Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited

Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation

Takahiro Konishi

Tomoaki Suga

Hiroaki Takagi

Yoshiaki Morita

Hideyo Makino

Osamu Ichihashi

Tsutomu Kato

Masakazu Imai

Katsuhito Haruno

Satoshi Mohri

Ryo Hasegawa

Atsushi Nagata

Naoto Kochi

Makoto Hino

Noritaka Masuda

Yumiko Kishi

Haruki Nagata

Hiroki Terauchi

Yutaka Gojo

Shinji Okubo

Kei Hattori

Ryohsuke Kawasaki

A pressing device includes an intermediate transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a presser, and a drive transmitter. The intermediate transfer unit transfers and conveys a toner image. The secondary transfer unit faces the intermediate transfer unit to form a nip portion between the secondary transfer unit and the intermediate transfer unit and transfers the toner image onto a conveyed material at the nip portion. The presser applies a pressing force for pressing the secondary transfer unit to the intermediate transfer unit at the nip portion. The drive transmitter transmits the pressing force and a conveyance driving force to a driven transmitter of the secondary transfer unit, is restricted in position by the presser, and is movable together with the presser.

Pressing device and image forming apparatus

A transfer device includes a belt unit having a transfer belt looped around tension rollers including a transfer roller, a unit support housing including a first support portion to support one end of the belt unit rotatably in an axial direction, and a second support portion to support another end of the belt unit rotatably in the axial direction, the unit support housing supporting the belt unit through the first support portion and the second support portion around a moving direction of the transfer belt, a pair of biasing members, and a driver disposed to rotate to generate rotary driving force to be conveyed to a driven portion provided for one of the tension rollers, the rotary driving force of the driver acting in a direction different from a direction in which the posture of the belt unit is not restricted.

Transfer device and image forming apparatus

A pressing device includes a pressed unit, a pressing member, a support shaft, and a drive transmission mechanism. The pressed unit is supported to be rotatable. The pressing member presses the pressed unit. The support shaft supports the pressing member such that the pressing member is rotatable. The drive transmission mechanism transmits a drive force of a drive source to the pressed unit, is disposed on the pressing member, and includes a pressing-member-side drive transmission member to transmit the drive force to a unit drive transmission member of the pressed unit. The support shaft is disposed coaxially on a fulcrum of rotation of the pressed unit.

An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, and a positioner. The intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transferor to bear an image. The secondary transfer unit includes a secondary transfer member to transfer the image borne by the intermediate transferor to a medium. The positioner positions the secondary transfer unit with respect to the intermediate transfer unit. The positioner includes a first member and a second member. The first member is disposed in the intermediate transfer unit. The second member is attachable to and detachable from the secondary transfer unit.

Image forming apparatus including secondary transfer device positioner for maintainability

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor that bears an image and an intermediate transfer device that forms a primary transfer nip between the photoconductor and the intermediate transfer device. The intermediate transfer device primarily transfers the image from the photoconductor onto the intermediate transfer device at the primary transfer nip. A secondary transfer device forms a secondary transfer nip between the intermediate transfer device and the secondary transfer device. The secondary transfer device secondarily transfers the image from the intermediate transfer device onto a recording medium at the secondary transfer nip. At least one support shaft supports the intermediate transfer device. The at least one support shaft supports, on an identical axis, one lateral end and another lateral end of the secondary transfer device in a width direction of the recording medium.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a body, an intermediate transfer assembly, a secondary transfer assembly, and a drive motor. The intermediate transfer assembly is held by the body and includes an intermediate transferor. The secondary transfer assembly is held by the intermediate transfer assembly and includes a secondary transfer assembly and a cam. The secondary transferor assembly includes a secondary transferor rotatably held by the secondary transfer assembly. The secondary transferor presses the intermediate transferor. The cam contacts the secondary transferor assembly and adjusts a contact pressure of the secondary transferor against the intermediate transferor. The drive motor is held by the body and rotates the cam.

A transfer device includes a pressed unit, a rotatable roller, and a pressing member. The pressed unit is movably supported and includes a first non-rotatable shaft portion and a second non-rotatable shaft portion. The rotatable roller is rotatably supported by the first non-rotatable shaft portion of the pressed unit. The pressing member contacts the second non-rotatable shaft portion of the pressed unit and presses the pressed unit. The second non-rotatable shaft portion has an axial center aligned with an axial center of the first non-rotatable shaft portion.

Transfer device, image forming apparatus, pressing device, and belt device

A cam driver includes a support, a cam, a motor, and a retracting torque applicator. The support supports an object. The cam moves the support. The motor rotates the cam and maintains a position of the cam. The retracting torque applicator applies torque to the cam in a direction to move the object away from a counter object that faces the object.

Cam driver, transfer device, and image forming apparatus

A belt device includes a belt assembly, a pressing force adjuster, and an optical sensor. The belt assembly includes multiple rollers and a belt stretched by the multiple rollers and is rotatable about a rotation axis of one of the multiple rollers. The pressing force adjuster rotates the belt assembly about the rotation axis and adjusts a contact pressure of the belt pressed against an object. The optical sensor is disposed opposite to the one of the multiple rollers, and a position of the optical sensor relative to the rotation axis is fixed while the belt assembly is rotated by the pressing force adjuster.

Belt device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

Provided is a thermoplastic elastomer composition capable of producing a molded article having a good appearance such as surface smoothness and excellent bondability to another member, the thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising: an ethylene-based polymer (A); and a propylene-based polymer (B), wherein a melt viscosity of the thermoplastic elastomer composition measured at a temperature of 220&#xb0; C. and a shear rate of 12 secis 2,500 Pa&#xb7;sec or less; the thermoplastic elastomer composition has a sea-island structure; and an island portion has a volume average particle diameter of 2.1 &#x3bc;m or more and a particle diameter dispersion D of 7.0 or less.

Thermoplastic elastomer composition

A deviation detection device to detect a deviation of a rotator includes a contact member disposed in contact with the rotator and configured to move, following a deviation of the rotator in a width direction of the rotator. The deviation detection device further includes a deviation detector configured to detect a direction of the deviation and a deviation amount of the rotator based on a displacement of the contact member, and a wear detector configured to detect a state in which an amount of wear of the contact member has reached a threshold.

Deviation detection device, belt device, and image forming apparatus including same

A belt deviation detection device detects lateral displacement of a rotary belt in a width direction of the belt. The belt deviation detection device includes a contact member in contact with the belt at a contact portion of the contact member, a biasing member configured to bias the contact member toward the belt to press the contact member against the belt, and a displacement detector configured to detect the displacement of the belt in the width direction of the belt. The contact member is configured to track the displacement of the belt in the width direction of the belt. The contact member is made of a metal material, and a hardening treatment is applied to at least the contact portion of the contact member.

Belt deviation detection device, belt device, image forming apparatus, and method of manufacturing contact member

A roller member includes a cored bar, an elastic layer, and a non-conductive 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 non-conductive member is made of a non-conductive material. The non-conductive member is disposed on the projecting portion. The non-conductive member bites into an end face of an axial end of the elastic layer.

Roller member and image forming apparatus including the roller member

A position measurement reference sheet for image position measurement on a recording medium includes a body having a front face to face an image reading face of a reading device, a recording medium detection window in the body to measure a position of an end of the recording medium, and an image detection window in the body to measure a position of an image on the recording medium. The position measurement reference sheet is interposed between the image reading face and the recording medium.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Takahiro Konishi