Intermediate Transfer Belt Pressing Member Deviation Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, strong transfer fields can cause electric discharges leading to the 'white spot phenomenon' due to belt vibrations, resulting in image defects from scraped particles adhering to rollers, especially when the vibration prevention sheet is too short and concentrates stress at its ends.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with an endless intermediate transfer belt, a toner image forming unit, first and second transfer members, a suppression mechanism for belt deviation, and a pressing member that contacts the belt inside and upstream of the transfer nip, ensuring the pressing member's end portions are outside the belt's moving region to prevent vibration and stress concentration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a vibration prevention sheet is pressed against the belt to suppress vibration, then belt vibration is reduced, but stress concentrates at the end portions of the sheet causing particle scraping
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member extends in the width direction of the belt beyond the moving region of the belt, utilizing the width dimension to distribute stress away from concentrated end portions. By making the pressing member wider than the belt's movement range, the stress is distributed over a larger area that does not include the belt edges, preventing particle scraping while maintaining vibration suppression effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the pressing member contacts the belt to suppress vibration, then belt stability improves, but stress concentration accelerates belt scraping at end portions
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member is designed to extend in the width direction beyond the belt's moving region, using the width dimension to redistribute stress. This dimensional extension ensures that the pressing force is applied over an area that does not concentrate at the belt's longitudinal end portions, thereby preventing belt material scraping while maintaining reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If the pressing member is positioned to suppress vibration, then image quality improves by reducing white spots, but particle adhesion to rollers occurs causing transfer field variation
Solution Approach 1:
By extending the pressing member in the width direction beyond the belt's moving region, the design prevents particle generation at the source. This dimensional approach ensures that the pressing force is distributed away from the belt edges, preventing particle adhesion to rollers and maintaining consistent transfer fields, thereby preserving image quality.
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
This configuration effectively suppresses belt vibrations and reduces particle scraping, minimizing image defects by maintaining the vibration prevention member's edges clear of contact with the belt, thus preventing image defects caused by particle adhesion and transfer field variations.
Implementation Method 1
a second transfer member arranged inside the intermediate transfer belt at a position opposing the first transfer member across the intermediate transfer belt, configured to stretch the intermediate transfer belt
Implementation Method 2
a first transfer member arranged outside the intermediate transfer belt in contact with the intermediate transfer belt, configured to electrostatically transfer the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording material
Implementation Method 3
a pressing member configured to press the intermediate transfer belt from the inside at a position adjacent to and on the upstream side of the second transfer member in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, end portions, in the width direction, of the pressing member being arranged outside of a moving region of the intermediate transfer belt in the width direction
Data Source
AI summary
In an image forming apparatus including a pressing member arranged on an inner circumferential surface of an intermediate transfer belt, configured to correct a position of the intermediate transfer belt in the width direction to be fit within a movable region, positions of both ends of the pressing member in the width direction are respectively arranged outside positions of both ends of the movable region.