Belt Device With Shaft-Mounted Restriction for Deviation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing belt devices in image forming apparatuses face challenges in correcting belt deviation, particularly due to the wear and imbalance caused by conventional restricting mechanisms like E-rings, which can lead to accelerated belt deviation and potential mechanical failure.
Innovation Solution
A belt device with a correction mechanism that inclines one roller in conjunction with belt movement, using a screw as a restricting member fixed to the roller's shaft to prevent wear and maintain balance, while allowing rotation, thus stabilizing the belt's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional restricting member like an E-ring is used to restrict roller movement, then the roller position can be controlled, but wear and imbalance occur leading to accelerated belt deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the conventional E-ring restricting member from the system and replaces it with a different mechanism. The shaft is designed with a built-in restricting structure that eliminates the need for separate E-rings, thereby preventing the wear and imbalance issues associated with conventional restricting members while maintaining roller position control.
Solution Approach 2:
The restricting function is merged into the shaft structure itself. The shaft includes an inclined surface and positioning features that directly restrict roller movement without requiring separate restricting members. This integration eliminates the wear interface between the E-ring and roller, extending the service life of the correcting mechanism.
2Reliability
If a restricting member is used to prevent roller movement in the width direction, then belt deviation can be controlled, but mechanical wear accelerates and leads to potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical E-ring restricting system with a geometric constraint system. The shaft's inclined surface and positioning features create a mechanical constraint that prevents width-direction movement without the sliding friction and wear associated with E-rings. This substitution eliminates the harmful wear effect while maintaining effective belt deviation control.
3Ease of operation
If the roller is allowed to rotate freely on its shaft, then the correction mechanism can operate, but the roller may move in the width direction causing belt deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic constraint system where the roller can rotate freely for correction operation but is simultaneously constrained in the width direction. The shaft's inclined surface allows rotational movement while the geometric features prevent lateral displacement. This dynamic design maintains both ease of operation and position stability throughout the correction process.
Data Source
AI summary
A belt device includes a plurality of rollers, a belt, a correction mechanism, a holder, and a restricting member. The belt is stretched and supported by the plurality of rollers. The correction mechanism inclines one roller of the plurality of rollers in conjunction with movement of the belt in a width direction of the belt. The holder holds a shaft of the one roller to be rotatable. The restricting member is disposed on the shaft outside the holder in the width direction to be indirectly or directly contactable with the holder to restrict movement of the one roller in the width direction. The restricting member is fixed to the shaft and is rotatable with the one roller together.