# US 11,112,734 B2 · Belt device, belt regulator, roller unit, and image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 11,112,734 B2
- Document ID: US11112734B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/820,731
- Filed: 2020-03-17
- Published: 2020-09-24
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-18
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Naohiro Kumagai; Masanari Fujita; Katsuya Kawagoe; Masaharu Furuya; Hiroki Nakamatsu; Yoshiki Hozumi
- Inventors: Naohiro Kumagai; Masanari Fujita; Katsuya Kawagoe; Masaharu Furuya; Hiroki Nakamatsu; Yoshiki Hozumi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112734B2

## CPC

- G03G 15/1615: {relating to the driving mechanism for the intermediate support, e.g. gears, couplings, belt tensioning}
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A belt device includes a belt wound around a plurality of rollers, one of the plurality of rollers, and a belt contact member disposed on the one of the plurality of rollers. The belt rotates along with the plurality of rollers. The belt contact member faces an edge of the belt in an axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers and includes a flat portion and a separation portion. The flat portion forms a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers. The separation portion is disposed outboard of the flat portion in a radial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers and has a surface located farther from the edge of the belt than the flat portion in the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A belt device comprising:
a belt wound around a plurality of rollers and to rotate along with the plurality of rollers; and
a belt contact member disposed on one of the plurality of rollers and facing an edge of the belt in an axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers, the belt contact member including:
a flat portion having a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers; and
a separation portion disposed outboard of the flat portion in a radial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers and having a surface located farther from the edge of the belt than the flat portion in the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers,
wherein a transition from the flat portion to the separation portion has a continuous derivative.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The belt device according to claim 1,
wherein a size of the flat portion is larger than a thickness of the belt in the radial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The belt device according to claim 1,
wherein the surface of the separation portion intersects the radial direction and the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The belt device according to claim 3,
wherein the surface of the separation portion includes an arc-shaped face.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A belt regulator comprising:
the belt device according to claim 1;
a shaft displacement member configured to move in the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers when the belt moves in the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers, the shaft displacement member including an inclined face inclined with respect to a surface of the belt; and
a shaft guide disposed opposite the inclined face and being stationary.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The belt device according to claim 1,
wherein the surface of the separation portion includes an arc-shaped face.

### Claim 8

A roller unit, comprising:
a roller; and
a belt contact member disposed on the roller and facing an edge of a belt in an axial direction of the roller, the belt wound around a plurality of rollers including the roller, the belt contact member including:
a flat portion having a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the roller; and
a separation portion disposed outboard of the flat portion in a radial direction of the roller and having a surface located farther from the edge of the belt than the flat portion in the axial direction of the roller,
wherein a transition from the flat portion to the separation portion has a continuous derivative.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

An image forming apparatus comprising the roller unit according to claim 8.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The roller unit according to claim 8,
wherein the surface of the separation portion includes an arc-shaped face.