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AssigneesHitachi Koki Co., Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd.
InventorsSatoshi Shirasawa, Kazutaka Sato, Isao Nakajima, Yukio Otome
Estimating the term…
In an image forming apparatus, attachment/detachment guide pins (10 and 11) are disposed on a side face of a belt cartridge (12). Attachment/detachment guide grooves (30, 31, and 32) which guide the attachment/detachment guide pins (10 and 11) are disposed in a frame (29) of a main unit of an image forming apparatus. A belt tension applying mechanism including a tension link (13) and a spring (15) is disposed on the side of the apparatus main unit. When the belt cartridge (12) is to be attached to the apparatus main unit, the cartridge is attached along the attachment/detachment guide grooves (30, 31, and 32), so that the rotation shaft of a tension roller (4) is easily and surely engaged with the belt tension applying mechanism (13 and 15).
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
An image forming apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing: relating to band, e.g. tensioning
Using at least one intermediate support: relating to the driving mechanism for the intermediate support, e.g. gears, couplings, belt tensioning
Meandering prevention: by controlling drive mechanism
Structural features of the multicolour image forming apparatus: transfer member separable from recording member
Term ended 25 Jan 2021 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an apparatus of the electrophotographic type, for example, a copier, a printer, or a facsimile apparatus, and particularly to a belt cartridge attaching and detaching mechanism for accommodating and replacing a belt. The belt which is to be replaced includes: a photosensitive belt on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; an intermediate transfer belt which once retains a toner image formed on a photosensitive member and then transfers the image onto a transfer member; and a transfer medium transport belt which transports such a transfer member.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing the structure of a color laser printer which is Embodiment 1 of the image forming apparatus according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing the internal configuration of a photosensitive belt cartridge 12;
FIG. 3 is a view showing a state where attachment/detachment guide pins 10 and 11 of the photosensitive belt cartridge 12 enter attachment/detachment guide grooves 31 and 30 of the main unit of the image forming apparatus, respectively;
Now, embodiments of the image forming apparatus of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing the structure of a color laser printer which is Embodiment 1 of the image forming apparatus of the electrophotographic type according to the invention.