermined circulating path from when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state to when the pair of pinching members start to change from the separated state to the closely positioned state.

6. The transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide groove that restricts displacement of the pair of pinching members from a predetermined circulating path from when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state to when the pair of pinching members start to change from the separated state to the closely positioned state.

7. The transport device according to claim 6 , wherein the guide groove restricts the displacement from when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state to when the pair of pinching members pinch the transport object.

8. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the medium guide is positioned to overlap the pair of pinching members in the separated state when viewed in one direction along a rotational axis direction of the rotating member.

9. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide member and the second guide member being positioned to overlap the pair of pinching members in the separated state when viewed in one direction along a rotational axis direction of the rotating member.

10. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the medium guide includes a plurality of portions arranged alternately with a plurality of portions of the pair of pinching members in the separated state in one direction along a front-rear direction, the plurality of portions of the pair of pinching members pinching the transport object.

11. The transport device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first guide member and the second guide member each include a plurality of portions arranged alternately with the plurality of portions of the pair of pinching members in the separated state in the one direction, the plurality of portions of the pair of pinching members pinching the transport object.

12. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the medium guide is positioned to overlap the rotating member when viewed in one direction along a rotational axis direction of the rotating member.

13. The transport device according to claim 12 , wherein the pair of pinching members are positioned to overlap the rotating member when viewed in the one direction.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the transport device according to claim 1 ; and
an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium that serves as the transport object transported by the transport device.

15. A transport device comprising:
a sprocket that rotates;
a chain that is loop-shaped and wrapped around the sprocket, the chain being circulated by rotation of the sprocket;
a pair of pinching members attached to a link included in the chain and circulated together with the chain, the pair of pinching members changing from a separated state, in which the pair of pinching members are separated from each other, to a closely positioned state to pinch a transport object that has entered a space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state; and
a medium guide guiding the transport object into the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state,
wherein the link is in mesh with the sprocket when the transport object starts to enter the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state,
wherein the pair of pinching members change from the separated state to the closely positioned state, and then change to the closely positioned state to pinch the transport object that has entered the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state, and
wherein the link of the chain comes into contact with the sprocket before the pair of pinching members completely change from the separated state to the closely positioned state,
wherein the medium guide includes a first guide member that guides one surface of the transport object and a second guide member that guides other surface of the transport object, and the first guide member and the second guide member are comb-shaped.

16. A transport device comprising:
a rotating member that rotates;
a circulating member that is loop-shaped and wrapped around the rotating member, the circulating member being circulated by rotation of the rotating member; and
a pair of pinching members attached to an attachment portion of the circulating member and circu

Assignees

• Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Kei
• Otsuki Naohito
• Suzuki Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B65H5/085

  by combinations of endless conveyors and grippers (suction belts B65H5/224) · CPC title

• B65H29/041

  and introducing into a pile (slowing-down from grippers B65H29/683) · CPC title

• B65H2801/03

  Image reproduction devices · CPC title

• G03G15/1615

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

• B41J2002/012

  with intermediate transfer member · CPC title