Patent ID: 8818232

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming device including an image holding member, a developer image developed with a developer being formed on the image holding member; an intermediate transfer belt that holds on an outer surface thereof the developer image formed on the image holding member of the image forming device, and that rotates so as to transport the developer image up to a second transfer section where the developer image is transferred to a recording material, the intermediate transfer belt including a belt base material in which a resin particle formed of polytetrafluoroethylene is dispersed; a cleaning device including a plate member and a rotation member disposed at an upstream side of the plate member, the cleaning device performing a cleaning operation by at least contacting the plate member and the rotation member with a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt that has passed the second transfer section; and a collecting member that is disposed so as to be contactable with a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt that is disposed upstream in a direction of rotation from and that is close to a position where the plate member of the cleaning device contacts the intermediate transfer belt, the collecting member removing and holding the resin particle existing at the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt at least when the intermediate transfer belt is not used; a contacting/separating unit that causes the collecting roller to be in a state of contact with and in a state of separation from the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, wherein, after passage of an initial stage when the intermediate transfer belt is rotated for a first time, the contacting/separating unit causes the collecting member to be in the state of separation from the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, wherein, when a cumulative amount of the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt has reached a predetermined value, the contacting/separating unit causes the collecting member to be in the state of contact with the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt.