Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transferor, a fixing unit, and a guide. The image carrier carries a toner image. The transferor opposes the image carrier to form a transfer nip and transfers the toner image on the image carrier onto a recording medium at the transfer nip. The fixing unit fixes the toner image on the recording medium. The guide guides the recording medium bearing the toner image from the transferor toward the fixing unit and includes a surface portion directly contacting the recording medium. The surface portion includes a material for charging the recording medium to have a polarity opposite to the polarity of a toner forming the toner image.

Abstract: A neutralization unit for use in an image forming apparatus includes a support member made of an insulating material, an electric-charge removing member made of an electric conductive material, and a rib made of an insulating material. The electric-charge removing member, fixed on the support member, removes electric charge from a back face of the recording medium after a toner image is transferred to a front face of a recording medium at a transfer nip. The electric-charge removing member includes a plurality of exposed areas along a longitudinal direction of the electric-charge removing member. The rib, provided on the support member, has a curved peripheral side and protrudes from a surface of the electric-charge removing member. The back face of the recording medium is contactable at the curved peripheral side of the rib when the recording medium is transported from the transfer nip.

Abstract: One end of a rotational shaft of a supporting rotational body attached with a rotational member is rotatably supported. The rotational member is sandwiched by a supporting frame that rotatably supports supporting rotational bodies spanned with an annular belt and fixing members fixed to the supporting frame. Thus, the one end of the rotational shaft is supported by the supporting frame and the fixing members at, at least two points. A mark detector is fixed to the fixing members, and the fixing members are fixed to the supporting frame at, at least two points. Accordingly, erroneous detection of a rotational angular speed or a rotational angular displacement of a supporting rotational body due to vibration of the supporting rotational body can be suppressed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism for forming an image, at least one guide member arranged in parallel, and a belt unit to be inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus. The belt unit includes a belt, at least two rotating supports, a supporting frame, a cover, and at least one guided member. The belt is formed in an endless belt shape and transfers the image formed by the image forming mechanism. The belt is looped over the rotating supports which are rotatably supported by the supporting frame. The cover covers an outer circumferential surface of the belt. The guided member is disposed on an outer surface of the cover, engages with the guide member, and is slidably moved along the guide member when the belt unit is inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus.