Abstract: In an image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure, when a conveyance unit is closed, a second end is disconnected from a ground contact, and a third end makes an electrical connection with a contact spring. When the conveyance unit is opened, the second end makes an electrical connection with the ground contact, and the third end is disconnected from the contact spring.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding section; a transfer section that has a transfer member, applies a transfer electric-field to a transfer region between the image holding section and the transfer member, and electrostatically transfers an image held by the image holding section onto a recording medium; contact sections that act as electrodes to ground while being in contact with the recording medium; a humidification section that is provided upstream of the transfer region and humidifies the recording medium; a first control section that performs control without humidification by the humidification section; a second control section that performs control to cause the humidification section to humidify the recording medium; and a selection section that selects the first control section or the second control section depending on a type of the recording medium.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a configuration in which a voltage of a polarity opposite to a toner charging polarity is applied. In the image forming apparatus, a guide region of a pre-transfer guide is located on a photosensitive drum side with respect to a common tangent line of a photosensitive drum and a development roller to reduce contamination of the pre-transfer guide and prevent contamination of recording materials.

Abstract: In a configuration in which a voltage of polarity opposite to charging polarity of toner is applied to a conveyance guide, controlling deposition of toner on the conveyance guide has been difficult. When performing duplex image formation, a potential difference between a surface potential of a photoconductive drum charged by a charging roller and a potential of the conveyance guide is smaller during printing on the second surface than during printing on the first surface.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer roller, a stripping electrode, and a protective member. The transfer roller transfers a toner image formed on an image bearing member to a sheet in a transfer position. The stripping electrode is arranged downstream from the transfer position to which the sheet is to be carried. The stripping electrode includes a plurality of needle electrodes. The protective member is arranged on the transfer roller side with respect to the stripping electrode and overlaid on the stripping electrode. The protective member includes a cutout provided in a position facing at least one of the needle electrodes.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is provided with a droplet discharging head having a nozzle forming portion and a charging unit. The nozzle forming portion includes nozzles formed therein. The charging unit is configured to impart an electrical charge to the medium. The charging unit imparts, to the medium, an electrical charge having the same polarity as an electrically charged state of the nozzle forming portion after the droplets are discharged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit and a static eliminating unit. The transfer unit transfers a toner image formed on an image holding body to a recording medium. The static eliminating unit is disposed downstream of the transfer unit in a transport direction in which the recording medium is transported, stores electric charge while the recording medium is passing through a recording medium transfer region, and releases the electric charge when a leading edge of the recording medium enters the recording medium transfer region.

Abstract: A relationship 150?Rs (?)/Rm (?)?4000 is established in an environment of a temperature of 15° C. and a humidity of 10% in a case where a surface resistance of a transfer roller is Rs (?) when a current is fed between a pair of electrodes facing each other in an axial direction of the transfer roller and arranged on a surface of the transfer roller with an interval of 5 mm therebetween, the electrodes having a width of 20 mm in a circumferential direction of the transfer roller in a state of being arranged on the transfer roller, and in a case where a combined resistance of a first layer and a second layer is Rm (?) when the current is fed from a core portion to an outer peripheral surface of the second layer.

Abstract: A destaticizing device has a destaticizing member, a holding member, and a body portion. The destaticizing member has a plurality of destaticizing needless. The holding member holds the destaticizing member. The body portion has the holding member removably attached to it. The destaticizing member has attachment holes for attachment to the holding member. The holding member has a plurality of bosses inserted in the attachment holes respectively and an engaging portion in a snap-fit shape for attachment to the body portion. The body portion has an engaged portion with which the engaging portion is engaged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearer, a transfer member, a cleaning member, a light irradiator, and a light transmissive member. The transfer member forms a transfer position at which a visible image on a surface of the image bearer is transferred to a recording medium conveyed through a conveyance path. The cleaning member forms a cleaning position at which a substance adhering to the surface of the image bearer after transfer is cleaned. The light irradiator is disposed at a back face side of the recording medium opposite a side at which the surface of the image bearer is disposed relative to the conveyance path. The light irradiator is configured to emit light onto the surface of the image bearer. The light is targeted between the transfer position and the cleaning position. The light transmissive member is disposed between the light irradiator and the image bearer.

Abstract: In a constitution of primary-transfer-high-voltage-less in which a power source dedicated to primary-transfer, in the case where voltage applications for determining primary-transfer and secondary-transfer voltages are carried out concurrently, there is a possibility of improper primary-transfer. The possibility is decreased by controlling a power source so that a voltage drop of a Zener diode maintains a Zener breakdown voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes a first photoconductor on which a first intermediate image of a first color is formed; a second photoconductor on which a second intermediate image of a second color is formed, the second color being different from the first color; first and second light sources configured to emit light to the first and second photoconductors, respectively; a light source control unit configured to control the first light source to emit light according to a light emission control signal; a conveyance control signal generation unit configured to generate a conveyance control signal based on the light emitted from the first light source according to the light emission control signal; and a conveyance unit configured to convey the recording medium based on the conveyance control signal, upon transferring the second intermediate image onto the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer on which a toner image is formed, an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image transferred from the image bearer, a secondary transfer member, a guide assembly, and a biasing device. The secondary transfer member meets the intermediate transfer belt to form a secondary transfer nip in which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording sheet. The guide assembly disposed upstream from the secondary transfer member in a transport direction of the recording sheet guides the recording sheet at a position lower than the secondary transfer nip such that a leading end of the recording sheet contacts the secondary transfer member before entering the secondary transfer nip. The biasing device biases the secondary transfer member to move the secondary transfer member in one of a direction of bias and a vertical direction.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer member and a bias applicator. The transfer member contacts a surface, on which a toner image is borne, of an image bearing body, to form a transfer nip. The bias applicator applies a DC voltage and an AC voltage as transfer bias to transfer the toner image on the image bearing body to a recording sheet in the transfer nip. The bias applicator applies a DC voltage having a same polarity as the DC voltage of the transfer bias and an AC voltage having an amplitude smaller than the AC voltage of the transfer bias or applies the DC voltage having the same polarity as the DC voltage of the transfer bias without applying an AC voltage, when an inter-sheet area that exists on the image bearing body passes through the transfer nip during a continuous image formation period.

Abstract: In an original reading apparatus, a conveying mechanism and a reading device start a conveying operation and a reading operation to acquire a read image when a detecting device detects an existence of an original. The read image is acquired in a first direction and has a prescribed width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first direction corresponds to a conveying direction of the original. A control device determines whether or not the read image includes an overall solid region with a single color. The overall solid region has: a length in the first direction longer than or equal to a prescribed length; and a width in the second direction equal to the prescribed width. When the read image includes the overall solid region, the control device outputs a signal indicative of incorrect detection of the existence of the original due to external light.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member, a power supply, and a control device that controls the power supply to output a DC-AC superimposed bias or a DC bias to transfer a toner image on the image carrier onto a recording medium. The control device controls the power supply to alternately output a first bias being a DC component the same in polarity as the DC bias and a second bias being a DC component opposite in polarity to the DC bias to clean the transfer member when image formation is not taking place. The first bias is output with two target output values including a first value and a second value lower than the first value. The second bias is output with one target output value. An output time of the second bias is longer than an output time of the first bias.

Abstract: A transfer bias voltage supplier supplies, to a transfer member, a transfer bias voltage of a polarity opposite to the polarity of toner. The absolute value of transfer bias voltage to be supplied to the transfer member when a leading/trailing end of the sheet is passed through the nip portion is set smaller than when a toner image transfer region of the sheet is passed through the nip portion. A separation bias voltage supplier supplies, to a discharging electrode member, a separation bias voltage of a polarity opposite to the polarity of transfer bias voltage. The absolute value of separation bias voltage to be supplied to the discharging electrode member when the leading/trailing end of the sheet is passed through a discharging gap is set smaller than when the transfer region is passed through the discharging gap.

Abstract: A static eliminator includes a plurality of static eliminating needles, a holder including a retaining surface on which the plurality of static eliminating needles is held, a plurality of partitions, and a restriction member including a first end portion having a restriction surface at a static eliminating needle side to contact the static eliminating needles. A length of the plurality of static eliminating needles from the first end portion of the restriction member as an origin to a leading end of the plurality of static eliminating needles is shorter than a distance from the origin to an end surface of the plurality of partitions within the range of movement of the plurality of static eliminating needles from the retaining surface up to a position five degrees (5°) below the restriction surface in an angle between the retaining surface and an imaginary plane including the restriction surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a charging device which charges the image bearing member; a developing device which develops an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with toner; a transferring device which transfers a toner image formed on the image bearing member by the developing device onto a recording medium; a separation charge-eliminator disposed opposite to the image bearing member, for separating the medium from the image bearing member after transfer; a current detecting device which detects a separation current flowing through the charge-eliminator; and a control device which outputs a control signal regarding the charge-eliminator based on a first current value detected by the current detecting device with a charging voltage being applied to the charging device and a second current value detected by the current detecting device with a transfer voltage being applied to the transferring device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a toner image on a surface thereof, a transfer unit including a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, disposed opposite the image bearing member, a direct current (DC) power source to apply, between the image bearing member and the transfer device, a DC bias to form a first transfer electric field to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium, and a power supply module detachably attachable relative to the image forming apparatus. The power supply module includes an AC-DC superimposed bias power source to apply, between the image bearing member and the transfer device, a superimposed bias in which an alternating voltage is superimposed on a DC voltage to form a second transfer electric field to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a transfer belt facing a surface of the image carrier, forming a nip serving as a transfer position with the image carrier, and configured to transfer a toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a recording paper sheet with a transfer bias of opposite polarity to the surface of the image carrier; a fixing section configured to heat the sheet having the transferred toner image thereon to fix the toner image; and a static eliminator disposed downstream of the transfer position in a direction of conveyance of the sheet and configured to expose a back surface of the sheet opposite to the surface having the transferred toner image thereon to a DC discharge having the same polarity as the transfer bias and directed toward a position where the sheet separates from the transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer member, a controller, a discharge electrode, a detector, and a storage section. The controller, based on an amount of change between parameter value detected by the detector after transfer by the transfer member and parameter value stored in the storage section, determines voltage necessary for the discharge electrode to take the same amount of current as an increase in transfer current of the transfer member from previously determined transfer current and applies the determined voltage to the discharge electrode.

Abstract: A paper stripping member is removably supported by a supporting member disposed facing a circumferential surface of a photoreceptor drum, and strips a paper sheet off the circumferential surface. The paper stripping member includes an acute-shaped stripping nail, a holding member and a cover member. The holding member is configured removably from the supporting member, and holds the stripping nail in such a manner that the stripping nail extends toward the circumferential surface. The cover member is configured removably from the holding member, and covers at least part of the stripping nail in the extending direction of the stripping nail in a state where the cover member is attached to the holding member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a stretched rotatable belt member; a transfer member for forming a transfer portion for permitting transfer of a toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording material carried on the belt member; a separation roller, capable of separating from the belt member the recording material carried on the belt member, for stretching the belt member; push-up device capable or locally pushing up a belt surface, with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt member, located upstream of the separation roller and downstream of the transfer portion with respect to a rotational direction of the belt member to separate from the belt member the recording material carried on the belt member; a pre-separation charging device, located downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the push-up means with respect to the rotational direction of the belt member, for electrically charging the recording material by being supplied with a voltage of an ident

Abstract: An image transfer device includes an image bearing member, a pair of opposed transfer members, a media separator, and an electrical bias applicator. The image bearing member defines an image bearing surface on which a toner image is created. The pair of opposed transfer members is disposed opposite each other via the image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween through which a recording medium is passed. One of the transfer members defines a first electrode to which a first electrical bias is applied. The media separator defines a second electrode downstream from the transfer nip to which a second electrical bias is applied. The electrical bias applicator includes a power supply connectable with each of the first and second electrodes to supply the first electrical bias to the first electrode and the second electrical bias to the second electrode.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus includes a transfer roller which transfers developer on an image carrier onto a recording medium conveyed along a conveyance path, a supporting frame which is provided at an upstream of a transferring portion where the image carrier and the transfer roller are closest, in the conveyance path, and is provided at a side of the transfer roller with respect to the conveyance path, a flexible guide member which has a thin plate shape, and is attached to the supporting frame at an upstream of the transferring portion in the conveyance path to guide the record medium to the transferring portion, and a inflexible protrusion supporting member which is provided on the supporting frame between the transferring portion and the guide member in the conveyance path, and which protrudes toward the conveyance path to support a trailing edge of the record medium after passing the guide member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device to transfer a toner image formed on an image bearing member onto a recording medium, a sheet separation device to separate the recording medium from the image bearing member, a sheet separation bias application device to apply to the sheet separation device a sheet separation bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component, and a transfer bias application device to selectively apply to the transfer device one of a DC transfer bias having a DC component and a superimposed transfer bias in which an AC component is superimposed on a DC component. Upon application of the superimposed transfer bias to the transfer device, the sheet separation bias applied to the sheet separation device is changed from the sheet separation bias applied upon application of the DC transfer bias to the transfer device.

Abstract: A charge elimination needle is set at a predetermined position (first position) when a recording material is separated by utilizing the curvature of a separation stretching roller without using a separation assist roller, and at a position (second position) higher than the first position when the recording material is separated by using the separation assist roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes a carrier that carries a toner image, a transfer member electrically-grounded and located on outer surface of the carrier, a facing transfer member that faces an inner surface of the carrier, and a charge eliminator located downstream from the transfer member in a direction of recording medium movement and that eliminates electric charge from the recording medium. The facing transfer member has a transfer bias applied thereto that is an alternating voltage including a superimposed voltage of a direct current that has a same polarity as a toner image. The charge eliminator has one of a first alternating current voltage and a second alternating current voltage.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: a secondary transfer roller configured to secondarily transfer a toner image transferred to an intermediate transfer belt, to a transfer paper; separating plates; and a power supply circuit configured to apply bias voltages to the separating plates. The separating plates are configured to separate the transfer paper from the intermediate transfer belt when the bias voltages are applied to the separating plates. The separating plates include two or more separating plates installed along a direction perpendicular to the transfer paper conveying direction. The bias voltages are applied to the separating plates independently of each other depending on a toner amount distribution of the toner image transferred to the transfer paper, in the direction perpendicular to the transfer paper conveying direction.

Abstract: A transfer bias voltage supplier supplies, to a transfer member, a transfer bias voltage of a polarity opposite to the polarity of toner. The absolute value of transfer bias voltage to be supplied to the transfer member when a leading/trailing end of the sheet is passed through the nip portion is set smaller than when a toner image transfer region of the sheet is passed through the nip portion. A separation bias voltage supplier supplies, to a discharging electrode member, a separation bias voltage of a polarity opposite to the polarity of transfer bias voltage. The absolute value of separation bias voltage to be supplied to the discharging electrode member when the leading/trailing end of the sheet is passed through a discharging gap is set smaller than when the transfer region is passed through the discharging gap.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first roller and a second roller spaced apart from the first roller, a belt being endless and extending around the first roller and the second roller, a photosensitive member, a transfer member, and a conductor. The belt is configured to move in a moving direction. The belt has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface extends from the first roller to the second roller in the moving direction, and the second surface extends from the second roller to the first roller in the moving direction. The photosensitive member is disposed facing the first surface of the belt and configured to carry a developer image thereon. The transfer member is disposed facing toward the photosensitive member and configured to transfer the developer image on the photosensitive member. The conductor is electrically grounded and disposed facing the second surface of the belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a main body; an image carrying body disposed in the main body, a transfer unit and an electrical charge removal unit. The image forming apparatus forms a visible image on the image carrying body by carrying out charging, exposing and developing processes. The transfer unit transfers the visible image from the image carrying body to a printing medium. The electrical charge removal unit is configured to remove the residual electrical charge from the printing medium, and is movable, in cooperation with at least one replaceable component part of the transfer unit, between an operable position at which the electrical charge removal unit is capable of removing the electrical charge from the printing medium and a non-interfering position at which the electrical charge removal unit does not interfere with the movement of the at least one replaceable component part of the transfer unit being received into or being removed from the main body for replacement.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording material, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image to the recording material, a transport unit that includes a rotary member that transports the recording material from the transfer unit to the fixing unit and a recording material guiding portion that has first protruding portions extending along a recording material transport direction, and a charge eliminating unit that is disposed between the transfer unit and transport unit and eliminates charge on the recording material. The charge eliminating unit includes a first charge eliminating portion having pointed projections, and a second charge eliminating portion that is disposed on a downstream side of the first charge eliminating portion in the recording material transport direction and is disposed to be out of contact with the recording material.

Abstract: A discharge device for generating a corona discharge aimed at an object facing the discharge device, the discharge device comprising: a plate-like main discharge electrode configured to receive an applied direct current voltage and generate the corona discharge aimed at the object; a plate-like auxiliary discharge electrode disposed in parallel with the main discharge electrode and configured to receive an applied direct current voltage which is opposite in polarity to the applied direct current voltage received by the main discharge electrode, thereby causing the corona discharge to occur between the main discharge electrode and the auxiliary discharge electrode; and a plate-like insulating member disposed between the main discharge electrode and the auxiliary discharge electrode, wherein the insulating member is disposed in such a manner that a discharge current from the main discharge electrode flows to both the object and the auxiliary discharge electrode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image carrier, provided to a main body of the image forming apparatus, that carries a toner image; an opening and closing member provided to be openable and closable against the main body; a transfer unit movably provided against the opening and closing member, the transfer unit including: a transfer body transferring the toner image onto a transfer receiving medium; and a holding member holding the transfer body and having a contact portion that is in contact with a counterpart contact portion provided to the main body when the opening and closing member is closed; and a maintaining unit maintaining a posture of the transfer unit against the opening and closing member when the contact portion is brought into contact with the counterpart contact portion during the course of transition of the opening and closing member from an opened state to the closed state.

Abstract: At a time for resetting a transfer voltage after a predetermined time period from the performance of ATVC in both a color mode and a monochrome mode, ATVC is performed only in a currently running mode. A transfer voltage in another mode that the ATVC has not been performed at that time is set based on results of the ATVC performed in both the color and monochrome modes and a result of the ATVC performed in the other mode at that time.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding sheets of paper printed by a printer to a sheet processing device is disclosed where the printer has a sheet discharge outlet and the processing device has a sheet inlet at a different location (e.g., a different height) than the discharge outlet. A sheet conveyor is provided for conveying the sheets from the sheet discharge outlet to the sheet inlet. The apparatus blows air to cool on each sheet as it is conveyed from the discharge outlet to the sheet inlet, and the apparatus at least partially eliminates static electricity from the sheets as they are conveyed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes a carrier that carries a toner image, a transfer member electrically-grounded and located on outer surface of the carrier, a facing transfer member that faces an inner surface of the carrier, and a charge eliminator located downstream from the transfer member in a direction of recording medium movement and that eliminates electric charge from the recording medium. The facing transfer member has a transfer bias applied thereto that is an alternating voltage including a superimposed voltage of a direct current that has a same polarity as a toner image. The charge eliminator has one of a first alternating current voltage and a second alternating current voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device to transfer a toner image formed on an image bearing member onto a recording medium, a sheet separation device to separate the recording medium from the image bearing member, a sheet separation bias application device to apply to the sheet separation device a sheet separation bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component, and a transfer bias application device to selectively apply to the transfer device one of a DC transfer bias having a DC component and a superimposed transfer bias in which an AC component is superimposed on a DC component. Upon application of the superimposed transfer bias to the transfer device, the sheet separation bias applied to the sheet separation device is changed from the sheet separation bias applied upon application of the DC transfer bias to the transfer device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a main body; an image carrying body disposed in the main body, a transfer unit and an electrical charge removal unit. The image forming apparatus forms a visible image on the image carrying body by carrying out charging, exposing and developing processes. The transfer unit transfers the visible image from the image carrying body to a printing medium. The electrical charge removal unit is configured to remove residual electrical charge from the printing medium, and is movable, in cooperation with at least one replaceable component part of the transfer unit, between an operable position at which the electrical charge removal unit is capable of removing the electrical charge from the printing medium and a non-interfering position at which the electrical charge removal unit does not interfere with the movement of the at least one replaceable component part of the transfer unit being received into or being removed from the main body for replacement.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member configured to bear the toner image; a transfer element configured to transfer the toner image to the sheet; a first application element configured to apply a transfer voltage to the transfer element; a separator configured to separate the sheet from the image bearing member, the separator including a separation electrode configured to discharge an electrical current and the separation electrode including first and second separation electrodes aligned along the transfer element; and a partition configured to project between the transfer element and the separator so as to allow a current to flow from the transfer element to the first separation electrode while the partition suppresses a current flowing from the transfer element to the second separation electrode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a toner image; a transfer member forming a nip with the image bearing member to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material at the nip, wherein the image forming apparatus is operable in a marginless printing mode in which the toner image formed on the image bearing member is larger than a size of the transfer material, and the toner image is transferred as far as edges of the transfer material; and a charging member for effecting electric discharge toward the image bearing member, the charging member being disposed at such a position as is opposed to a side of the transfer material which receives the toner image in an upstream side of the nip with respect to a feeding direction of the transfer material, wherein when the apparatus operates in the marginless printing mode, the charging member effects the electric discharge toward the toner existing in an area of the image bearing member which correspond

Abstract: Methods and devices detect a first lateral measure of an edge of a belt loop supported by rollers within an apparatus using a first sensor to find an amount of misalignment of the edge of the belt loop relative to a known alignment position. The first sensor is positioned at a first location within the apparatus. The methods and devices also detect a second lateral measure of the edge of the belt loop within the apparatus relative to the known alignment position using a second sensor. The second sensor is positioned at a second location within the apparatus that is different than the first location. The methods and devices use a processor to determine the non-linear shape of the edge of the belt loop based on the second lateral measure of the edge of the belt loop detected by the second sensor. The methods and devices correct the amount of misalignment detected by the first sensor based on the non-linear shape of the edge of the belt loop to generate a corrected misalignment value, using the processor.

Abstract: A detecting unit detects output-prohibit area information indicating an output-prohibit area from image data. An identifying unit identifies the output-prohibit area in the image data based on the output-prohibit area information detected by the detecting unit. A masking unit performs a masking on the output-prohibit area identified by the identifying unit. A rearranging unit rearranges an image of an area other than the output-prohibit area over the output-prohibit area on which the masking is performed by the masking unit. An outputting unit outputs image data obtained by rearranging the image by the rearranging unit.

Abstract: A charge elimination needle is set at a predetermined position (first position) when a recording material is separated by utilizing the curvature of a separation stretching roller without using a separation assist roller, and at a position (second position) higher than the first position when the recording material is separated by using the separation assist roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording material, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image to the recording material, a transport unit that includes a rotary member that transports the recording material from the transfer unit to the fixing unit and a recording material guiding portion that has first protruding portions extending along a recording material transport direction, and a charge eliminating unit that is disposed between the transfer unit and transport unit and eliminates charge on the recording material. The charge eliminating unit includes a first charge eliminating portion having pointed projections, and a second charge eliminating portion that is disposed on a downstream side of the first charge eliminating portion in the recording material transport direction and is disposed to be out of contact with the recording material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having an image supporting member for supporting a developer image; a transfer device for transferring the developer image on the image supporting member to a front surface of a recording medium; a neutralizing device disposed on a downstream side of the transfer device in a transportation direction of the recording medium and a side of a backside surface of the recording medium for neutralizing the recording medium with the developer image thus transferred; and a blocking member disposed at a position to face the neutralizing device for blocking the image supporting member from the neutralizing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a stretched rotatable belt member; a transfer member for forming a toner image onto a recording material carried on the belt member; a separation roller, for stretching the belt member; a push-up device for pushing up a belt surface of the belt member; a pre-separation charging device, for electrically charging the recording material with a voltage of an opposite polarity to a normal charge polarity of a toner; and an execution portion for executing an operation in which the recording material charged by the voltage to the pre-separation charging means is separated from the belt member by pushing up the belt member by the push-up device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include: a plurality of image bearing members; an exposure unit; a developing unit; a transfer unit including a plurality of transfer rollers and a plurality of erasers each disposed between the transfer rollers; and a fixing unit. The eraser may be disposed in a zone Z1 satisfying the following formula: D1?Z1?D?D3; D1=4.5 mm; D3=4.5 mm; and 9.0 mm<D Here, D1 may be an allowable minimum distance between an end part of the eraser and a center of a first transfer nip between a first image bearing member and a first transfer roller; D3 may be an allowable minimum distance between the end part of the eraser and a center of a second transfer nip between a second image bearing member and a second transfer roller; and D may be a distance between the centers of the transfer nips.