Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7379683?dq=5,581,513
Timestamp: 2015-07-05 18:31:08
Document Index: 347575103

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 20', 'art 20', 'arts 63', 'art 63', 'art 20', 'arts 251', 'art 251', 'arts 251', 'art 304', 'art 305', 'arts 304', 'arts 304']

Patent US7379683 - Mark detector, drive controller, belt drive unit, and image forming apparatus - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA mark detector optically detecting a scale having multiple marks formed successively at predetermined intervals along the moving direction of an endless belt member, and outputting an electrical signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the marks when the endless belt member moves is disclosed....http://www.google.com/patents/US7379683?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7379683 - Mark detector, drive controller, belt drive unit, and image forming apparatusAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7379683 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/269,812Publication dateMay 27, 2008Filing dateNov 9, 2005Priority dateNov 15, 2004Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE602005026489D1, EP1657598A1, EP1657598B1, US20060116228Publication number11269812, 269812, US 7379683 B2, US 7379683B2, US-B2-7379683, US7379683 B2, US7379683B2InventorsTakuro Kamiya, Koichi Kudo, Katsuya KawagoeOriginal AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (13), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (6), Classifications (10), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMark detector, drive controller, belt drive unit, and image forming apparatus
US 7379683 B2Abstract
A mark detector optically detecting a scale having multiple marks formed successively at predetermined intervals along the moving direction of an endless belt member, and outputting an electrical signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the marks when the endless belt member moves is disclosed. The mark detector includes a light illumination part configured to illuminate the light illumination surface of the endless belt member on which surface the scale is formed with parallel light rays; a light receiving part configured to receive reflected light from the light illumination surface; and a variation prevention part configured to prevent a variation of the light illumination surface. The variation prevention part includes a holding member configured to hold the endless belt member in the vicinity of the light illumination surface movably in the moving direction from the exterior surface side and the interior surface side of the endless belt member.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a mark detector, a drive controller, a belt drive unit, and an image forming apparatus in which the above-described disadvantage is eliminated.
The printer part 20 includes multiple drum-like photosensitive bodies (hereinafter referred to as “photosensitive drums”) 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K (hereinafter also referred to collectively as “photosensitive drums 26”). The surface of each photosensitive drum 26 is precharged and exposed to light so that an electrostatic latent image is formed thereon. Each photosensitive drum 26 serves as a first image carrier. The printer part 20 also includes multiple development parts 63 corresponding to the photosensitive drums 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K. Each development part 63 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the corresponding photosensitive drum 26 into a visible image with a corresponding color toner, thereby forming a single-color toner image (hereinafter referred to as “single-color image”). The printer part 20 further includes an intermediate transfer body (hereinafter referred to as “intermediate transfer belt”) 25. The single-color images formed on the photosensitive drums 26 are successively transferred primarily onto the intermediate transfer belt 25 so that the single-color images of four colors are superposed one over another so as to form a composite color image on the intermediate transfer belt 25. Thus, the intermediate transfer belt 25 serves as a second image carrier. The intermediate transfer belt 25 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 1.
In the mark sensor 110, a beam (light beam) emitted from the light emitting element (light source) 111 is converted into collimated light (parallel light rays) by the collimator lens 112, and is divided into multiple (three in this case) beams LB through the slit mask (a sensor slit member) 113 including multiple slits parallel to the scale 250. Each beam LB has the same width (a dimension in the moving direction A of the reflection parts 251 ) as each reflection part 251. The multiple beams LB are incident on part of the exterior surface of the intermediate transfer belt 25 on which part the scale 250 is formed. This part may be referred to as the “light illumination surface (surface to be illuminated with light)” of the intermediate transfer belt 25. Each incident beam LB is reflected from the light illumination surface if it is incident on one of the reflection parts 251. The light emitting element 111, together with the collimator lens 112, performs the function of a light illumination part illuminating the light illumination surface with light.
The mark sensor 110 includes a variation prevention part configured to prevent variations of the light illumination surface of the intermediate transfer belt 25 on which surface the scale (main scale) 250 is formed (hereinafter also referred to simply as “light illumination surface”).
The light emitting element 111 and the collimator lens 112 forming the light illumination part and the light receiving element 115 forming the light receiving part are contained in a housing 302 of the mark sensor 110 (hereinafter referred to as “sensor housing 302”). The sensor housing 302 has a sensor window 303 formed thereon. A first opening part 304 for illuminating the light illumination surface through the collimator lens 112 with a beam emitted from the light emitting element 111 and a second opening part 305 for the light receiving element 115 receiving reflected light from the light illumination surface are formed in the sensor window 303 by processing. The lower holding member 300 a is provided, without closing the first and second opening parts 304 and 305, on the surface of the sensor housing 302 on which surface the first and second opening parts 304 and 305 are formed in the housing.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5523823 *Mar 28, 1994Jun 4, 1996Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Method and apparatus for correcting a color registration errorUS6160978Feb 4, 1999Dec 12, 2000Fuji Xerox Co., LtdImage forming apparatus having an endless belt provided with ribs and indiciaUS6301023Feb 3, 1999Oct 9, 2001Sharp Kabushiki KaishaImage forming apparatusUS6456310Dec 11, 2000Sep 24, 2002Xerox CorporationBi-cell chevrons detection color registration system for color printingUS6947693 *Jun 9, 2003Sep 20, 2005Ricoh Company, Ltd.Image forming apparatus including rotary member speed detection mechanismUS7245863 *Dec 22, 2003Jul 17, 2007Ricoh Company, Ltd.Method and apparatus of image forming capable of suitably controlling transfer characteristicUS20040160646Dec 2, 2003Aug 19, 2004Koichi KudoOptical encoder, motor driver and image forming apparatusJP3107259B2 Title not availableJPH1124507A Title not availableJPH05119571A Title not availableJPH06263281A Title not availableJPH09114348A Title not availableJPH09175687A Title not available* Cited by examinerNon-Patent CitationsReference1European Search Report.2U.S. Appl. No. 11/740,570, filed Apr. 26, 2007, Kawagoe.Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS8027516 *Oct 17, 2006Sep 27, 2011Ricoh Company, Ltd.Image forming apparatus including position detectorUS8150302 *Apr 29, 2008Apr 3, 2012Ricoh Company, LimitedImage forming apparatus and image forming method that detects an amount of color misalignment using reflected lightUS8406665Oct 20, 2010Mar 26, 2013Ricoh Company, LimitedBelt driving device and image forming apparatus using the sameUS8412081Nov 4, 2010Apr 2, 2013Ricoh Company, Ltd.Belt meandering preventing device and image forming apparatus including the sameUS20110051997 *Aug 26, 2010Mar 3, 2011Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaApparatus for determining state of stacked sheets, sheet handling apparatus and method for determining state of stacked sheetsUS20130221205 *Aug 29, 2012Aug 29, 2013Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Light amount detector and image forming apparatus* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification399/49, 399/74, 399/301International ClassificationG03G15/01, G03G15/00Cooperative ClassificationG03G15/5008, G03G2215/0016, G03G15/0194European ClassificationG03G15/50C, G03G15/01S2Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionFeb 6, 2006ASAssignmentOwner name: RICOH COMPANY, LTD., JAPANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KAMIYA, TAKURO;KUDO, KOICHI;KAWAGOE, KATSUYA;REEL/FRAME:017538/0028;SIGNING DATES FROM 20051228 TO 20060111Sep 22, 2011FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services