Intermediate Transfer Belt Bending Member Width Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses using intermediate transfer belts, toner fouling from the edge portions of photosensitive drums can be transferred to the bending member, leading to instability in the contact state between the intermediate transfer belt and the cleaning member, resulting in defective cleaning and potential damage to the intermediate transfer belt.
Innovation Solution
The lengths of the image bearing member cleaning member, intermediate transfer belt, and bending member are specifically set to satisfy the relations Lb > Ldrcln > Lr, where Lb is the width of the intermediate transfer belt, Ldrcln is the width of the image bearing member cleaning member, and Lr is the width of the bending member, to prevent toner fouling from being transferred to the bending member and to maintain a stable contact state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the bending member is provided to press the intermediate transfer belt and change its path, then the image forming apparatus can be miniaturized, but toner fouling from the photosensitive drum edge portions is transferred to the bending member, causing instability in the contact state and potential damage to the intermediate transfer belt
Solution Approach 1:
The bending member is designed with a width (Lr) that is smaller than the width of the image bearing member cleaning member (Ldrcln), creating a localized cleaning zone that specifically targets the toner fouling problem area at the edge portions without affecting the overall apparatus miniaturization benefit
Solution Approach 2:
The image bearing member cleaning member is positioned to remove toner fouling from the photosensitive drum edge portions before the intermediate transfer belt contacts the bending member, preventing the toner fouling from being transferred to the bending member in the first place
2Reliability
If the bending member width is reduced to prevent toner fouling transfer, then the contact state stability is improved, but the ability to create sufficient empty space for apparatus miniaturization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bending member has a restricted width (Lr) specifically designed to be smaller than the cleaning member width (Ldrcln), creating a localized interaction zone that maintains stability while the overall apparatus benefits from miniaturization through optimized space utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the width dimension of the bending member independently from other dimensions, creating a specific width relationship (Lb > Ldrcln > Lr) that resolves the contradiction between stability and miniaturization by operating in the width dimension specifically
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member which is rotated while bearing a toner image; an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image is primary-transferred from the image bearing member and which secondary-transfers the toner image onto a recording material; an image bearing member cleaning member which removes the toner from the image bearing member and in which a length of the image bearing member in a rotational axial direction is shorter than the image bearing member; and a bending member which is come into contact with a surface of the intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image is primary-transferred and which bends the intermediate transfer belt, wherein, in the rotational axial direction of the image bearing member, assuming that a length of the image bearing member cleaning member is set to Ldrcln, a length of the intermediate transfer belt is set to Lb, and a length of the bending member is set to Lr, there is a relation of Lb>Ldrcln>Lr.