Belt conveyance device and image forming apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHisashi Tsukijima
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A belt conveyance device has a configuration where one end of a rotation shaft of an inclinable steering roller that can move an endless belt in the width direction is supported by a first support member that is pivotable on a first pivot axis extending in a first axial line direction intersecting the rotation axis of the steering roller, and the other end of the rotation shaft of the steering roller is supported by a second support member that is pivotable on a second pivot axis that is generally parallel with the rotation axis of another suspending roller and also extends in a direction generally orthogonal to the first axial line.
Claims13
A belt conveyance device, comprising:
- an endless belt;
- a supporting roller configured to support the belt;
- a steering roller configured to support the belt and configured to be inclinable with respect to the supporting roller to move the belt in a width direction;
- a frame configured to rotatably support the supporting roller, the frame including a first side frame that rotatably supports a first end portion of the supporting roller and a second side frame that rotatably supports a second end portion of the supporting roller;
- a first support portion configured to rotatably support a first end portion of the steering roller, the first support portion being rotatable about a first axial line substantially parallel to a rotational axis line of the supporting roller;
- a second support portion configured to rotatably support a second end portion of the steering roller;
- a detecting unit configured to detect a position of the belt in the width direction;
- a steering drive unit configured to move the first support portion;
- a controller configured to control the steering drive unit on the basis of a detection result of the detecting unit;
- a pivot shaft attached to either one of the second support portion and the second side frame and rotatably supported around a second axial line intersecting with a rotational axis line of the steering roller;
- and
- a bearing attached to the other one of the second support portion and the second side frame and rotatably supporting the pivot shaft.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a belt conveyance device having an endless belt;
- and
- a toner image forming unit configured to form a toner image on the belt,
- wherein the belt conveyance device includes:
- a supporting roller configured to support the belt;
- a steering roller configured to support the belt and configured to be inclinable with respect to the supporting roller to move the belt in a width direction;
- a frame configured to rotatably support the supporting roller, the frame including a first side frame that rotatably supports a first end portion of the supporting roller and a second side frame that rotatably supports a second end portion of the supporting roller;
- a first support portion configured to rotatably support a first end portion of the steering roller, the first support portion being rotatable about a first axial line substantially parallel to a rotational axis line of the supporting roller;
- a second support portion configured to rotatably support a second end portion of the steering roller;
- a detecting unit configured to detect a position of the belt in the width direction;
- a steering drive unit configured to move the first support portion;
- a controller configured to control the steering drive unit on the basis of a detection result of the detecting unit;
- a pivot shaft attached to either one of the second support portion and the second side frame and rotatably supported around a second axial line intersecting with a rotational axis line of the steering roller;
- and
- a bearing attached to the other one of the second support portion and the second side frame and rotatably supporting the pivot shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.