Abstract: A belt device includes a belt wound around a plurality of rollers, one of the plurality of rollers, and a belt contact member disposed on the one of the plurality of rollers. The belt rotates along with the plurality of rollers. The belt contact member faces an edge of the belt in an axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers and includes a flat portion and a separation portion. The flat portion forms a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers. The separation portion is disposed outboard of the flat portion in a radial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers and has a surface located farther from the edge of the belt than the flat portion in the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers.

Abstract: A belt control device includes a plurality of rollers, a belt wound around the plurality of rollers and configured to rotate along with the plurality of rollers, a belt contact member that the belt contacts when the belt moves in an axial direction of the plurality of rollers, and a shaft displacement member movable in the axial direction and including an inclined face inclined with respect to a surface of the belt to control movement of the belt in the axial direction. The belt, the belt contact member, and the shaft displacement member are configured to make a frictional force between an edge of the belt and the belt contact member greater than a frictional force between the belt contact member and the shaft displacement member.

Abstract: A belt device includes a belt wound around a plurality of rollers, one of the plurality of rollers, and a belt contact member disposed on the one of the plurality of rollers. The belt rotates along with the plurality of rollers. The belt contact member faces an edge of the belt in an axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers and includes a flat portion and a separation portion. The flat portion forms a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers. The separation portion is disposed outboard of the flat portion in a radial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers and has a surface located farther from the edge of the belt than the flat portion in the axial direction of the one of the plurality of rollers.

Abstract: A belt control device includes a plurality of rollers, a belt wound around the plurality of rollers and configured to rotate along with the plurality of rollers, a belt contact member that the belt contacts when the belt moves in an axial direction of the plurality of rollers, and a shaft displacement member movable in the axial direction and including an inclined face inclined with respect to a surface of the belt to control movement of the belt in the axial direction. The belt, the belt contact member, and the shaft displacement member are configured to make a frictional force between an edge of the belt and the belt contact member greater than a frictional force between the belt contact member and the shaft displacement member.

Abstract: A roller member includes a cored bar, an elastic layer, a first high resistance member, and a second high resistance member. The elastic layer is disposed on an outer circumferential face of the cored bar. The cored bar has a projecting portion projecting beyond a range in which the elastic layer is disposed, toward an axial end of the cored bar. The first high resistance member is made of a high-resistance material having a higher electrical resistance than an electrical resistance of the cored bar. The first high resistance member is fitted to the projecting portion. The second high resistance member is made of a high-resistance material having a higher electrical resistance than an electrical resistance of the cored bar. The second high resistance member fills a space between the first high resistance member and the elastic layer.

Abstract: A belt device for an image forming apparatus, includes an endless belt; a first and second support rollers, each including a rotary shaft, that support the belt with tension; a contacted member that contacts the belt; a shaft displacement device to displace any of the rotary shafts of the support rollers; and a main rotary shaft disposed at a side of the rotary shaft of the first support roller moved by the shaft displacement device along a stretching direction of the stretched surface of the endless belt that the contacted member contacts, relative to a contact portion between the endless belt and the contacted member, and at an opposite side of the contacted member in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction of the endless belt. As the first support roller and the second roller rotate about the main rotary shaft, the endless belt is separated from the contacted member.

Abstract: A roller member includes a cored bar, an elastic layer, a first high resistance member, and a second high resistance member. The elastic layer is disposed on an outer circumferential face of the cored bar. The cored bar has a projecting portion projecting beyond a range in which the elastic layer is disposed, toward an axial end of the cored bar. The first high resistance member is made of a high-resistance material having a higher electrical resistance than an electrical resistance of the cored bar. The first high resistance member is fitted to the projecting portion. The second high resistance member is made of a high-resistance material having a higher electrical resistance than an electrical resistance of the cored bar. The second high resistance member fills a space between the first high resistance member and the elastic layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming device to form a toner image on a rotatable toner image bearer, a looped belt to carry a recording medium, a support roller to rotate the belt, a pressing member to press the belt against the toner image bearer, a transfer electric field generator to form an electric field to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium, and a contact member to contact an end surface of the belt as the belt moves to one side in a belt width direction. The belt includes a first portion pressed against the toner image bearer by the pressing member and a second portion adjoining the first portion. A relative position of the support roller relative to the toner image bearer and the pressing member is determined such that the second portion of the belt contacts the toner image bearer.

Abstract: A belt conveyor unit includes a plurality of rollers around which a belt is entrained, including a first roller, a second roller disposed opposite the first roller via the belt, and a third roller other than the first roller and the second roller, and a belt alignment device including a shaft moving device to tilt a rotary shaft of the third roller upon receiving a moving force of the belt moving in a width direction of the belt in an axial direction of the rotary shaft to adjust displacement of the belt. The shaft moving device includes an axial-direction displacement member including a slanted surface that moves to a first side in the width direction of the belt along the rotary shaft upon receiving the moving force of the belt, and a fixation member to contact the slanted surface from the first side in the width direction of the belt.

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a first conveyor belt entrained about a separation roller and a support roller disposed upstream from the separation roller, a second conveyor belt entrained about a first roller disposed at an uppermost stream in a transport direction of a sheet-type medium and a second roller disposed downstream therefrom, a belt alignment device to tilt a rotary shaft of the separation roller to restrict a range of belt mistracking of the first conveyor belt in a width direction thereof within a predetermined range, and a restriction member to restrict an amount of inclination of the rotary shaft such that a hypothetical extended plane, which is a hypothetical extension of the outer circumferential surface of the first conveyor belt between the separation roller and the support roller to a downstream side in the transport direction, does not contact a rotational center axis of the first roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers that carries toner images, a belt that is supported by a plurality of rollers including a support roller and an opposing roller, a transfer roller disposed opposed to the opposing roller via the belt, and a bending roller that bends the belt from outside toward inside and is disposed downstream from the opposing roller and upstream from support roller. The belt is stretched between the support roller and the bending roller in a first area. The plurality of image carriers contacts the belt in a second area other than the first area. A surface of the belt in the first area is parallel to that of the belt in the second area.

Abstract: A belt assembly includes a belt formed into an endless loop, a plurality of support rollers with a rotary shaft, a shaft-end retainer, a movable supporting member, and a drive transmission device. The plurality of support rollers includes a first support roller and a second support roller. The shaft-end retainer is disposed at each end of the rotary shaft of the plurality of support rollers. The movable supporting member supports the first support roller and is movably disposed relative to the shaft-end retainer. The drive transmission device transmits a driving force to one of the plurality of support rollers. The drive transmission device and the movable supporting member are disposed on a same side as the shaft-end retainer in an axial direction of the plurality of support rollers. The drive transmission device is disposed between the shaft-end retainer and the movable supporting member in the axial direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming device to form a toner image on a rotatable toner image bearer, a looped belt to carry a recording medium, a support roller to rotate the belt, a pressing member to press the belt against the toner image bearer, a transfer electric field generator to form an electric field to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium, and a contact member to contact an end surface of the belt as the belt moves to one side in a belt width direction. The belt includes a first portion pressed against the toner image bearer by the pressing member and a second portion adjoining the first portion. A relative position of the support roller relative to the toner image bearer and the pressing member is determined such that the second portion of the belt contacts the toner image bearer.

Abstract: A belt assembly includes a belt, a plurality of support rollers, and a shaft-end retainer. The belt is formed into an endless loop, entrained about and stretched taut between the plurality of support rollers with a rotary shaft. The plurality of support rollers includes a first support roller and a second support roller. The shaft-end retainer including a first retainer and a second retainer is disposed at each end of the rotary shaft of the plurality of support rollers. The first retainer detachably holds an end of the rotary shaft of the first support roller. The second retainer detachably holds an end of the rotary shaft of the second support roller and includes a second-retainer opening from which the end of the rotary shaft of the second roller is detachable from and attachable to the second retainer in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft of the second support roller.

Abstract: A belt device for an image forming apparatus, includes an endless belt; a first and second support rollers, each including a rotary shaft, that support the belt with tension; a contacted member that contacts the belt; a shaft displacement device to displace any of the rotary shafts of the support rollers; and a main rotary shaft disposed at a side of the rotary shaft of the first support roller moved by the shaft displacement device along a stretching direction of the stretched surface of the endless belt that the contacted member contacts, relative to a contact portion between the endless belt and the contacted member, and at an opposite side of the contacted member in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction of the endless belt. As the first support roller and the second roller rotate about the main rotary shaft, the endless belt is separated from the contacted member.

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a first conveyor belt entrained about a separation roller and a support roller disposed upstream from the separation roller, a second conveyor belt entrained about a first roller disposed at an uppermost stream in a transport direction of a sheet-type medium and a second roller disposed downstream therefrom, a belt alignment device to tilt a rotary shaft of the separation roller to restrict a range of belt mistracking of the first conveyor belt in a width direction thereof within a predetermined range, and a restriction member to restrict an amount of inclination of the rotary shaft such that a hypothetical extended plane, which is a hypothetical extension of the outer circumferential surface of the first conveyor belt between the separation roller and the support roller to a downstream side in the transport direction, does not contact a rotational center axis of the first roller.

Abstract: A belt assembly includes a belt formed into an endless loop, a plurality of support rollers with a rotary shaft, a shaft-end retainer, a movable supporting member, and a drive transmission device. The plurality of support rollers includes a first support roller and a second support roller. The shaft-end retainer is disposed at each end of the rotary shaft of the plurality of support rollers. The movable supporting member supports the first support roller and is movably disposed relative to the shaft-end retainer. The drive transmission device transmits a driving force to one of the plurality of support rollers. The drive transmission device and the movable supporting member are disposed on a same side as the shaft-end retainer in an axial direction of the plurality of support rollers. The drive transmission device is disposed between the shaft-end retainer and the movable supporting member in the axial direction.

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a first conveyor belt entrained about a separation roller and a support roller disposed upstream from the separation roller, a second conveyor belt entrained about a first roller disposed at an uppermost stream in a transport direction of a sheet-type medium and a second roller disposed downstream therefrom, a belt alignment device to tilt a rotary shaft of the separation roller to restrict a range of belt mistracking of the first conveyor belt in a width direction thereof within a predetermined range, and a restriction member to restrict an amount of inclination of the rotary shaft such that a hypothetical extended plane, which is a hypothetical extension of the outer circumferential surface of the first conveyor belt between the separation roller and the support roller to a downstream side in the transport direction, does not contact a rotational center axis of the first roller.

Abstract: A belt assembly includes a belt, a plurality of support rollers, and a shaft-end retainer. The belt is formed into an endless loop, entrained about and stretched taut between the plurality of support rollers with a rotary shaft. The plurality of support rollers includes a first support roller and a second support roller. The shaft-end retainer including a first retainer and a second retainer is disposed at each end of the rotary shaft of the plurality of support rollers. The first retainer detachably holds an end of the rotary shaft of the first support roller. The second retainer detachably holds an end of the rotary shaft of the second support roller and includes a second-retainer opening from which the end of the rotary shaft of the second roller is detachable from and attachable to the second retainer in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft of the second support roller.

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a first conveyor belt entrained about a separation roller and a support roller disposed upstream from the separation roller, a second conveyor belt entrained about a first roller disposed at an uppermost stream in a transport direction of a sheet-type medium and a second roller disposed downstream therefrom, a belt alignment device to tilt a rotary shaft of the separation roller to restrict a range of belt mistracking of the first conveyor belt in a width direction thereof within a predetermined range, and a restriction member to restrict an amount of inclination of the rotary shaft such that a hypothetical extended plane, which is a hypothetical extension of the outer circumferential surface of the first conveyor belt between the separation roller and the support roller to a downstream side in the transport direction, does not contact a rotational center axis of the first roller.