Patent ID: 8577249

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a rotatable image bearing member that bears a toner image; a rotatable and endless transfer belt through which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member onto a transfer material; a transfer unit that forms a transfer nip with the image bearing member through the transfer belt, the transfer unit including a contact member that has a contact surface adapted to contact an inner surface of the transfer belt and a support member that supports the contact member, wherein the contact member comes into contact with the transfer belt during rotation of the transfer belt without rotating with respect to the support member and transfers the toner image from the image bearing member; and a control part that controls a rotation direction of the transfer belt, wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of performing a cleaning mode for cleaning a contact area in which the transfer belt contacts the contact member, wherein when a toner image is transferred, the contact member electrostatically adheres to the transfer belt, and wherein when the cleaning mode is performed, the control part first reduces a force in which the contact member electrostatically adheres to the transfer belt, and then rotates the transfer belt in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the transfer belt during image formation.