Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Takehiro Nakamura

Kenji Nozawa

Hiroki Ishihara

Teppei Kikuchi

Kohki Asada

An open and close device, a sheet conveyor, and an image forming apparatus. The open and close device includes an open and close portion to open or shut, a biasing mechanism to bias the open and close portion in an opening direction, and a holder to hold the open and close portion shut. The biasing mechanism includes a first spring whose biasing force is invariable regardless of a stroke of the first spring, and a second spring whose biasing force is variable due to a stroke of the second spring. The sheet conveyor includes the open and close device, and the open and close portion includes a conveyor to convey a sheet. The image forming apparatus includes the sheet conveyor.

Open and close device, sheet conveyor, and image forming apparatus

A device attaches and detaches at least one of rollers in a belt conveyor in which an endless belt is wound around the rollers between a front plate and a rear plate of the belt conveyor. The device includes a guide and a roller holder. The guide has a base end and extends along a longitudinal direction of the detachable roller and includes a guide groove. The roller holder holds the detachable roller and includes an engagement portion, another engagement portion, and a guided portion. The engagement portion detachably engages with the front plate. The other engagement portion detachably engages with the rear plate. The guided portion slides along the guide groove toward the rear side or the front side of the device to engage or disengage the engagement portion with or from the front plate and engage or disengage the other engagement portion with or from the rear plate.

Device for attaching and detaching roller, and belt conveyor including the device

An attachment mechanism includes a first holding member and a second holding member. The first holding member is configured to hold a device side plate of a belt device to attach a main body side plate of an apparatus in which the belt device is incorporated. The second holding member is configured to be fixed to the first holding member. The first holding member and the second folding member are configured to adjust a posture of the device side plate with respect to the main body side plate in assembly of the belt device.

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Takehiro Nakamura