Patent ID: 7558507

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a photosensitive belt including: an electrically conductive base layer having one surface and another surface opposite to the one surface; a photosensitive layer provided over the one surface of the electrically conductive base layer for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon; an energy feeding unit feeding an electric energy to the another surface of the electrically conductive base layer and maintaining the electrically conductive base layer at a ground voltage; an electric potential establishing unit establishing a first electric potential on the electrically conductive base layer at a first position of the photosensitive belt; an image forming unit that forms an image on the photosensitive belt; and a charging unit electrifying the photosensitive layer of the photosensitive belt, the charging unit having a power source to electrify the photosensitive layer, wherein the energy feeding unit contacts the electrically conductive base layer at a second position of the photosensitive belt, thereby establishing a second electric potential on the electrically conductive base layer at the second position, the second position being different from the first position, the second electric potential being different from the first electric potential, wherein the electric potential establishing unit contacts the electrically conductive base layer at the first position of the photosensitive belt, thereby establishing the first electric potential on the electrically conductive base layer at the first position, and wherein the electric potential establishing unit is electrically connected to the power source to establish the first electric potential on the electrically conductive base layer at the first position.