US 12,187,568 B2
Drive unit, sheet conveyor, and image forming apparatus
Kazuhiro Shimada, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Kazuhiro Shimada, Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on Mar. 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/121,594.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-040317 (JP), filed on Mar. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0294938 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. G03G 15/00 (2006.01); B65H 3/06 (2006.01); B65H 5/02 (2006.01); B65H 5/06 (2006.01); G03G 15/01 (2006.01); G03G 15/16 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 5/025 (2013.01) [B65H 3/0669 (2013.01); G03G 15/0136 (2013.01); G03G 15/1615 (2013.01); B65H 2404/255 (2013.01); B65H 2404/262 (2013.01); B65H 2801/06 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drive unit comprising:
a drive source; and
a driving force transmitter configured to transmit a driving force of the drive source to an object to be driven;
the driving force transmitter including:
a plurality of rotators;
an endless belt stretched by the plurality of rotators;
a pressing member configured to press the endless belt to apply tension to the endless belt;
a first support shaft;
a first link member rotatable around the first support shaft and holding the pressing member;
a second support shaft;
a second link member rotatable around the second support shaft and pressing the first link member; and
a biasing member configured to bias the second link member to press the endless belt by the pressing member,
a relation of L1 to L2 satisfying
L1>L2, where
L1 denotes a distance between the second support shaft and a biasing position at which the biasing member biases the second link member, and
L2 denotes a distance between the second support shaft and a first pressing position at which the second link member presses the first link member,
a relation of L3 to L4 satisfying
L3>L4, where
L3 denotes a distance between the first support shaft and the pressing position at which the second link member presses the first link member, and
L4 denotes a distance between the first support shaft and a second pressing position at which the pressing member presses the endless belt.