Patent ID: 7771040

Claim:
An image forming apparatus provided with a print head for ejecting ink onto a recording medium to form an image and a transfer mechanism for transferring the recording medium to an image forming area in which the image is formed by the print head, the transfer mechanism comprising: at least two rollers arranged at a predetermined distance apart from each other, at least one of the rollers being rotationally driven; an inner belt layer including two inner belts circularly wound around the at least two rollers at a predetermined distance apart from each other such that an inner surface of each of the inner belts abuts the at least two rollers; and an outer belt layer arranged so as to abut an outer surface of each of the inner belts, for placing the recording medium thereon, the outer belt layer rotating with the inner belts, wherein the outer belt layer has an opening for allowing recovery discharge of the print head and a reinforcing portion provided along a periphery of the opening for maintaining the configuration of the opening, and wherein the outer belt layer is an open-ended belt, wherein both ends of the open-ended belt define the opening of the outer belt layer, and wherein the reinforcing portion is provided at least at one of the both ends of the open-ended belt.