IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING UNIT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which is easily made compact and where irregularities in an image at a primary transfer part are prevented due to vibrations generated at a secondary transfer part, and to provide an image forming apparatus equipped with the image forming apparatus. SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is equipped with an image carrier, an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer member, a backup member and a support member. The intermediate transfer belt has flexibility in a longitudinal direction, and the support member is positioned between the image carrier and the secondary transfer member and disposed so that an angle formed by parts on a farther upstream side and a farther downstream side than the support member on the intermediate transfer belt becomes an acute angle and an angle formed by the part at farther downstream side than the support member on the intermediate transfer belt with the advancing path of a recording medium to the secondary transfer member becomes ≤45°. The image forming unit is also provided. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI