Roller for belt transporting apparatus and image forming apparatus

• US 5,784,676 A
• Filed: 04/15/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Yukio, Kobayashi, Mikio, Hokari, Norio, Sameshima, Junichirou, Iseki, Shuji, Tsuruoka, Ryoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grimley, Arthur T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Sophia S.
• Application Number:
  US08/632,071
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 198/810.03, 399/11, 399/31, 399/36, 399/43, 399/162, 399/165, 399/299, 399/301, 399/302, 399/308, 399/312, 399/9, 347/116
• US Class Current: 399/301
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0194 primary transfer to the final recording medium G03G15/0184 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/1655 comprising a rotatable holding member to which the second base is attached or attracted, e.g. screen transfer holding drum
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00143 Meandering prevention
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0016 by mark detection, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0119 Linear arrangement adjacent plural transfer points
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0158 Colour registration
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/1623 Transfer belt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49549 Work contacting surface element assembled to core

Abstract

A belt transporter roller for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention has a rotating shaft of an elastic roller; and an elastic fin wound around the rotating shaft and provided along an axial direction thereof, the fin including at least two spiral groups different in winding direction.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an endless transfer belt; and

a plurality of rollers for supporting and transporting said transfer belt;

at least one of said plurality of rollers including;

a guide member being disposed at one or both ends for guiding said transfer belt while allowing a predetermined amount of motion in an edge direction of said transfer belt; and

means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in a direction perpendicular to a forwarding direction thereof to prevent damage to edges of said transfer belt, wherein when said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt senses an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt a predetermined number of times, regardless of whether power of the system has been turned off and then on, said transfer belt is stopped.

2. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt comprises means for sensing motion of said guide member.

3. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt comprises;

a substantially rectangular belt hole formed in an end of said transfer belt;

a belt hole detection sensor for sensing said belt hole; and

belt clock count means synchronized with move speed of said transfer belt;

wherein a forwarding condition of said transfer belt is monitored in response to a belt clock count result of said belt clock count means.

4. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a breakage condition of said belt hole is monitored in response to the belt clock count of said belt hole.

5. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for sensing rotation of at least one driven roller of said plurality of rollers, said means for sensing rotation being provided at an end of said driven roller.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an endless transfer belt;

a plurality of rollers for supporting and transporting said transfer belt; and

detecting means for detecting a predetermined position in a forwarding direction of said transfer belt, said detecting means serving as at least means for detecting a seam position of said transfer belt, and means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in a direction perpendicular to a forwarding direction thereof to prevent damage to edges of said transfer belt.

7. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein when said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt senses an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt a predetermined number of times, regardless of whether power of the system has been turned off and then on, said transfer belt is stopped.

8. An image forming apparatus as claimed in at least one claim 6, wherein said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt comprises means for sensing motion of at least one guide member.

9. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt comprises:

a substantially rectangular belt hole formed in an end of said transfer belt;

a belt hole detection sensor for sensing said belt hole; and

belt clock count means synchronized with move speed of said transfer belt;

wherein a forwarding condition of said transfer belt is monitored in response to a belt clock count result of said belt clock count means.

10. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein a breakage condition of said belt hole is monitored in response to the belt clock count of said belt hole.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an endless transfer belt;

a plurality of rollers for supporting and transporting said transfer belt;

adjusting means for adjusting a position in a direction perpendicular to a forwarding direction of said transfer belt by displacing one of said rollers when said transfer belt is replaced or an installation place of a main unit of said system is moved;

a member for visually checking an end position of said transfer belt when the transfer belt stops, adjusted by said adjustment means; and

means for sensing an abnormal move of said operating transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt, wherein when said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt senses an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt a predetermined number of times, regardless of whether power of the system has been turned off and then on, said transfer belt is stopped.

12. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt comprises means for sensing motion of at least one guide member.

13. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claims 11, wherein said means for sensing an abnormal move of said transfer belt in the direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt comprises:

a substantially rectangular belt hole formed in an end of said transfer belt;

a belt hole detection sensor for sensing said belt hole; and

belt clock count means synchronized with move speed of said transfer belt;

wherein a forwarding condition of said transfer belt is monitored in response to a belt clock count result of said belt clock count means.

14. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein a breakage condition of said belt hole is monitored in response to the belt clock count of said belt hole.

15. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein when said adjusting means adjusts a position in a direction perpendicular to the forwarding direction of said transfer belt, said transfer belt always stops at a constant position after said transfer belt turns a predetermined integral times.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an endless transfer belt;

a plurality of rollers for supporting and transporting said transfer belt;

a guide member being disposed at one or both ends of at least one of said rollers for guiding said transfer belt while allowing a predetermined amount of motion in an edge direction of said transfer belt;

a substantially rectangular belt hole formed in an end of said transfer belt in a direction perpendicular to a forwarding direction of said transfer belt; and

a side plate member for supporting said rollers;

wherein when it is assumed that the maximum move distance of said guide member is L1, a half of a length of said belt hole is L2, and a clearance between an and of said transfer belt and said side plate member is L3, said image forming apparatus satisfies L1>

L2 and L3>

L2.