Patent ID: 7587165

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an electrostatic latent image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed based on image information; a developer that visualizes the electrostatic latent image to obtain a visible image; a transfer device that transfers the visible image to a recording material at a transfer nip portion while conveying the recording material; a recording material conveying roller provided in front of the transfer nip portion and rotates intermittently so that the recording material and the visible image are aligned with each other; image elongation predicting means for predicting an occurrence of an image elongation due to slipping of the recording material with respect to the electrostatic latent image bearing member at the transfer nip portion, the visible image transferred being lengthened in a direction in which the recording material is conveyed; and bending amount adjusting means for, if the image elongation predicting means predicts that the image elongation occurs, variably controlling a peripheral velocity of the recording material conveying roller after a front edge of the recording material has reached the transfer nip portion, the peripheral velocity being variably controlled so that a bending of the recording material is reduced in size, the bending being formed between the transfer nip portion and the recording material conveying roller.