Patent ID: 7509073

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming mechanism configured to form an image; at least one guide member arranged in parallel; and a belt unit configured to be inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus along a lengthwise direction of the at least one guide member, the belt unit including, a belt formed in an endless belt shape and configured to transfer the image formed by the image forming mechanism, at least two rotating supports over which the belt is looped, a supporting frame configured to rotatably support the at least two rotating supports, a cover configured to cover an outer circumferential surface of the belt, at least one guided member disposed at positions in parallel on an outer surface of the cover and configured to engage with the at least one guide member and to be slidably moved along the at least one guide member when the belt unit is inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus, wherein the cover covers a portion on the outer circumferential surface of the belt which faces upwardly in a vertical direction when the belt unit is installed in the image forming apparatus; and a shield configured to shield a portion on the outer circumferential surface of the belt under the at least one guided member and which is disposed on an end portion of the outer surface of the cover.