Belt Offset Correction via Pressure Roller Tilting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional belt offset correction devices are complex and prone to upsizing due to the need for tilting rollers, which complicates the correction process and reduces practicality.
Innovation Solution
A belt offset correction device featuring a pressure roller with elastic layers, supported by pressure members with fulcrum engaging sections and biasing members, allowing for precise movement in a direction intersecting the pressing force to maintain stable pressure conditions, thereby stabilizing the fixing nip and improving offset control accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If at least one of the plurality of rollers stretching the endless belts is tilted to correct offsets, then offset correction is achieved, but device complexity increases and size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of tilting the stretching rollers to correct belt offset, this patent inverts the approach by keeping the stretching rollers horizontal and instead tilting the pressure roller that presses from the outside. The pressure roller's axis is inclined relative to the stretching rollers' axes, allowing offset correction through the pressure application point rather than through roller tilt during stretching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pressure roller as an intermediary element between the belt stretching system and the offset correction function. This pressure roller, with its inclined axis and movable support, serves as a mediator that applies corrective pressure to adjust belt offset without requiring the main stretching rollers to be tilted, thus simplifying the overall device structure.
2Device complexity
If the pressure roller is movably shifted to correct offset, then device size is reduced and configuration is simplified, but pressure condition stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure roller is supported by a movable support structure that allows dynamic adjustment of the pressure roller's position and orientation. This movable support enables the pressure roller to be shifted to correct belt offset while maintaining the ability to regulate pressure conditions, combining the benefits of simplicity with pressure stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs an elastic layer in the pressure roller that can be compressed to regulate pressure conditions. By changing the compression parameter of the elastic layer, the system maintains stable pressure on the belt even as the pressure roller is movably shifted for offset correction, thus preserving pressure condition stability during dynamic adjustment.
3Manufacturing precision
If the pressure roller presses the endless belt to correct offset, then offset control accuracy improves, but the force acting on the fixing nip becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic layer in the pressure roller is compressed to a regulated extent to maintain stable pressure conditions. By controlling the compression parameter of the elastic layer, the system ensures that the force acting on the fixing nip remains stable even as the pressure roller is adjusted for offset correction, thus resolving the contradiction between offset accuracy and force stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution stabilizes the force acting on the fixing nip, ensuring high accuracy in offset control and maintaining the traveling performance of the fixing belt, thus enhancing the practicality and stability of the belt offset correction process.
Implementation Method 1
At least one of the pressure roller and the opposing member includes an elastic layer. The moving member moves the pressure member in a state where deformation of the elastic layer is regulated.
Data Source
AI summary
A pair of pressure members are disposed at both ends of a pressure roller and rotatably support the pressure roller to press the pressure roller against a fixing roller including an elastic layer via a fixing belt. One of the pressure members that includes a fulcrum engaging section engaged with a rotation fulcrum at one end and is locked to a biasing member at a side opposite to the fulcrum engaging section is moved by a moving member in a direction intersecting a pressing direction of the pressure roller in a state where deformation of the elastic layer is regulated. Thus, a force acting on a fixing nip formed by the deformation of the elastic layer of the fixing roller is stabilized. As a result, the traveling performance of the fixing belt is stabilized, whereby the offset control can be performed with high accuracy.