Patent ID: 7415232

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image bearing members for carrying toner; a rotatable endless belt for transferring the toner from said image bearing members onto a transfer material; a plurality of transfer members for supplying an electric charge to a plurality of transfer areas of said belt for transferring the toner from respective ones of said image bearing members onto the transfer material; a drive roller, contacted to said belt at a first contact area, for rotating said belt; a driven roller, contacted to said belt at a second contact area, for supporting said belt, wherein said plurality of transfer areas are disposed between the first contact area and the second contact area which are adjacent to each other, and said plurality of transfer areas include a first transfer area which is a most downstream one of said transfer areas and which is closest to said first contact area; and an abutting member for abutting said belt being disposed at an abutting position which is downstream of said first transfer area and which is between said first transfer area and said first contact area with respect to a peripheral moving direction of said belt to bulge said belt in a direction from an inside surface of said belt toward an outside surface thereof at only a widthwise central portion of said abutting position.