Patent ID: 7162192

Claim:
A transfer belt device, comprising: an endless transfer belt that is stretched by a plurality of rollers so as to form a transport path on which a recording medium or a developer image is transported, the transfer belt facing a black-color image bearing member and a plurality of non-black-color image bearing members, the black-color and non-black-color image bearing members being aligned along a predetermined direction; a first transfer unit, including a black color image transfer member for transferring a developer image formed on the black-color image bearing member onto the recording medium or an outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt; and a first linking member for supporting the black-color image transfer member, a second transfer unit, including a plurality of non-black-color image transfer members for transferring developer images respectively formed on the non-black-color image bearing members onto the recording medium or an outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt; and a second linking member for supporting the non-black-color-image transfer members, wherein the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit are linked by engaging the first linking member and the second linking member.