Patent ID: 8396390

Claim:
An intermediate transfer body comprising: an endless intermediate transfer belt rotatably disposed by being supported around a plurality of supporting rollers with tension, the endless intermediate transfer belt bearing and transporting an toner image on an outer peripheral surface thereof, the endless intermediate transfer belt including: a base material, an elastic layer formed on a surface of the base material, and a plurality of projecting portions formed side by side in a width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, each projecting outwardly from a surface of the elastic layer, extending over an entire periphery of the elastic layer in parallel with a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, the plurality of projecting portions each having a minimum projection height of 2.0 μm or more, a maximum projection height of 6.0 μm or less, a minimum top face width of 2.0 μm or more, and a maximum top face width of 6.0 μm or less; and a belt cleaning section which removes a residual toner remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt after transferring the toner image to a recording medium, the belt cleaning section including: a cleaning blade formed of a plate-like elastic member, having an abutting side which is a straight end side abutting on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and removing a residual toner by abutting on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, the cleaning blade being provided so as to be parallel to the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a side length of the abutting side being longer than a width of the elastic layer in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and a housing which supports end sides other than the abutting side of the cleaning blade and contains a residual toner removed by the cleaning blade, wherein the abutting side of the cleaning blade abuts such that the elastic layer of the intermediate transfer belt distorts in a ratio of 1.0 to 10% with respect to its thickness.