Patent ID: 7904013

Claim:
An image-forming apparatus comprising: an intermediate transfer member that has a hard releasing layer formed on a surface thereof, supports a toner image primary-transferred on the hard releasing layer from a latent-image supporting member, and secondary-transfers the supported toner image onto an image-receiving medium, and a cleaning blade that is arranged in contact with the intermediate transfer member, and removes residual toner from the hard releasing layer of the intermediate transfer member, wherein the cleaning blade has an impact resilience in the range from 20 to 50% at 20° C.; wherein a dynamic torque Ta upon driving the intermediate transfer member measured at a time when the cleaning blade is arranged in contact with the intermediate transfer member and a dynamic torque Tb upon driving the intermediate transfer member measured at a time when the cleaning blade is placed apart from the intermediate transfer member satisfy the following relationship: 0.07(Nm)≦Ta−Tb≦0.2(Nm); and wherein the hard releasing layer is an inorganic oxide layer containing silicon oxide.