Minolta Company, Ltd.

Masayasu Kato

Kenji Okamoto

Masato Togami

Hideyuki Kurahashi

An image-forming apparatus, and a method thereof, that transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor to an intermediate transfer belt in a first transfer area during a first transfer. When the first transfers of prescribed toner images to the intermediate transfer belt are completed, the intermediate transfer belt transfers the toner images obtained in the first transfers from the intermediate transfer belt to a recording medium in a second transfer area during a second transfer. Moreover, the area of the intermediate transfer belt that is susceptible to creep buckling (the `creep buckling risk area`) is prevented from passing through the first transfer area during the first transfer, thereby improving the image formation.

Apparatus and method for preventing image transfer to an area of an

A transfer belt device having a roller unit. The roller unit includes a drive roller, a transfer roller, and a continuous transfer belt that is suspended around the roller unit. The drive roller rotates at a peripheral speed and drives the transfer belt such that a toner image may be transferred to it from an image carrier. The image carrier moves at a speed by means of the transfer roller. The drive roller is composed of a hard core roller that is coated with an outer layer of elastic rubber having a thickness t.ltoreq.1 mm, and is located downstream from the transfer roller in terms of the direction of movement of the transfer belt.

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Toyokawa, Japan

Masayasu Kato