Back to results
US 2015/0316874 A1Published application
Image forming apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShinji Katagiri, Yuji Kawaguchi, Masaru Ohno, Tsuguhiro Yoshida, Takeo Kawanami, Taro Minobe, Masaru Shimura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A voltage maintenance element is connected to a contact member that contacts a primary transfer surface area of an intermediate transfer belt to which toner images are transferred from a plurality of image carriers between stretch members, in such a way as to prevent the electric potential of the intermediate transfer belt from varying between respective stations.
Claims32
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier configured to carry toner images;
- an electrically conductive intermediate transfer belt movable in an endless manner to which toner images are primary transferred from the image carrier;
- first and second stretch members configured to stretch the intermediate transfer belt;
- a secondary transfer member that contacts with the intermediate transfer belt, configured to secondary transfer the toner images from the intermediate transfer belt to recording materials;
- a contact member that contacts with the intermediate transfer belt;
- and
- a voltage maintenance element that is connected to the contact member, wherein
- the image carrier contacts with the intermediate transfer belt in between the first stretch member and the second stretch member with respect to a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt,
- the contact member is disposed on the intermediate transfer belt side to which the image carrier is disposed and contacts with the intermediate transfer belt in between the first stretch member and the second stretch member with respect to a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and
- a potential of the contact member is kept to be equal to or higher than a predetermined potential according to a current that flows from the secondary transfer member to the intermediate transfer belt.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier configured to carry toner images;
- an electrically conductive intermediate transfer belt movable in an endless manner to which toner images are primary transferred from the image carrier;
- first and second stretch member configured to stretch the intermediate transfer belt;
- a current supply member that contacts with the intermediate transfer belt, configured to supply a current to the intermediate transfer belt;
- a contact member that contacts with the intermediate transfer belt;
- and
- a voltage maintenance element that is connected to the contact member and either one of the first stretch member or the second stretch member, wherein
- the image carrier contacts with the intermediate transfer belt in between the first stretch member and the second stretch member with respect to a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt,
- the contact member is disposed on the intermediate transfer belt side to which the image carrier is disposed and contacts with the intermediate transfer belt in between the first stretch member and the second stretch member with respect to a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and
- a potential of at least one of the first stretch member and the second stretch member which are connected with the voltage maintenance element, and the contact member are kept to be equal to or higher than a predetermined potential according to a current that flows from the current supply member to the intermediate transfer belt.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier configured to carry toner images;
- an electrically conductive intermediate transfer belt movable in an endless manner to which toner images are primary transferred from the image carrier;
- a secondary transfer member that contacts with the intermediate transfer belt, configured to secondary transfer the toner images from the intermediate transfer belt to recording materials at secondary transfer portion;
- an opposed member that is opposed to the secondary transfer portion via the intermediate transfer belt;
- a contact member that contacts with an inner circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt and disposed at a position, with respect to a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, so that a distance between the contact member and the image carrier to be shorter than a distance between the opposed member and the image carrier;
- and
- a constant-voltage element,
- wherein the opposed member and the contact member contact with each other via the constant-voltage element.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.