Belt member driving mechanism, belt member driving method and image forming apparatus
OwnerYasuo Shimainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A belt member driving mechanism includes a first roller having a rotation shaft and configured to be rotated in a first direction, a belt member including a belt surface having a predetermined width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and configured to be rotated by a driving force from the first roller, a second roller configured to apply a predetermined tension force to the belt member in cooperation with the first roller, and a temperature control unit, including a detection unit which detects an elongation and/or a contraction of the belt surface of the belt member, configured to produce a temperature difference along the second direction of the belt surface of the belt member to reduce the elongation or contraction.
Claims13
A belt member driving mechanism comprising:
- a first roller having a rotation shaft and configured to be rotated in a first direction;
- a belt member including a belt surface having a predetermined width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and configured to be rotated by a driving force from the first roller;
- a second roller configured to apply a predetermined tension force to the belt member in cooperation with the first roller;
- and
- a temperature control unit, including a detection unit which detects an elongation and/or a contraction of the belt surface of the belt member, configured to produce a temperature difference along the second direction of the belt surface of the belt member to reduce the elongation or contraction.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a first roller having a rotation shaft and configured to be rotated in a first direction;
- a belt-like photosensitive member including a belt surface having a predetermined width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and configured to be rotated by a drive force from the first roller;
- a second roller configured to apply a predetermined tension force to the belt-like photosensitive member in cooperation with the first roller;
- an image forming device arranged along a direction in which the belt surface of the belt-like photosensitive member is moved and configured to form any color toner image transferable to a transfer medium conveyed with the movement of the belt surface;
- a heating mechanism configured to heat a predetermined position on the belt surface of the belt-like photosensitive member;
- a cooling mechanism configured to cool a predetermined position on the belt surface of the belt-like photosensitive member;
- and
- a temperature control unit configured to selectively operate the heating mechanism and cooling mechanism to create a temperature gradient on the belt surface along the second direction.
A belt member driving method comprising:
- detecting displacement of a belt surface of a belt member which is moved by the rotation of a drive roller driven about a rotation shaft;
- detecting temperature at any position on the belt surface of the belt member;
- and
- heating a predetermined position on the belt surface of the belt member, or cooling a predetermined position on the belt surface of the belt member, based on a detected displacement and temperature and controlling an amount of displacement on the belt surface of the belt member in and along a direction of the rotation shaft when the belt surface of the belt member is moved.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.