Patent ID: 7530449
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A conveyance apparatus comprising: an endless conveyor belt wrapped on outer circumferential surfaces of a first roller and a second roller to be stretched between the first and second rollers; a platen disposed between the first and second rollers and having a flat supporting surface that supports the conveyor belt from the inside of the conveyor belt, wherein the flat supporting surface comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and the first end is positioned closer to the first roller than the second end; an encoder roller disposed between the first roller and the platen so as to be in contact with the conveyor belt from the inside of the conveyor belt; and a rotary encoder that follows the encoder roller to rotate for detecting the quantity of conveyance, wherein at least a portion of the conveyor belt is inclined relative to the supporting surface of the platen between the first roller and the platen so as to form an obtuse angle with the supporting surface of the platen, wherein the encoder roller and the conveyor belt contact at a contact position located between a first imaginary plane including the supporting surface of the platen, and a second imaginary plane formed by spreading through the first end of the supporting surface of the platen and a tangent of the first roller.