Patent ID: 8081913
Filing Date: 2011-12-20
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image carrying member that carries a toner image formed with a toner that is charged with an electric charge of a first polarity; an endless belt that performs an endless movement around a plurality of supporting members and that abuts against the image carrying member to form a transfer nip; an electric-field generating unit that generates an electric field for transferring the toner image from the image carrying member onto either one of the endless belt and a recording medium conveyed on the endless belt in the transfer nip by charging the endless belt to a second polarity that is opposite to the first polarity while abutting or approaching close to an inner surface of the endless belt; and an electrode member that is arranged close to, but not abutting, the inner surface of the endless belt in either one of a portion around an exit of the transfer nip on a downstream side of a direction of the endless movement of the endless belt and a portion on an upstream side of the direction of endless movement of the endless belt with respect to the exit of the transfer nip on the downstream side of the direction of endless movement of the endless belt and on the downstream side of the direction of endless movement of the endless belt with respect to a position at which the electric-field generating unit charges the endless belt, to which a voltage of same polarity as the first polarity is applied, wherein the voltage applied to the electrode member is set such that there is no electric discharge between the electrode and the endless belt or a charge amount moved by the electric discharge is equal to or smaller than 10% of a charge amount supplied by the electric-field generating unit.