# US 2014/0161496 A1 · Image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0161496 A1 - Document ID: US20140161496A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/093,714 - Filed: 2013-12-02 - Published: 2014-06-12 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-11 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takaaki Akamatsu; Kenichi Ogawa; Koji An - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140161496A1 ## CPC - G03G 15/1685: {Structure, details of the transfer member, e.g. chemical composition} - G03G 2215/1642: Brush - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member adapted to bear a toner image, a transfer belt configured to be movable, a transfer device placed across the transfer belt from the image bearing member and adapted to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member to the transfer belt, the transfer device including a brush member equipped with a plurality of conductive filaments to be put into contact with the belt, wherein the plurality of conductive filaments located at an upstream end in a moving direction of the transfer belt is cut along an orthogonal direction intersecting the moving direction of the transfer belt at right angles or the conductive filaments located at an upstream end of the brush member along the moving direction of the transfer belt are bonded together. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member adapted to bear a toner image; a transfer belt that is movable; and a transfer device adapted to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member to the transfer belt, the transfer device positioned on the opposite side of the transfer belt to the image bearing member, the transfer device including a brush member having a plurality of conductive filaments arranged to contact the transfer belt, wherein conductive filaments, among the plurality of conductive filaments of the brush member, which are located towards the upstream end of the brush member, in the moving direction of the transfer belt, are cut along a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the transfer belt. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush member includes a holding portion and a plurality of filament bundles, each of which is formed as a bundle of conductive filaments which are a part of the plurality of conductive filaments; and the plurality of filament bundles are arranged on the holding portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in each line along the moving direction of the transfer belt among lines of the plurality of filament bundles, a filament bundle located on the most upstream side of the brush member in the moving direction is partially cut off. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in each line along the moving direction of the transfer belt among lines of the plurality of filament bundles, conductive filaments located on the most upstream side of the brush member in the moving direction in a filament bundle located on the most upstream side in the moving direction are arranged substantially in a line along the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the transfer belt ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device includes a supporting member adapted to support the brush member; and wherein an upstream end of the brush member in the moving direction is located downstream with regard to an upstream end of the supporting member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the supporting member includes a resin seat, one end of which is fixed and another end of which is free. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the supporting member includes a metal plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an urging member adapted to urge the brush member toward the image bearing member through the supporting member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer belt includes an intermediate transfer belt to which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the holding portion includes a base fabric portion formed by a plurality of strings; and wherein the filament bundles comprise a plurality of conductive filaments woven between the strings. ### Claim 11 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member adapted to bear a toner image; a transfer belt that is movable; and a transfer device adapted to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member to the transfer belt, the transfer device being positioned on the opposite side of the transfer belt to the image bearing member, the transfer device including a brush member having a plurality of conductive filaments arranged to contact the transfer belt, wherein the conductive filaments among the plurality of conductive filaments of the brush member, which are located towards the upstream end of the brush member, in the moving direction of the transfer belt, are bonded. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the conductive filaments includes fusion-bonded conductive filaments. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the brush member includes a holding portion and a plurality of filament bundles, each of which is formed as a bundle of conductive filaments which are a part of the plurality of conductive filaments; and the plurality of filament bundles are arranged on the holding portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) An image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein in each line along the moving direction of the transfer belt among lines of the plurality of filament bundles, the filament bundle located on the most upstream side in the moving direction is fusion-bonded, and the filament bundle and another filament bundle adjacent to the filament bundle in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the transfer belt are fusion-bonded with each other. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) An image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein conductive filaments located on the most upstream side in the moving direction in a filament bundle located on the most upstream side in the moving direction are fusion-bonded and arranged substantially in a line along the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the transfer belt.