Drive transmitter and image forming apparatus incorporating the drive transmitter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9382971-B2
Application number	US-201514743693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A drive transmitter includes an internally toothed gear, a first support shaft to rotatably support the internally toothed gear without using a bearing, a drive source to apply a driving force to the internally toothed gear, a rotary body to which the driving force is transmitted via the internally toothed gear, and a grease retainer disposed on the first support shaft and to retain grease on at least one of a portion of the first support shaft facing the internally toothed gear and a portion of the internally toothed gear facing the first support shaft. An image forming apparatus includes the drive transmitter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive transmitter comprising:
an internally toothed gear;
a first support shaft to rotatably support the internally toothed gear without using a bearing;
a drive source to apply a driving force to the internally toothed gear;
a rotary body, to which the driving force is transmittable via the internally toothed gear;
a grease retainer disposed to retain grease on at least one of a portion of the first support shaft facing the internally toothed gear and a portion of the internally toothed gear facing the first support shaft,
a housing to accommodate at least one drive transmitting member in a recess thereof, the at least one drive transmitting member being configured to transmit the driving force to the internally toothed gear and to the rotary body via the internally toothed gear; and
a reinforcing member to reinforce the housing, the reinforcing member being bridged across the recess and fixed to the housing, wherein the reinforcing member includes a second support shaft to rotatably support the at least one drive transmitting member, and includes three or more fixing portions at which the reinforcing member is fixed to the housing, and wherein the second support shaft is provided in a position of a center of gravity of a polygon formed by connecting the fixing portions of the reinforcing member.

2. The drive transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the internally toothed gear is formed of resin.

3. The drive transmitter according to claim 2 , wherein the grease retainer includes multiple grease retainers.

4. The drive transmitter according to claim 2 , wherein the grease retainer is disposed adjacent to a slide portion where the internally toothed gear is configured to slide on the first support shaft.

5. The drive transmitter according to claim 2 , wherein the grease retainer is a groove that extends in a circumferential direction of the first support shaft.

6. The drive transmitter according to claim 2 , wherein the grease retainer is a groove that extends in an axial direction of the first support shaft.

7. The drive transmitter according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an externally toothed gear to mesh with the internally toothed gear at a meshing portion,
wherein the grease retainer is disposed on a side of the meshing portion in an axial direction of the internally toothed gear.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising the drive transmitter according to claim 2 .

9. The drive transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the grease retainer includes multiple grease retainers.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising the drive transmitter according to claim 9 .

11. The drive transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the grease retainer is disposed adjacent to a slide portion where the internally toothed gear is configured to slide on the first support shaft.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising the drive transmitter according to claim 11 .

13. The drive transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the grease retainer is a groove that extends in a circumferential direction of the first support shaft.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising the drive transmitter according to claim 13 .

15. The drive transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the grease retainer is a groove that extends in an axial direction of the first support shaft.

16. The drive transmitter according to claim 15 , further comprising:
an externally toothed gear to mesh with the internally toothed gear at a meshing portion,
wherein the grease retainer is disposed on a side of the meshing portion in an axial direction of the internally toothed gear.

17. An image forming apparatus comprising the drive transmitter according to claim 16 .

18. An image forming apparatus comprising the drive transmitter according to claim 15 .

19. An image forming apparatus comprising the drive transmitter according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Sugita Narumi
• Ishida Masahiro
• Sakamoto Shogo
• Matsuda Naoki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sugita Narumi
• Ishida Masahiro
• Sakamoto Shogo
• Matsuda Naoki

Classifications

• Y10T74/19647

  Parallel axes or shafts · CPC title

• F16H57/0464 Primary

  Grease lubrication · CPC title

• G03G21/1857

  for transmitting mechanical drive power to the process cartridge, drive mechanisms, gears, couplings, braking mechanisms · CPC title

• G03G2221/1657

  transmitting mechanical drive power · CPC title

• G03G15/757

  Drive mechanisms for photosensitive medium, e.g. gears · CPC title