An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image and a guiding member that guides a sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit. At least one of irregularities and holes are formed on or in a surface of the guiding member that guides the sheet.

Disclosed is a sheet conveyance guide unit. The sheet conveyance guide unit includes a first sheet guide member which is of a sheet-like shape and which guides a sheet on which an image is formed and a second sheet guide member which is of a sheet-like shape and which is attached on a sheet guide surface of the first sheet guide member. A length of the second sheet guide member in a direction which crosses a sheet conveying direction is smaller than that of the first sheet guide member.

A flexible and continuous substrates-conveying sheet has a plurality of to be processed substrates disposed on or in it. A nondestructive transferring unit includes a plurality of first transferring rolls and a plurality of second transferring rolls. The first transferring rolls make contact with a first surface of the substrates-conveying sheet where that surface can have electrostatically-induced charge formed thereon. Each of the first transferring rolls includes a first central portion charged with a positive electric charge and a first outer portion surrounding the first central portion. The second transferring rolls make contact with the first surface of the substrates-conveying sheet. The second transferring rolls are disposed alternately with the first transferring rolls. Each of the second transferring rolls includes a second central portion charged with a negative electric charge and a second outer portion surrounding the second central portion.

The present disclosure describes a looped pile static reduction blanket or cloth, an apparatus including the looped pile static reduction blanket, and a technique to neutralize static and static patterns from a polymeric film surface during processing, to enable higher speeds and fewer defects during web transport and subsequent processing of wound film rolls, an apparatus including the looped pile static reduction cloth, and a technique to neutralize static from a polymeric shaped part during processing, to enable fewer defects. The looped pile static reduction blanket includes a static reduction engagement fabric that is resilient and can facilitate discharge of static from a web to ground before, during, and after contact with a charged web.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion and a sheet feed unit. The sheet feed unit has a pickup roller, a feed roller, and a retard roller. The pickup roller makes contact with a recording medium stored in a sheet feed cassette and feeds out the recording medium. The feed roller conveys the recording medium fed out by the pickup roller. The retard roller is kept in pressed contact with the feed roller to form a nip portion and conveys the recording medium while separating one sheet of it from the rest. The feed roller is covered at least partly from above by a first charge elimination member. The first charge elimination member is grounded.