The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 03, 2015
Filed:
Jul. 05, 2012
Yuuji Meguro, Hyogo, JP;
Masanari Fujita, Osaka, JP;
Takeshi Sakashita, Hyogo, JP;
Tetsushi Sakuma, Osaka, JP;
Mitsutoshi Kichise, Osaka, JP;
Yuuji Meguro, Hyogo, JP;
Masanari Fujita, Osaka, JP;
Takeshi Sakashita, Hyogo, JP;
Tetsushi Sakuma, Osaka, JP;
Mitsutoshi Kichise, Osaka, JP;
Ricoh Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A belt device includes: a belt that passes through a plurality of image forming units, each of the image forming units including a transfer member and an image carrier as a pair, the transfer member moves in a direction to contact with the belt and in a direction so as to be separated from the belt; a cleaning unit cleans an outer periphery of the belt after the belt passes through all the image forming units; and a pressing member is disposed between the cleaning unit and the image forming unit located on the most upstream side and that presses the outer periphery of the belt, wherein when the transfer member of at least one of the image forming units moves to be separated from the belt, the transfer member of the rest of the image forming units and the pressing member support the belt.