Pressing device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12271127-B2
Application number	US-202318378655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2023
Priority date	Oct 21, 2022
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

A pressing device includes a pressed unit, a pressing member, a support shaft, and a drive transmission mechanism. The pressed unit is supported to be rotatable. The pressing member presses the pressed unit. The support shaft supports the pressing member such that the pressing member is rotatable. The drive transmission mechanism transmits a drive force of a drive source to the pressed unit, is disposed on the pressing member, and includes a pressing-member-side drive transmission member to transmit the drive force to a unit drive transmission member of the pressed unit. The support shaft is disposed coaxially on a fulcrum of rotation of the pressed unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pressing device comprising:
a pressed unit supported to be rotatable;
a pressing member to press the pressed unit;
a support shaft supporting the pressing member such that the pressing member is rotatable; and
a drive transmission mechanism to transmit a drive force of a drive source to the pressed unit, the drive transmission mechanism disposed on the pressing member and including a pressing-member-side drive transmission member to transmit the drive force to a unit drive transmission member of the pressed unit,
wherein the support shaft is disposed coaxially on a fulcrum of rotation of the pressed unit, and
wherein a line passing through an axis center of the support shaft and a contact portion between the pressed unit and the pressing member forms an angle with a pressure direction of the pressing member to the pressed unit such that the angle is 80° or more and 100° or less as viewed in an axis direction of the support shaft.

2. The pressing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressing member includes a pressing portion to press a pressed portion of the pressed unit, and
wherein any one of the pressing portion and the pressed portion has a linear shape overlapping the line passing through the axis center of the support shaft and the contact portion between the pressed portion and the pressing portion when viewed in the axis direction.

3. The pressing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressed unit includes a nip forming member to form a nip with an opposing member facing the pressed unit in the pressure direction of the pressing member, and
wherein the pressing member presses the nip-forming member.

4. The pressing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressed unit includes a connecting shaft connected to the support shaft and rotates around the connecting shaft as a fulcrum.

5. The pressing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressing force adjustor to adjust a pressing force of the pressing member to the pressed unit.

6. The pressing device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the pressing force adjustor includes a cam that contacts the pressing member and a pressing drive source to drive the cam to rotate.

7. The pressing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drive transmission mechanism is a gear transmission mechanism having a plurality of deceleration stages.

8. The pressing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drive transmission mechanism includes a drive transmission member to receive the drive force from the drive source and transmit the drive force to another drive transmission member disposed on the pressing member, and
wherein the drive transmission member is disposed coaxially on the support shaft.

9. The pressing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressed unit is a secondary transfer unit.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising the pressing device according to claim 1 .

11. A pressing device comprising:
a unit supported to be rotatable;
an arm to press the unit;
a support shaft supporting the arm such that the arm is rotatable; and
a drive transmission to transmit a drive force of a drive source to the unit, the drive transmission mechanism disposed on the arm and including a pressing-member-side drive transmission to transmit the drive force to a drive transmitter of the unit,
wherein the support shaft is disposed coaxially on a fulcrum of rotation of the unit, and
wherein a line passing through an axis center of the support shaft and a contact portion between the unit and the arm forms an angle with a pressure direction of the arm to the unit such that the angle is 80° or more and 100° or less as viewed in an axis direction of the support shaft.

12. The pressing device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the arm includes a pressing portion to press a pressed portion of the unit, and
wherein any one of the pressing portion and the pressed portion has a linear shape overlapping the line passing through the axis center of the support shaft and the contact portion between the pressed portion and the pressing portion when viewed in the axis direction.

13. The pressing device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the unit includes a nip forming to form a nip with an opposing structure facing the unit in the pressure direction of the arm, and
wherein the arm presses the nip-forming structure.

14. The pressing device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the unit includes a connecting shaft connected to the support shaft and rotates around the connecting shaft as a fulcrum.

15. The pressing device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a pressing force adjustor to adjust a pressing force of the arm to the unit.

16. The pressing device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the pressing force adjustor includes a cam that contacts the arm and a pressing drive source to drive the cam to rotate.

17. The pressing device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the drive transmission is a gear transmitter having a plurality of deceleration stages.

18. The pressing device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the drive transmission includes a drive transmission member to receive the drive force from the drive source and transmit the drive force to another drive transmission member disposed on the arm, and
wherein the drive transmission member is disposed coaxially on the support shaft.

19. The pressing device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the unit is a secondary transfer unit.

20. An image forming apparatus comprising the pressing device according to claim 11 .

Assignees

• Kawasaki Ryohsuke
• Konishi Takahiro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawasaki Ryohsuke
• Konishi Takahiro

Classifications

• G03G15/1615 Primary

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