# US 8,787,805 B2 · Image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer belt

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- Number: US 8,787,805 B2
- Document ID: US8787805B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/371,261
- Filed: 2012-02-10
- Published: 2012-08-16
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2011-02-15
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Takao Nakajima
- Inventors: Takao Nakajima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787805B2

## CPC

- G03G 15/161: {with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent}
- G03G 15/1605: {using at least one intermediate support (G03G15/1625 takes precedence)}
- G03G 2215/0141: the linear arrangement being horizontal
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

An area in which a sheet member and an intermediate transfer belt are in contact with each other is provided between an intersection between a guide surface of the second guide portion configured to guide a recording material toward the intermediate transfer belt and the intermediate transfer belt and a nip portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus comprising:
an intermediate transfer belt;
an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt;
a transfer inner roller provided on an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt and configured to form a nip portion that transfer the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording material;
a transfer outer roller configured to press an outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt at a position opposed to the transfer inner roller and configured to form the nip portion;
a first guide member provided to oppose the intermediate transfer belt and configured to guide the recording material to the nip portion;
a second guide member provided opposed to the first guide member guiding the recording material to the nip portion while the second guide member is in contact with a surface of the recording material opposite to a surface to which the toner image is to be transferred; and
a sheet member configured to urge the intermediate transfer belt in a region between a crossing portion where a virtual extension line extending from a surface of the second guide member intersects the intermediate transfer belt and the upstream side of the nip portion in the conveying direction of the recording material on a cross section perpendicular to a rotation axis of the transfer inner roller.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the crossing portion is a first crossing portion, and on the cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis of the transfer inner roller, a crossing portion where a virtual line which is parallel to the virtual extension line passing an edge on a most downstream side of the first guide member in the conveying direction of the recording material intersects the intermediate transfer belt is a second crossing portion, a contact start point that is a point on a most upstream side of a region where the sheet member comes into contact with the intermediate transfer belt in the conveying direction of the recording material is positioned between the first crossing portion and the second crossing portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet member is formed of a material with flexibility.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet member is formed of resin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet member is fixed by a supporting member configured to support a sheet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of the sheet member is longer than that of a recording material of a largest size in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tension roller configured to apply tension to the intermediate transfer belt is disposed adjacent to the nip portion and on an upstream side of the nip portion in a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and the sheet member is disposed between the transfer inner roller and the tension roller.