Patent ID: 8437670

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; an endless rotatable intermediary transfer belt onto which the toner image is to be transferred from said image bearing member; a transfer device disposed at a position in which said transfer device opposes said image bearing member through said intermediary transfer belt, said transfer device including a sheet member surface-contacted to an inner surface of said intermediary transfer belt and including an urging member for urging the sheet member toward said intermediary transfer belt; and a primary transfer voltage source for applying a voltage to the sheet member, wherein with respect a rotational direction of said intermediary transfer belt, an upstream end portion of a contact area formed between said intermediary transfer belt and the sheet member and an upstream end portion of a contact area formed between the sheet member and the urging member are within a range of a contact area formed between said intermediary transfer belt and said image bearing member, and wherein the upstream end portion of the contact area formed between said intermediary transfer belt and the sheet member is located upstream of the upstream end portion of the contact area formed between the sheet member and the urging member.