Patent · US Expired

Belt device and unit device including belt device and image forming apparatus using the belt device and unit device

US6324374A · kind A · utility

50Cited by
19References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 2000
Grant dateNov 27, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 31, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G2215/0193
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An image forming apparatus suppresses several kinds of inconveniences caused by unnecessary contact of a belt-formed member with opposing members and drives the belt-formed member accurately even when the belt-formed member separated from a part of a plurality of opposing members. In an image forming apparatus having a belt-formed member supported by a plurality of supporting rollers and a plurality of opposing members located side by side in a line to oppose and contact the belt-formed member, a pivot mechanism is employed to temporarily separate the belt-formed member from a part of the opposing members for color image formation. The image forming apparatus also includes a tension roller dive mechanism to increase a relative distance between the tension roller and other supporting rollers to suppress a decrease in a tension of the belt-formed member during the above-described separation of the belt-formed member from the plurality of opposing members.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.