An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary transfer roller, a first belt support roller, a secondary transfer roller, a second belt support roller, a current output portion, a current sensing portion, and a control portion. The current output portion passes across the secondary transfer roller a secondary transfer current as part of an output current. The current output portion and the second belt support roller are electrically connected together. The current sensing portion senses a leakage current passing from the first belt support roller via the intermediate transfer belt to the second belt support roller. The control portion sets the output current such that the secondary transfer current has a value given by subtracting a leakage current from the output current and keeps the voltage on the second belt support roller between 50 V and 50 V, inclusive.

A cleaning device for a rotational body is provided. The cleaning device includes a scraping portion whose edge is pressed against a rotational body to which toner adheres. The scraping portion scrapes the toner off the rotational body. The cleaning device also includes a guide portion that guides a recording medium toward the rotational body, and a guide support portion that supports the guide portion. The guide support portion is disposed at a position separated from the scraping portion in a state in which the guide support portion is pressed by the guide portion that is guiding the recording medium.

A cleaning device for a rotational body is provided. The cleaning device includes a scraping portion whose edge is pressed against a rotational body to which toner adheres. The scaping portion scrapes the toner off the rotational body. The cleaning device also includes a guide portion that guides a recording medium toward the rotational body, and a guide support portion that supports the guide portion. The guide support portion is disposed at a position separated from the scraping portion in a state in which the guide support portion is pressed by the guide portion that is guiding the recording medium.

An image forming apparatus can inhibit an occurrence of downtime or shorten the downtime even in a case in which a mode for performing image formation and a position of, for example, a primary transfer member does not match. The image forming apparatus includes photosensitive drums each configured to bear a toner image, primary transfer members, an intermediate transfer belt, an abutment/separation mechanism configured to move the primary transfer members, and a controller. The controller brings the primary transfer members into contact with the photosensitive drums in a full-color mode, separates the primary transfer members from the photosensitive drums in a monochrome mode, and sets the position of the primary transfer members to a predetermined position between that in the full-color mode and the monochrome mode in a standby mode.

A roll includes an electrically-conductive shaft; an elastic layer provided on the shaft; and a non-electrically-conductive annular unit that is attached to at least one of ends of the shaft that protrude from end surfaces of the elastic layer in a shaft direction while being in contact with the end surface of the elastic layer. A protruding part that protrudes so as to cut into the end surface of the elastic layer is provided on a part of the annular unit that makes contact with the end surface of the elastic layer, and the protruding part has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the part of the annular unit that makes contact with the end surface of the elastic layer.

A rubber composition capable of forming a foam such as a roller main body which has a low rubber hardness and is soft in a state in which an average cell diameter thereof is small is provided. The rubber composition includes NBR whose Mooney viscosity is 15 to 50 having a proportion being 10 parts by mass or more in 100 parts by mass of the total amount of rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber whose Mooney viscosity is 5 to 35 having a proportion being 10 parts by mass or more in 100 parts by mass of the total amount of rubber, and 10 parts by mass or less of carbon black and 7 parts by mass or less of a foaming agent with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of rubber, and has a Mooney viscosity of 35 or less.

A printing apparatus is described comprising a photoconductor for receiving an electrostatic charge pattern corresponding to an image, and one or more developers for applying a colorant to the photoconductor representative of the image. The apparatus further comprises a transfer member for transferring the image from the photoconductor onto a substrate, wherein the transfer member has a substantially grounded potential.

An image forming device of an intermediate transfer method of transferring a toner image formed on an image carrier to a sheet of paper through an intermediate transfer body, the image forming device including a transfer roller which is disposed facing the image carrier across the intermediate transfer body, and which forms a nip part with the image carrier; a movement mechanism which moves the transfer roller in a direction along a movement direction of the intermediate transfer body; a pressure varying mechanism which changes a pressing force of the transfer roller on the intermediate transfer body; and a hardware processor which controls the movement mechanism and the pressure varying mechanism, and which sets a contact position and the pressing force of the transfer roller on the intermediate transfer body based on paper information of the sheet of paper as an image formation target.

An image forming apparatus member includes a surface layer containing a Si-atom containing polymer as a major component. The dispersive component of the surface free energy of the surface layer is 25 mN/m or less, the dipole component of the surface free energy of the surface layer is 5 mN/m or less, and the hydrogen bonding component of the surface free energy of the surface layer is 5 mN/m or less.

A transfer member for a printing device includes a shaft, a rigid cylindrical core member, mounted on the shaft, an outer layer supported on the rigid cylindrical core member, and optionally a conformable intermediate layer, spacing the cylindrical core member from the outer layer. The outer layer defines an outer surface of the transfer member, and is configured for receiving a toner image thereon. The cylindrical core and outer layer have a same axis of rotation as the shaft. The rigid cylindrical core and/or the conformable intermediate layer, where present may be electrically biased, relative to a photoconductor drum of the printing device.