Patent ID: 7547100

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, 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 abut 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 formed therethrough and a reinforcing portion provided along the opening for maintaining the configuration of the opening; and wherein the outer belt layer is an open-ended belt and has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein both first and second 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 first and second ends of the open-ended belt.