Belt device with mechanism capable of minimizing increase of rotation torque of endless belt and fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

摘要

A belt device includes a flange assembly including a tube inserted into a loop formed by an endless belt at each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof and a slip ring slidably contacting a groove mounted on the tube. An inner diameter ID 51 of the slip ring through a rotation axis of the slip ring is smaller than a minimum outer diameter OD50a of the tube through the rotation axis of the slip ring. The minimum outer diameter OD50a is smaller than a maximum outer diameter OD21 of a track of the endless belt rotating in a predetermined direction of rotation through the rotation axis of the slip ring. The maximum outer diameter OD21 is smaller than an outer diameter OD51 of the slip ring through the rotation axis of the slip ring.

主权项

1. A belt device comprising:
an endless belt formed into a loop rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation; and a flange assembly disposed at each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof to support the endless belt, the flange assembly including:
a flange having a substantially circular flange face facing a circumferential edge of the endless belt;a tube projecting from the flange face of the flange and inserted into the loop formed by the endless belt at each lateral end of the endless belt in the axial direction thereof;a groove mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the tube along a circumferential direction thereof; anda slip ring slidably contacting the groove and including:
a through-hole contacting the groove; andan inner disk face separatably contacting the circumferential edge of the endless belt, wherein ID51