# US 10,031,463 B2 · Belt device, belt control device, and image forming apparatus including same

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- Number: US 10,031,463 B2
- Document ID: US10031463B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/421,741
- Filed: 2017-02-01
- Published: 2017-08-24
- Granted: 2018-07-24
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-23
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Yoshiki Hozumi; Naomi Sugimoto; Hisashi Kikuchi
- Inventors: Yoshiki Hozumi; Naomi Sugimoto; Hisashi Kikuchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10031463B2

## CPC

- G03G 15/6529: {Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence)}
- B65H 5/021: {by belts}
- B65H 9/002: {changing orientation of sheet by only controlling movement of the forwarding means, i.e. without the use of stop or register wall}
- B65H 2301/331: Skewing, correcting skew, i.e. changing slightly orientation of material
- B65H 2404/25: Driving or guiding arrangements
- B65H 2404/2693: Arrangement of belts on movable frame
- B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers
- G03G 15/1615: {relating to the driving mechanism for the intermediate support, e.g. gears, couplings, belt tensioning}
- G03G 15/1685: {Structure, details of the transfer member, e.g. chemical composition}
- G03G 2215/00143: Meandering prevention
- G03G 2215/00156: by controlling drive mechanism
- G03G 2215/00168: by friction
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

A belt control device includes a holder to movably support a rotation shaft of at least one of the plurality of rotators around which a belt is looped, a contact part to contact an end of the belt as the belt moves in a belt width direction, a stationary frame part disposed facing the holder, a shaft moving device to move the rotation shaft as the belt moves, and at least one projection disposed on one of the stationary frame part and the holder. The projection is to contact the other of the stationary frame part and the holder. The projection includes a long projection having a contact portion extending in a shaft moving direction in which the rotation shaft moves, and the contact portion is contactable with the other of the stationary frame part and the holder.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A belt control device, comprising:
a holder to movably support a rotation shaft of at least one of a plurality of rotators, around which a belt is looped;
a contact part to contact an end of the belt as the belt moves in a belt width direction;
a stationary frame part disposed facing the holder;
a shaft moving device to move the rotation shaft as the belt moves; and
at least one projection disposed on one of the stationary frame part and the holder, the at least one projection to contact the other of the stationary frame part and the holder,
the at least one projection including a long projection having a contact portion extending in a shaft moving direction in which the rotation shaft moves, the contact portion contactable with the other of the stationary frame part and the holder,
wherein the at least one projection further includes a short projection having a short contact portion shorter than the contact portion of the long projection in the shaft moving direction, the short contact portion contactable with the other of the stationary frame part and the holder.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The belt control device according to claim 1, wherein the long projection has a semi-cylindrical shape, and
wherein the contact portion is a curved face.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The belt control device according to claim 1, wherein the short projection has a hemispherical shape, and
wherein the short contact portion is a curved face.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The belt control device according to claim 1, wherein the long projection is disposed at a position where is satisfied, and the short projection is disposed at a position where X<Y is satisfied,
wherein X represents a maximum displacement of the holder in the shaft moving direction while the rotation shaft moves, and Y represents a length of a contact range on one of the stationary frame part and the holder with which a corresponding one of the long projection and the short projection contacts.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The belt control device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the contact portion of the long projection in the shaft moving direction is longer than a maximum displacement of the holder in the shaft moving direction while the rotation shaft moves.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The belt control device according to claim 1, wherein the long projection and the short projection are kept in contact with one of the stationary frame part and the holder while the rotation shaft moves.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The belt control device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one projection includes a plurality of projections disposed at positions symmetrical with respect to a line connecting an axis of the rotation shaft supported by the holder and an axis of another one of the plurality of rotators.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A belt device comprising:
the belt looped into an endless shape;
the plurality of rotators around which the belt is looped; and
the belt control device according to claim 1, to move the rotation shaft as the belt moves.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit to form an image; and
the belt device according to claim 8, to transport one of the image and a recording medium bearing the image.