Image forming apparatus with charge eliminating needle protection cover that maintains constant interval between the needle and a sheet

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of image forming portions each including;
• an image carrier having a photosensitive layer formed on a surface thereof;
• a charging device that charges the surface of the image carrier to a predetermined surface potential;
• an exposure device that irradiates the image carrier having been charged by the charging device with light and thereby forms an electrostatic latent image with attenuated charge;
• and
• a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image having been formed on the surface of the image carrier into a toner image;
• an intermediate transfer belt that is endless and disposed adjacent to the image forming portions, and onto an outer circumferential surface of which the toner image having been formed on the surface of the image carrier is primarily transferred;
• a primary transfer member that primarily transfers the toner image having been formed on the surface of the image carrier onto the intermediate transfer belt;
• a secondary transfer roller that, at a secondary transfer nip portion formed between the secondary transfer roller and the intermediate transfer belt, secondarily transfers, onto a recording medium, the toner image having been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt;
• a counter roller that is pressed against the secondary transfer roller via the intermediate transfer belt to thereby form the secondary transfer nip portion;
• and
• a charge eliminating device that eliminates residual charge on the recording medium having passed through the secondary transfer nip portion,
• wherein
• the charge eliminating device includes:
• a charge eliminating needle that includes multiple charge eliminating needles that are arranged at constant intervals over an entire region in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording medium, with end parts of the charge eliminating needles pointing to a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and that is grounded;
• and
• a charge eliminating needle protection cover that has a guide surface that is opposed to the recording medium having passed through the secondary transfer nip portion, and that maintains a constant interval between the recording medium and the charge eliminating needle, and
• the guide surface is formed of a conductive material having a resistance value of 106Ω or lower, and is in a floating state.