Meandering Correction Roller Axial Displacement Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face issues with meandering transfer belts due to parallelism shifts in rollers, leading to potential belt breakage and image quality deterioration, as the direction of load applied to the correction roller changes with the magnitude of meandering, disrupting smooth rotation.
Innovation Solution
A belt rotating device with a meandering correction roller system that includes a support frame, an inclined contact member, and a collar member to maintain a constant load direction on the roller shaft, ensuring smooth operation regardless of meandering quantity through a mechanism where the collar member contacts the belt and moves axially, and the inclined surface guides the roller's inclination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional meandering correction technique using an inclined surface and shaft guide portion is used, then the meandering transfer belt is corrected by inclining the roller shaft, but the direction of load applied to the roller changes with the magnitude of meandering, disrupting smooth rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new degree of freedom by allowing the roller shaft to move in the axial direction in addition to radial inclination. The shaft displacement portion enables the shaft to shift axially while maintaining a fixed load direction on the bearing, separating the meandering correction function (radial inclination) from the load direction control (axial displacement). This dimensional change resolves the contradiction by enabling both effective meandering correction and smooth rotation.
2Manufacturing precision
If the roller shaft is inclined more downward to correct larger meandering quantities, then the meandering correction effectiveness increases, but the contact position of the inclined surface with the shaft guide portion moves farther from the shaft, applying load in a different direction
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft displacement portion acts as an intermediary mechanism that decouples the relationship between shaft inclination and load direction. When the roller shaft inclines to correct meandering, the shaft displacement portion translates this motion into axial shaft movement, which maintains the contact position between the inclined surface and shaft guide portion. This intermediary function ensures that the load direction on the bearing remains consistent regardless of the meandering correction magnitude.
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 rotating operation of the meandering correction roller by maintaining a constant load direction, preventing damage from varying meandering quantities and ensuring continuous smooth rotation and image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a contact member that is supported by the support frame and has an inclined surface oriented in the one direction and inclined with respect to the rotating shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A belt rotating device includes: a meandering correction roller that is rotatably supported within a support frame and is one of a plurality of rollers that stretch an endless belt; a supporting portion that is provided at the support frame and supports a rotating shaft of the meandering correction roller so as to be able to incline the rotating shaft of the meandering correction roller in a one direction; a collar member that is provided on the rotating shaft of the meandering correction roller, contacts the side end of the endless belt in which meandering has occurred, and moves in an axial direction; and an inclination guide portion that is supported by the support frame and has an inclined surface downward and inclined with respect to the shaft of the meandering correction roller, in a position in which the contact portion of the collar member contacts the inclination guide portion.