An image forming apparatus includes: an attachment table to which an object is attached; a transfer unit that transfers an image onto the object; and a transport unit that transports the attachment table along a transport path that has a transport start position on one side relative to the transfer unit and has a transport end position on a same side as the transport start position relative to the transfer unit, the transport path extending beyond the transfer unit and the attachment table being transported so as to turn back at a position beyond the transfer unit.

An image forming apparatus includes a belt, image forming unit, first and second transfer rollers, feeding portion, stretching roller and urging member. Regarding (1) a contact point between (i) an outer common tangential line between the stretching and first transfer rollers and (ii) the first transfer roller and (2) an intersection point between (i) the outer common tangential line and (ii) a line perpendicular to the outer common tangential line and passing through a rotation center of the second transfer roller, the contact point is closer to the stretching roller than the intersection point is to the stretching roller and a distance between the contact and intersection points is 5% or more of a diameter of the first transfer roller. The urging member urges the belt from an inner belt surface at a position, close to a transfer portion, between the first transfer roller and the belt.

An electrophotographic device member R is used in an electrophotographic device. The electrophotographic device member R has a surface layer 1. The surface layer 1 has a matrix polymer 11 forming a skeleton of the surface layer 1 and a surface modifier 12 contained in the matrix polymer 11. The surface modifier 12 is composed of a copolymer containing, in its molecule, a first polymerization unit derived from a (meth)acrylate having a silicone group 121 and a second polymerization unit derived from a (meth)acrylate having a fluorine-containing group 122.

An electrophotographic device member R is used in an electrophotographic device. The electrophotographic device member R has a surface layer 1. The surface layer 1 has a matrix polymer 11 forming a skeleton of the surface layer 1 and a surface modifier 12 contained in the matrix polymer 11. The surface modifier 12 is composed of a copolymer containing, in its molecule, a first polymerization unit derived from a (meth)acrylate having a silicone group 121 and a second polymerization unit derived from a (meth)acrylate having a fluorine-containing group 122.

Concerned with a cylindrical conductive belt for electrophotography which has made permanent curl less occur. The conductive belt has a continuous phase containing a thermoplastic polyester resin and discontinuous phases each containing any one or both selected from a polyether-ester amide and a polyether amide, and the discontinuous phases are present in such way as to extend in the peripheral direction of the belt; the belt having a crystallinity that is lower on the outer-peripheral surface side than on the inner-peripheral surface side.

Concerned with a cylindrical conductive belt for electrophotography which has made permanent curl less occur. The conductive belt has a continuous phase containing a thermoplastic polyester resin and discontinuous phases each containing any one or both selected from a polyether-ester amide and a polyether amide, and the discontinuous phases are present in such way as to extend in the peripheral direction of the belt; the belt having a crystallinity that is lower on the outer-peripheral surface side than on the inner-peripheral surface side.

A cast device useable with an image forming apparatus is provided. The cast device includes at least one tube and a cast body. The cast body includes the at least one tube implanted into the cast body using a combined casting process.

A cast device useable with an image forming apparatus is provided. The cast device includes at least one tube and a cast body. The cast body includes the at least one tube implanted into the cast body using a combined casting process.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer to bear a visible image, a transfer device to transfer the visible image from the image bearer onto a recording medium, a separator to separate the recording medium from the image bearer, a separation bias application device to apply a separation bias to the separator; and a controller to control the separation bias. When the recording medium fed in the image forming apparatus is either a black sheet or a metallic sheet, the controller sets the separation bias smaller than a predetermined separation bias value for a reference sheet type other than the black sheet and the metallic sheet.

The present invention relates to an electroconductive member including an electroconductive support layer and a surface layer formed on a circumference thereof and having a network structure containing fibers, in which an arithmetic mean value d.sup.U10 of top 10% fiber diameters is 0.2 m or more and 15.0 m or less, rigid structural body having a height of 1.010.sup.2 to 1.010.sup.1 times as large as a thickness of the surface layer are present on the outer circumferential portion of the electroconductive support layer, and the surface layer satisfies specific conditions.