Image forming apparatus with controlled timing of contact of cleaning blade against intermediate transfer member

Abstract

A circulating intermediate transfer member contacts an image carrier at a primary transfer position at which a toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer member. A secondary transfer member contacts the intermediate transfer member at a secondary transfer position at which the toner image is transferred onto a recording medium. A gate roller pair nips the recording medium therebetween at a nipping position and conveys the recording medium toward the secondary transfer position. A cleaning blade retractably contacts and scrapes off toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member. A conveyance speed of the recording medium at the nipping position is faster than that at the secondary transfer position. The cleaning blade is retracted from the intermediate transfer member until a trailing end of the recording medium passes through the nipping position, when the recording medium has a stiffness greater than a prescribed level.