Patent ID: 7330686

Claim:
A color image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer belt comprising: a plurality of image forming units disposed along the intermediate transfer belt from a first image forming unit to a last image forming unit in the direction of movement of the intermediate transfer belt, each having an image bearing member for supporting a developer image formed with a developer corresponding to each color of color-separated image information; a primary transfer means including the intermediate transfer belt to which developer images formed on the image bearing members are transferred; and a secondary transfer means for transferring the developer image transferred on the intermediate transfer belt to a printing medium, characterized in that the intermediate transfer belt is formed of a material which causes the intermediate transfer belt to attenuate the potential charged thereon by 1,000 V or greater while it moves from a position where secondary transfer is performed to a position where the initial primary transfer is performed, and wherein the distance along the intermediate transfer belt between the secondary transfer means and the first image forming unit is greater than the distance between the last image forming unit and the secondary transfer means.