Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of image carriers arranged side by side in a preselected direction;
• a plurality of developing means each for forming a toner image on a particular one of said plurality of image carriers;
• drive means for driving in the preselected direction a member to which toner images are to be sequentially transferred from said plurality of image carriers one above the other;
• and
• a plurality of image transferring means each for transferring a toner image from a particular one of said plurality of image carriers to said member;
• wherein when the toner image is being transferred from each of said plurality of image carriers to said member, said image carrier and said member move with substantially a same linear velocity ratio at an image transfer position where said image carrier and said member face each other.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier rotatable while carrying an image formed thereon;
• image forming means for forming the image on said image carrier;
• an endless belt configured to convey a recording medium to which the image is to be transferred;
• a drive member configured to move said belt in a preselected direction;
• tension applying means for applying tension to said belt;
• image transferring means for transferring, at an image transfer position where said image carrier and said belt face each other, the image from said image carrier to the recording medium being conveyed by said belt;
• and
• tension varying means for varying, when said belt conveys the recording medium, the tension to a value that prevents said belt and said drive member from slipping on each other.