CONTINUOUS FLEXIBLE BELT MOUNTING APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a photosensitive belt from being damaged by friction or static electricity when mounted on a belt support driving module. SOLUTION: A belt mounting apparatus 300 is equipped with a wall member 310 prescribing a sleeve 320 including an outer surface 330 having a total outer surface area, a first edge 334 and a second and opposite edge 336. The second edge 336 has a vertical profile having a second shape such that the second shape of the second edge 336 is a mirror image of the first shape of the belt support and drive assembly. The belt mounting apparatus then includes friction reducing members 350 formed on the outer surface 330 of the sleeve 310 for temporarily supporting and separating from the outer surface 330 a flimsy continuous belt to be mounted onto the belt support and drive assembly 200. The friction reducing members 350 each have a belt contact area such that a sum total of belt contact areas of all the friction reducing members 350 is significantly less than the total outer surface area of the sleeve 320. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI