US 8,942,605 B2Granted

Image forming apparatus

AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorHiroshi Nakano

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Abstract

An endless belt is held by a first roller and a second roller each having an axis extending in an axial direction. A transfer member is disposed opposite to an image supporting member with the belt therebetween. The transfer member is configured to transfer a developer image supported by the image supporting member to a sheet conveyed by the belt. The image supporting member extends in the axial direction. The belt and the transfer member each have a width in a direction parallel to the axial direction. A first portion of the image supporting member and a first portion of the transfer member directly oppose each other without the belt therebetween. A second portion of the image supporting member opposes a first surface of the belt, and a second portion of the transfer member opposes a second surface of the belt, which is opposite to the first surface.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a first roller configured to rotate about an first axis extending in an axial direction;
a second roller configured to rotate about a second axis extending in the axial direction;
a belt held by the first roller and the second roller and configured to convey a sheet, the belt being endless, having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and having a width in a direction parallel to the axial direction;
an image supporting member extending in the axial direction and configured to support a developer image;
a transfer member disposed opposite to the image supporting member with the belt therebetween and configured to transfer the developer image supported by the image supporting member to the sheet conveyed by the belt, the transfer member having a width in a direction parallel to the axial direction, and the transfer member comprising a roller which comprises an elastic layer on an outer circumferential surface of the roller;
and
an urging member,
wherein under application of an urging force by the urging member, a first portion of the image supporting member and a first portion of the elastic layer of the transfer member are in contact with each other without the belt therebetween, a second portion of the image supporting member is in contact with the first surface of the belt, and a second portion of the elastic layer of the transfer member is elastically deformed by the second surface of the belt.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/626,260Filed 25 Sep 2012
Priority: JP 2011-22972519 Oct 2011
Published: US 2013/0101322 A125 Apr 2013
Granted: 27 Jan 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G03G 15/1615
Using at least one intermediate support: relating to the driving mechanism for the intermediate support, e.g. gears, couplings, belt tensioning
G03G 15/0194
Using more than one reusable electrographic recording member, e.g. one for every monocolour image: primary transfer to the final recording medium
G03G 15/0131
Details of unit: for transferring a pattern to a second base
G03G 15/1605
Of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern , e.g. magnetic transfer: using at least one intermediate support