Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P.
Belt device and image forming apparatus incorporating same having a cleaning device which cleans utilizing different polarities
A belt device incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, multiple belt tension rollers disposed in contact with an inner surface of the endless belt, a rotary cleaning member to contact a belt wound area of the endless belt facing an opposing roller to form a cleaning nip between the rotary cleaning member and the endless belt and rotate the rotary cleaning member in a direction opposite the belt moving direction within the cleaning nip, and a voltage applier. The cleaning nip is formed by offsetting a center of the cleaning nip upstream from a center of the belt wound area of the endless belt in the belt moving direction and by at least contacting the rotary cleaning member in a range from the belt wound area to a tensioned belt area located upstream from the belt wound area in the belt moving direction.
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
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inventional inventional inventional inventional additional inventional
Yoshiki Kenji Osamu Naomi Hisashi
Hozumi Sugiura Naruse Sugimoto Kikuchi