# US 2017/0283198 A1 · Sheet conveyance apparatus and 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 2017/0283198 A1 - Document ID: US20170283198A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/455,377 - Filed: 2017-03-10 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-30 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Atsushi Yoshida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170283198A1 ## CPC - B65H 5/224: {by suction belts (B65H11/005 takes precedence)} - B65H 5/062: {between rollers or balls} - B65H 29/242: {Suction bands or belts} - G03G 15/2028: {with means for handling the copy material in the fixing nip, e.g. introduction guides, stripping means} - G03G 15/6529: {Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence)} - G03G 15/657: {Feeding path after the transfer point and up to the fixing point, e.g. guides and feeding means for handling copy material carrying an unfused toner image} - B65H 2403/42: Spur gearing - B65H 2403/512: involving radial plate cam - B65H 2403/72: Clutches, brakes, e.g. one-way clutch +F204 - B65H 2404/25: Driving or guiding arrangements - B65H 2404/2693: Arrangement of belts on movable frame - B65H 2406/32: Suction belts - B65H 2511/20: Location in space - B65H 2513/412: Direction of rotation of motor powering the handling device - B65H 2515/81: Rigidity; Stiffness; Elasticity - B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers - G03G 21/206: {Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone} - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a rotary drive member configured to rotate by receiving transmission of driving force from a driving source, a driven rotary member arranged with a predetermined distance in a sheet conveyance direction from the rotary drive member, an endless belt member supported on the rotary drive member and the driven rotary member, and configured to be rotated by a rotation of the rotary drive member, and a guide member configured to guide a sheet conveyed by the belt member. The guide member is mounted to a shaft configured to support the rotary drive member, and the rotary drive member is supported on the shaft in a rotatable manner with respect to the shaft. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising: a rotary drive member configured to rotate by receiving transmission of driving force from a driving source; a driven rotary member arranged with a predetermined distance in a sheet conveyance direction from the rotary drive member; an endless belt member supported on the rotary drive member and the driven rotary member, and configured to be rotated by a rotation of the rotary drive member; a guide member configured to guide a sheet conveyed by the belt member; and a shaft configured to support the rotary drive member, the guide member being mounted to the shaft, wherein the rotary drive member is supported on the shaft in a rotatable manner with respect to the shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member comprises three or more mounting portions with respect to the shaft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member comprises a first portion configured to engage with the shaft, a second portion arranged at a position different from the first portion in a width direction of a sheet intersecting the sheet conveyance direction, and configured to engage with the shaft, and a third portion arranged at a position different from the first and second portions in the width direction, and configured to engage with the shaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an elevating mechanism configured to elevate the belt member and the guide member, wherein the shaft is configured to transmit a driving force from the driving source to the elevating mechanism. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a transmission portion supported on the shaft and configured to transmit a driving force from the driving source to the rotary drive member, the transmission portion being supported on the shaft rotatably with respect to the shaft; an elevation transmission portion configured to rotate integrally with respect to the shaft; a first engagement portion configured to engage with the elevation transmission portion, the first engagement portion driven to rotate in a state where the driving source is driven to rotate in a first direction, and rotating the shaft via the elevation transmission portion; a second engagement portion configured to engage with the transmission portion, the second engagement portion driven to rotate in a state where the driving source is driven to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and rotating the rotary drive member via the transmission portion; and a bearing portion provided between the rotary drive member and the shaft, the bearing portion configured to support the rotary drive member rotatably in an independent manner from the shaft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission portion supported on the shaft and configured to transmit a driving force from the driving source to the rotary drive member, the transmission portion being supported on the shaft rotatably with respect to the shaft, wherein the belt member is a suction belt having a plurality of holes formed thereto, the guide member comprises a duct portion opening at an inner side of the suction belt and sucking in air, and a sheet support portion configured to support a sheet and provided on both sides of the suction belt in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, and the transmission portion is positioned at a vicinity of an end portion in the width direction of the suction belt. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a driven rotary member shaft configured to support the driven rotary member such that the driven rotary member is rotated independently from the driven rotary member shaft, wherein the guide member comprises three or more mounting portions with respect to the driven rotary member shaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member is formed of polybutylene terephthalate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member comprises a first support portion configured to support a conveyed sheet, and a second support portion configured to support the conveyed sheet, and the belt member is arranged between the first support portion and the second support portion in a width direction of the sheet intersecting the sheet conveyance direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission portion supported on the shaft and configured to transmit a driving force from the driving source to the rotary drive member, wherein the transmission portion is supported on the shaft rotatably with respect to the shaft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shaft does not rotate in a state where a driving force from the driving source is transmitted to the rotary drive member to rotate the belt member, and the rotary drive member is rotating. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet feeding unit configured to feed a sheet; and the sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 configured to convey the sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit; and a fixing portion configured to apply pressure and heat to the sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit to fix the image, wherein the sheet conveyance apparatus is arranged downstream of the image forming unit and upstream of the fixing portion in the sheet conveyance direction, and conveying the sheet on which a non-fixed image is formed to the fixing portion.