Belt unit and image forming apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US9371188B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Belt unit and image forming apparatus",
  "abstract": "A belt unit including an endless belt, a first roller, a second roller, and a guiding member is provided. The guiding member includes a groove, in which a guided section of the endless belt is set, and the groove includes a first face and a second face. The first face is formed to have a first parting line extending in a direction to intersect with a central axis. The first face includes a first part in a frontward range and a second part in a rearward range with respect to the first parting line along a rotating direction of the guiding member. The first face has a first gap between the first part and the second part to form the first part in a position closer to the second face with respect to the second part.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A belt unit, comprising: an endless belt comprising a belt strip and a guided section, the guided section protruding from an inner circumferential surface of the belt strip at one of widthwise sides along a widthwise direction of the belt strip; a first roller and a second roller, around which the endless belt is strained; and a guiding member made of resin and arranged on one of axial-end sides of the first roller along an axial direction of the first roller coaxially with the first roller, the guiding member being rotatable and formed to have a groove, in which the guided section is set, wherein the groove comprises a first face and a second face, which face each other along a direction of a central axis, and a bottom surface, which extends in the direction of the central axis and forms an annular surface connecting one end of the first face closest to the central axis and one end of the second face closest to the central axis, wherein the first face of the groove is arranged in a position closer to the one of widthwise sides with respect to the second face along the direction of the central axis and is formed to have a first parting line extending in a direction to intersect with the central axis, the first face comprising a first part in a frontward range with respect to the first parting line along a rotating direction of the guiding member and a second part in a rearward range with respect to the first parting line along the rotating direction of the guiding member, and the first face being formed to have a first gap between the first part and the second part to form the first part in a position closer to the second face with respect to the second part, wherein the first face comprises a first unmolding line, which extends in a direction of a line tangent to an intersection between the bottom surface and the first parting line, wherein the second part is formed in a range extending from the first parting line rearward along the rotating direction of the guiding member to reach the first unmolding line, and wherein the second part comprises an inclined surface, which extends in a direction of the first unmolding line, one of edges of the inclined surface being coincident with the first unmolding line.",
    "2. The belt unit according to claim 1, wherein the second face is formed to have a second parting line extending orthogonally with respect to the central axis, wherein second face comprises a third part in a frontward range with respect to the second parting line along the rotating direction of the guiding member and a fourth part in a rearward range with respect to the second parting line along the rotating direction of the guiding member, wherein the second face is formed to have a second gap between the third part and the fourth part to form the third part in a position closer to the first face with respect to the fourth part, wherein the second face comprises a second unmolding line, which extends in a direction of a line tangent to an intersection between the bottom surface and the second parting line, and wherein the fourth part is formed in a range extending from the second parting line rearward along the rotating direction of the guiding member to reach the second unmolding line.",
    "3. The belt unit according to claim 2, wherein the fourth part comprises an inclined surface, which is formed to incline with respect to a virtual plane extending orthogonally to the central axis, in at least one of a frontward range and a rearward range within the fourth part along the rotating direction of the guiding member.",
    "4. The belt unit according to claim 1, wherein the first gap includes at least two gaps formed in point-symmetrical positions with respect to the central axis.",
    "5. The belt unit according to claim 1, wherein the guiding member is arranged solely on the one of axial-end sides of the first roller along the axial direction.",
    "6. The belt unit according to claim 1, wherein the guided section is arranged in a displaced position with respect to the one of widthwise ends of the belt strip toward the other of the widthwise ends of the belt strip.",
    "7. The belt unit according to claim 1, wherein and the bottom surface of the groove extends orthogonally to the first face, and wherein the first face is formed to spread orthogonally to the central axis from the bottom surface beyond the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the belt strip.",
    "8. The belt unit according to claim 1, wherein the first face is formed in a shape of a disk protruding outwardly with respect to an outer circumferential surface of the belt strip.",
    "9. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet; and a belt unit comprising: an endless belt comprising a belt strip and a guided section, the guided section protruding from an inner circumferential surface of the belt strip at one of widthwise sides along a widthwise direction of the belt strip; a first roller and a second roller, around which the endless belt is strained; and a guiding member made of resin and arranged on one of axial-end sides of the first roller along an axial direction of the first roller coaxially with the first roller, the guiding member being rotatable and formed to have a groove, in which the guided section is set, wherein the groove comprises a first face and a second face, which face each other along a direction in parallel with a central axis, and a bottom surface, which extends in a direction of the central axis and forms an annular surface connecting one end of the first face closest to the central axis and one end of the second face closest to the central axis, and wherein the first face of the groove is arranged in a position closer to the one of widthwise sides with respect to the second face along the direction in parallel with the central axis and is formed to have a first parting line extending in a direction to intersect with the central axis, the first face comprising a first part in a frontward range with respect to the first parting line along a rotating direction of the guiding member and a second part in a rearward range with respect to the first parting line along the rotating direction of the guiding member, and the first face being formed to have a first gap between the first part and the second part to form the first part in a position closer to the second face with respect to the second part, wherein the first face comprises a first unmolding line, which extends in a direction of a line tangent to an intersection between the bottom surface and the first parting line, wherein the second part is formed in a range extending from the first parting line rearward along the rotating direction of the guiding member to reach the first unmolding line and wherein the second part comprises an inclined surface, which extends in a direction of the first unmolding line, one of edges of the inclined surface being coincident with the first unmolding line.",
    "10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first gap includes at least two gaps formed in point-symmetrical positions with respect to the central axis.",
    "11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the bottom surface of the groove extends orthogonally to the first face, and wherein the first face is formed to spread orthogonally to the central axis from the bottom surface beyond the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the belt strip.",
    "12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first face is formed in a shape of a disk protruding outwardly with respect to an outer circumferential surface of the belt strip.",
    "13. A method for forming a guiding member to be used in a belt unit, the belt unit comprising: an endless belt comprising a belt strip and a guided section, the guided section protruding from an inner circumferential surface of the belt strip at one of widthwise sides along a widthwise direction of the belt strip; a first roller and a second roller around which the endless belt is strained; and a guiding member made of resin and arranged on one of axial-end sides of the first roller along an axial direction of the first roller coaxially with the first roller, the guiding member being rotatable and formed to have a groove in which the guided section is set, wherein the groove comprises a first face and a second face which face each other along a direction parallel with a central axis, and a bottom surface, which extends in a direction of the central axis and forms an annular surface connecting one end of the first face closest to the central axis and one end of the second face closest to the central axis, wherein the first face of the groove is arranged at a position closer to the one of widthwise sides with respect to the second face along the direction parallel with the central axis and is formed to have a first parting line extending in a direction to intersect with the central axis, the first face comprising a first part in a frontward range with respect to the first parting line along a rotating direction of the guiding member and a second part in a rearward range with respect to the first parting line along the rotating direction of the guiding member, and the first face being formed to have a first gap between the first part and the second part to form the first part in a position closer to the second face with respect to the second part, wherein the first face comprises a first unmolding line, which extends in a direction of a line tangent to an intersection between the bottom surface and the first parting line, wherein the second part is formed in a range extending from the first parting line rearward along the rotating direction of the guiding member to reach the first unmolding line, wherein the guiding member is formed by molding with a mold which can be divided into mold patterns including a first mold pattern and a second mold pattern, wherein the first parting line is formed in a position corresponding to divided faces between the first mold pattern and the second mold pattern, and wherein the guiding member is unmolded from the mold pattern along a direction of the first unmolding line.",
    "14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first gap includes at least two gaps formed in point-symmetrical positions with respect to the central axis.",
    "15. The method according to claim 13, wherein and the bottom surface of the groove extends orthogonally to the first face, and wherein the first face is formed to spread orthogonally to the central axis from the bottom surface beyond the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the belt strip.",
    "16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first face is formed in a shape of a disk protruding outwardly with respect to an outer circumferential surface of the belt strip.",
    "17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the second part comprises an inclined surface, which extends in a direction of the first unmolding line, one of edges of the inclined surface being coincident with the first unmolding line."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Technical Field\n\nAn aspect of the present invention relates to a belt unit including an endless belt and an image forming apparatus with the belt unit.\n\n2. Related Art\n\nA belt unit, in which a strained endless belt strip rolls around a pair of roller, has often been used in, for example, an image forming apparatus. The belt unit may include the belt strip being an endless belt and a guided part, which is arranged at one of widthwise ends of the belt strip to protrude inward from the belt strip. The guided part may be engaged with a groove formed in a rotatable guiding member, which is arranged at one of axial ends along an axial direction of each roller. With the guided part guided in the groove, the endless belt may be prevented from drifting in the axial direction of the rollers.\n\nWhile an image forming apparatus may be equipped with the belt unit with the endless belt, if the endless belt unsteadily drifts in the axial direction, quality of an image formed in the image forming apparatus may be lowered.\n\nThe guiding member with the groove may be often made by, in view of reduction of manufacturing cost, molding. In molding, however, a molded item may have a linear burr or tier called a parting line at a position corresponding to edges of divided faces of the molds.\n\nGenerally, in molding, a filler material such as resin is filled in a hollow space formed by two or more pieces of mold pattern, and the mold patterns are separated apart to unmold the solidified resin piece.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65G 15/60",
    "B41J 11/007",
    "B41J 2/00",
    "G03G 15/0189",
    "G03G 15/1615",
    "G03G 15/6529",
    "G03G 2215/00143"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B41J 11/00",
    "B41J 2/00",
    "B65G 15/60",
    "G03G 15/00",
    "G03G 15/01",
    "G03G 15/16"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Brother Industries Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Kotaro TAKIFUJI",
    "Wataru Yamaguchi"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-03-18",
  "publication_date": "2016-06-21",
  "grant_date": "2016-06-21",
  "priority_date": "2012-06-27",
  "application_number": "US-201313846093-A",
  "family_id": "49776986",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "JPS60143604A",
    "US5017969A",
    "JPH08194248A",
    "JP2008170478A",
    "JP2009008917A",
    "US8032051B2"
  ]
}