Patent ID: 8774688

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrying member that is disposed rotatably and carries an image on an outer peripheral surface thereof; a transfer member that is rotatably disposed so as to face the image carrying member, the transfer member transferring the image carried on the image carrying member to a recording medium that is interposed between the transfer member and the image carrying member at a transfer position at which the transfer member faces the image carrying member; a leading-end holding member that is mounted on the transfer member and holds a leading-end portion, in a transport direction, of the recording medium on an outer peripheral surface of the transfer member, the recording medium being fed to a sheet feeding position that is further upstream than the transfer position in a rotation direction of the transfer member; and a trailing-end holding member that is disposed so as to be capable of rotating along the outer peripheral surface of the transfer member, the trailing-end holding member pressing the recording medium having the leading end portion in the transport direction held by the leading-end holding member against the outer peripheral surface of the transfer member while waiting at a waiting position that is further upstream than the transfer position and further downstream than the sheet feeding position in the rotation direction of the transfer member, the trailing-end holding member holding a trailing end portion, in the transport direction, of the recording medium onto the outer peripheral surface of the transfer member while rotating so as to follow rotation of the transfer member when the trailing end portion, in the transport direction, of the recording medium arrives at the waiting position, wherein the trailing-end holding member includes a strip-like member that faces the outer peripheral surface of the transfer member and that extends in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the transfer member, and wherein the strip-like member is obliquely disposed such that a portion of the strip-like member that is on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the transfer member is closer to the transfer member than a portion of the strip-like member that is on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the transfer member.