Patent ID: 8185026

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit configured to have an image carrier to form a toner image on the image carrier; a rotatable intermediate transfer belt for bearing the toner image transferred from the image carrier; a plurality of tension members for tensing the intermediate transfer belt; a primary transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier onto the intermediate transfer belt; a secondary transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording material; a sheet metal unit disposed with a preset interval between itself and a face on which the intermediate transfer belt carries the toner image, on the side more downstream than the primary transfer unit and on the side more upstream than the secondary transfer unit in a travel direction of the intermediate transfer belt; and a noncontact electric charge elimination member for eliminating an electric charge of the intermediate transfer belt which is disposed on the side more downstream than the metal unit and on the side more upstream than the secondary transfer unit in the travel direction, and is provided in noncontact with the intermediate transfer belt, opposing the side adverse to the face on which the intermediate transfer belt carries the toner image.