Belt Assembly Shaft-End Retainer for Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in easily replacing the endless looped belt without increasing the number of parts, leading to increased costs and complexity due to the need for adjusting support rollers to loosen belt tension.
Innovation Solution
A belt assembly with a shaft-end retainer system that includes first and second retainers at each end of the rotary shafts of support rollers, allowing for detachable and attachable configurations to simplify belt installation and removal without additional parts, enabling tension adjustment and belt alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the distance between shafts of two support rollers is shortened to loosen belt tension for detachment, then the belt can be detached from support rollers, but a device to change the position of support rollers is necessary, resulting in an increase in the number of parts and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft retainer is divided into a body portion and a cover portion that can be separated from each other. The cover portion is detachably coupled to the body portion, allowing the shaft to be accessed and the belt to be detached without moving the support rollers or adding complex positioning devices. This segmentation enables easy maintenance while keeping the overall structure simple.
2Ease of operation
If the distance between shafts of two support rollers is shortened to loosen belt tension, then the belt can be detached, but a device to change the position of support rollers is necessary, leading to increased cost
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft retainer is segmented into a body portion and a cover portion that can be easily assembled and disassembled. This simple segmentation avoids the need for complex positioning devices and reduces manufacturing costs while enabling easy belt replacement operations.
3Ease of operation
If a device to change the position of support rollers is added to loosen belt tension, then the belt can be detached, but the belt assembly becomes less compact
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented shaft retainer design allows the cover to be removed and reattached without requiring additional space for positioning mechanisms. The simple coupling structure maintains a compact belt assembly while enabling easy belt installation and detachment operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A belt assembly includes a belt, a plurality of support rollers, and a shaft-end retainer. The belt is formed into an endless loop, entrained about and stretched taut between the plurality of support rollers with a rotary shaft. The plurality of support rollers includes a first support roller and a second support roller. The shaft-end retainer including a first retainer and a second retainer is disposed at each end of the rotary shaft of the plurality of support rollers. The first retainer detachably holds an end of the rotary shaft of the first support roller. The second retainer detachably holds an end of the rotary shaft of the second support roller and includes a second-retainer opening from which the end of the rotary shaft of the second roller is detachable from and attachable to the second retainer in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft of the second support roller.