BELT-CONVEYOR DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Abstract

A belt-conveyor device includes a detecting unit that detects a belt position in a width direction of the endless belt for a plurality of times within more than a cycle of the endless belt, the width direction being a direction orthogonal to direction of travel of the endless belt; an average calculating unit that calculates an average belt position from the belt positions detected by the detecting unit; a storing unit that stores therein a plural sets of correction values and belt positions; and a meander correcting unit that corrects meander of the endless belt based on a correction value that corresponds with the average belt position in the storing unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an image forming apparatus that includes a belt-conveyor device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the belt-conveyor device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 side view of a meander correcting mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a belt position detecting mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a graph for explaining an outline of a characteristic of a displacement detection sensor shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic for explaining contents of a belt-position storing table;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a controller according to the embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a process procedure performed by a belt-position detecting unit according to the embodiment; and

FIG. 9 is another flowchart according to the embodiment.

Claims

1. A belt-conveyor device that includes an endless belt and a driving unit that drives the endless belt, the belt-conveyor device comprising: a detecting unit that detects a belt position in a width direction of the endless belt for a plurality of times within more than a cycle of the endless belt, the width direction being a direction orthogonal to direction of travel of the endless belt;an average calculating unit that calculates an average belt position from the belt positions detected by the detecting unit;a storing unit that stores therein a plural sets of correction values and belt positions; anda meander correcting unit that corrects meander of the endless belt based on a correction value that corresponds with the average belt position in the storing unit.

2. The belt-conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein when power of the belt-conveyor device is turned ON, the correcting unit corrects the meander of the endless belt and then the driving unit drives the endless belt.

3. The belt-conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein when starting driving the endless belt, a belt average position is calculated based on a belt position stored in the storing device and meander correction is immediately started based on the belt average position.

4. The belt-conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein while the driving unit is driving the endless belt, the storing unit stores therein the correcting values when variation of the correction value is within prescribed time and within a prescribed amount.

5. The belt-conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the storing device stores therein the belt position when the driving unit stops driving the endless belt.

6. The belt-conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising a rotatable steering roller on which the endless belt is laid, wherein the meander correcting unit corrects meander of the endless belt by controlling an angle of inclination of the rotatable steering roller based on the belt average position.

7. The belt-conveyor device according to claim 6, wherein the correction value is the angle of inclination of the rotatable steering roller.

8. An image forming apparatus that includes a belt-conveyor device that includes an endless belt and a driving unit that drives the endless belt, the belt-conveyor device comprising: a detecting unit that detects a belt position in a width direction of the endless belt for a plurality of times within more than a cycle of the endless belt, the width direction being a direction orthogonal to direction of travel of the endless belt;an average calculating unit that calculates an average belt position from the belt positions detected by the detecting unit;a storing unit that stores therein a plural sets of correction values and belt positions; anda meander correcting unit that corrects meander of the endless belt based on a correction value that corresponds with the average belt position in the storing unit.

9. A method of correcting meander travel of an endless belt that is driven by a driving unit, the method comprising: detecting a belt position in a width direction of the endless belt for a plurality of times within more than a cycle of the endless belt, the width direction being a direction orthogonal to direction of travel of the endless belt;calculating an average belt position from the belt positions detected at the detecting; andcorrecting meander of the endless belt based on a correction value that corresponds with the average belt position that have been stored beforehand in a storing unit.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein when power of the driving unit is turned ON, the correcting includes correcting the meander of the endless belt and then the driving unit drives the endless belt.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein when starting driving the endless belt, a belt average position is calculated based on a belt position stored in the storing device and meander correction is immediately started based on the belt average position.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising storing the belt position in the storing device when the driving unit stops driving the endless belt.