Patent ID: 9568865
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: F16H,G03G

Claim:
1. A belt device comprising: an endless belt; a rotary driver contacting an outer circumferential surface of the belt to drive and rotate the belt; an opposed belt support disposed opposite the rotary driver and in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the belt; a rotary belt support disposed opposite the rotary driver via the opposed belt support and in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the belt; a belt support holder to hold the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support to retain a predetermined interval between the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support; a biasing assembly to press against the belt support holder to move the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support collectively with respect to the rotary driver and bias the opposed belt support against the rotary driver; a rotary belt support gear mounted on one lateral end of the rotary belt support in an axial direction thereof to transmit a driving force to the rotary belt support, wherein the belt support holder receives a bias generated at the one lateral end of the rotary belt support in the axial direction thereof by the driving force, the belt device further comprising: a first gear to mesh with the rotary belt support gear to transmit the driving force to the rotary belt support gear; and a second gear to mesh with the first gear to transmit the driving force to the first gear, wherein the belt support holder moves linearly with respect to the rotary driver, and wherein the first gear moves arcuately about an axis of the second gear in accordance with motion of the belt support holder, the belt device further comprising a first restrictor connected to the first gear, wherein the belt support holder includes a second restrictor contacting the first restrictor to restrict motion of the first gear that moves toward the rotary belt support gear so as to retain a constant distance between an axis of the rotary belt support gear and an axis of the first gear.