Patent ID: 8346138

Claim:
An intermediate transfer unit comprising: an endless belt-type intermediate transfer body whose outside surface passes, along a rotation direction thereof, through an opposing area where the intermediate transfer body is opposed to a first image carrier and a plurality of second image carriers which are arranged on a downstream side of the first image carrier in the rotation direction and which are arranged in a line substantially linearly; a first moving member that is disposed on a rear side of the intermediate transfer body and on an upstream side of the first image carrier in the rotation direction, the first moving member being configured to be movable between a first position and a second position which is further away from the first carrier than the first position; a second moving member that is disposed on the rear side of the intermediate transfer body and between the first image carrier and one of the second image carriers which is disposed most-upstream in the rotation direction among the second image carriers, the second moving member being configured to be movable between a third position and a fourth position which is further away from the one of the second image carriers than the third position; a third moving member that is disposed on the rear side of the intermediate transfer body and between the first image carrier and another one of the second image carriers which is disposed most-downstream in the rotation direction among the second image carriers, wherein the third moving member is configured to be movable between a fifth position and a sixth position which is further away from said another one of the second image carriers than the fifth position, and a first line connecting the second moving member located in the third position and the third moving member located in the fifth moving position is inclined with respect to a line connecting the first moving member located in the first position and the second moving member located in the third position; a first movement controller, wherein when the first image carrier is used, the first movement controller moves the first moving member to the first position, and when the first image carrier is not used, the first movement controller moves the first moving member to the second position; a third movement controller, wherein when the second image carriers are used, the third movement controller moves the third moving member to the fifth position, and when the second image carriers are not used, the third movement controller moves the third moving member to the sixth position; and a second movement controller, wherein when any of the first and second image carriers is used, the second movement controller moves the second moving member to the third position, and when the first and second image carriers are not used, the second movement controller moves the second moving member to the fourth position.