IP Library Granted Patent US 11,846,903
Granted Patent B2
US 11,846,903 · App. 17/742,912 · Granted Dec 19, 2023

Belt device, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

Inventors: Daisuke Inoue (Tokyo, JP); Yuusuke Furuichi (Kanagawa, JP); Hiroyuki Shimada (Tokyo, JP); Yukimichi Someya (Saitama, JP); Satoshi Tohkai (Kanagawa, JP); Yumiko Hayashi (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
G03G15/2053
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,846,903
App. No.
17/742,912
Granted
Dec 19, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A belt device includes a secured member, a belt, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The belt has an endless shape and slides on a slide surface of the secured member. The belt has an inner portion having an elastic power of 55% or more and a sliding surface sliding on the slide surface of the secured member. The sliding surface has a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the slide surface of the secured member. The pressure rotator presses the secured member via the belt to form a nip between the belt and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is interposed between the sliding surface of the belt and the slide surface of the secured member.

Claims (38)

1. A belt device comprising:

a secured member;

a belt having an endless shape and configured to slide on a slide surface of the secured member, the belt including an elastic layer and a base layer, the base layer having an elastic power of 55% or more, the base layer having a sliding surface configured to slide on the slide surface of the secured member, the sliding surface having a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the slide surface of the secured member;

a pressure rotator configured to press the secured member via the belt to form a nip between the belt and the pressure rotator; and

lubricant interposed between the sliding surface of the belt and the slide surface of the secured member.

2. The belt device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the base layer has an elastic power of 62% or more.

3. The belt device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the slide surface of the secured member has a surface roughness of 0.2 μm or more.

4. The belt device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the slide surface of the secured member has a line roughness of 0.2 μm or more in a sliding direction.

5. The belt device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the sliding surface of the belt has a surface roughness of 0.05 μm or less.

6. The belt device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the sliding surface of the belt has a line roughness of 0.05 μm or less in a sliding direction.

7. The belt device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the slide surface of the secured member has a valley void volume of 0.01 ml/m 2 or more.

8. The belt device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the slide surface of the secured member has a skewness equal to or smaller than zero.

9. The belt device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the slide surface of the secured member has a kurtosis smaller than three.

10. A fixing device comprising:

the belt device according to claim 1 ; and

a heater configured to heat at least one of the belt in the belt device or the pressure rotator.

11. The fixing device according to claim 10 ,

wherein the heater is the secured member on which an inner circumferential surface of the belt slides.

12. The fixing device according to claim 11 ,

wherein the heater includes a plurality of heat generators arranged in a longitudinal direction of the heater, and

wherein the plurality of heat generators is configured to independently generate heat.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device according to claim 10 .

14. The fixing device of claim 10 , further comprising:

a pressing roller; and

a pressure roller configured to nip the belt between the pressing roller and the heater.

15. The fixing device of claim 10 , further comprising:

a stay configured to support the heater; and

an auxiliary stay configured to support the stay.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising the belt device according to claim 1 .

17. The belt device according to claim 1 , wherein the belt comprises polyimide.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2022
From: INOUE, DAISUKE; FURUICHI, YUUSUKE; SHIMADA, HIROYUKI; SOMEYA, YUKIMICHI; TOHKAI, SATOSHI; HAYASHI, YUMIKO
To: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 059928/0623 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-092323 · Jun 1, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220382192A1 · Dec 1, 2022