Image forming apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US11155106B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Image forming apparatus",
  "abstract": "Provided is an image forming apparatus in which paper is stably transferred from a belt transportation unit on an upstream side to a belt transportation unit on a downstream side. Problems as described above are solved by using the image forming apparatus including a first belt transportation unit, a second belt transportation unit, and a third belt transportation unit that transports a recording medium received from the first belt transportation unit to transfer the recording medium to the second belt transportation unit, in which a diameter of an upstream side pulley of the third belt transportation unit is smaller than a diameter of a downstream side pulley of the first belt transportation unit and a diameter of a downstream side pulley of the third belt transportation unit is smaller than a diameter of an upstream side pulley of the second belt transportation unit.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a first belt transportation unit that transports a recording medium; a second belt transportation unit that transports the recording medium; a third belt transportation unit that transports the recording medium received from the first belt transportation unit to transfer the recording medium to the second belt transportation unit; and an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording surface of the recording medium, wherein the first belt transportation unit has a first upstream side pulley, a first downstream side pulley, a first belt that is looped over the first upstream side pulley and the first downstream side pulley, and a first drive unit that causes the first belt to travel and the first belt transportation unit transports the recording medium along a first transportation route from the first upstream side pulley to the first downstream side pulley with the recording medium abutting onto the first belt, wherein the second belt transportation unit has a second upstream side pulley, a second downstream side pulley, a second belt that is looped over the second upstream side pulley and the second downstream side pulley, and a second drive unit that causes the second belt to travel and the second belt transportation unit transports the recording medium along a second transportation route from the second upstream side pulley to the second downstream side pulley with the recording medium abutting onto the second belt, wherein the third belt transportation unit has a third upstream side pulley, a third downstream side pulley, a third belt that is looped over the third upstream side pulley and the third downstream side pulley, and a third drive unit that causes the third belt to travel and the third belt transportation unit transports the recording medium along a third transportation route from the third upstream side pulley to the third downstream side pulley with the recording medium abutting onto the third belt, and wherein a diameter of the third upstream side pulley is smaller than a diameter of the first downstream side pulley and a diameter of the third downstream side pulley is smaller than a diameter of the second upstream side pulley.",
    "2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the diameter of the first downstream side pulley is D 1, the diameter of the second upstream side pulley is D 2, the diameter of the third upstream side pulley is D 3U, and the diameter of the third downstream side pulley is D 3D, at least one of D 1 /D 3U ≥2 or D 2 /D 3D ≥2 is satisfied.",
    "3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first belt, the second belt, or the third belt is formed of metal.",
    "4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third belt is formed of resin.",
    "5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first belt and the second belt are formed of metal.",
    "6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first belt is provided with a plurality of first adsorption holes, and wherein the first belt transportation unit comprises a first negative pressure generating unit that generates a negative pressure in the plurality of first adsorption holes.",
    "7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second belt is provided with a plurality of second adsorption holes, and wherein the second belt transportation unit comprises a second negative pressure generating unit that generates a negative pressure in the plurality of second adsorption holes.",
    "8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third belt is provided with a plurality of third adsorption holes, and wherein the third belt transportation unit comprises a third negative pressure generating unit that generates a negative pressure in the plurality of third adsorption holes.",
    "9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third belt transportation unit comprises a first blower unit that blows a gas toward the recording surface of the recording medium in the third transportation route.",
    "10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first belt transportation unit comprises a peeling mechanism that peels off the recording medium from the first belt.",
    "11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the peeling mechanism comprises a plate-shaped member abutting onto the recording medium.",
    "12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the peeling mechanism comprises a second blower unit that blows a gas to a space between the first belt and a leading end of the recording medium.",
    "13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the peeling mechanism comprises a third blower unit that blows a gas to an outside of the first downstream side pulley from an inside of the first downstream side pulley.",
    "14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first drive unit, the second drive unit, and the third drive unit respectively cause the first belt, the second belt, and the third belt to travel in synchronization with each other.",
    "15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first drive unit, the second drive unit, and the third drive unit respectively cause the first belt, the second belt, and the third belt to travel at the same speed.",
    "16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third belt transportation unit comprises a driving pulley, wherein the third belt is looped over the third upstream side pulley, the third downstream side pulley, and the driving pulley, and wherein the third drive unit rotates the driving pulley.",
    "17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first belt in the first transportation route, the second belt in the second transportation route, and the third belt in the third transportation route are disposed on the same plane.",
    "18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first downstream side pulley and the third upstream side pulley are disposed to partially overlap each other as seen in plan view of the third belt in the third transportation route.",
    "19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the third downstream side pulley and the second upstream side pulley are disposed to partially overlap each other as seen in plan view of the third belt in the third transportation route.",
    "20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit is disposed to face at least one of the first transportation route or the second transportation route."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, particularly relates to a technique of transporting a recording medium by means of a transportation belt.\n\nIn an image forming apparatus, paper, which is a recording medium, is placed on a transportation belt of a belt transportation unit and transported. In addition, there is known an image forming apparatus that comprises a plurality of belt transportation units and in which paper is transferred from a belt transportation unit on an upstream side to a belt transportation unit on a downstream side in a transportation direction. In such an image forming apparatus, it is desired that the paper is stably transferred between the belt transportation units.\n\nJP2015-047702A discloses an image forming apparatus including a first transportation mechanism that causes paper to be adsorbed onto a first transportation belt and transports the paper and a second transportation mechanism that causes the paper transported from the first transportation mechanism to be adsorbed onto a second transportation belt and transports the paper, the image forming apparatus being configured such that, in a case where the paper is laid across the first transportation belt and the second transportation belt, an adsorption force of the laid paper with respect to the first transportation belt becomes larger than an adsorption force with respect to the second transportation belt. The first transportation mechanism and the second transportation mechanism correspond to belt transportation units.",
  "cpc": [
    "B41J 11/007",
    "B41J 11/0085",
    "B41J 2/01",
    "B65G 47/52",
    "B65H 29/54",
    "B65H 5/02",
    "B65H 5/22"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B41J 11/00",
    "B65H 29/54"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Fujifilm Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Katsuyuki Hirato"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-04-24",
  "publication_date": "2021-10-26",
  "grant_date": "2021-10-26",
  "priority_date": "2017-12-13",
  "application_number": "US-202016857189-A",
  "family_id": "66820172",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "JPS60170320U",
    "JPH01187143A",
    "JPH07314818A",
    "JP3305871B2",
    "JP2008222418A",
    "US20080296129A1",
    "JP2008297122A",
    "US20110050825A1",
    "JP2011051165A",
    "JP2015047702A",
    "JP2019167230A"
  ]
}