Image Forming Apparatus

An image forming apparatus, which is capable of transferring an image onto a transfer medium, comprising

• an image forming unit, which is configured to form the image to be transferred onto the transfer medium;
• a seamless belt, which is configured to move in a predetermined conveying direction to convey the transfer medium in an image transfer range;
• a pair of belt rollers, which are arranged in positions to define a most downstream portion and a most upstream end portion of a stream of the belt moving in the predetermined conveying direction and configured to support the belt in a flattened condition;
• and
• a tensile force applier, which is configured to become in contact with the belt and generate resistance against the belt moving in the predetermined conveying direction and apply tensile force to the belt in the image transfer range,
• wherein the tensile force applier includes a roller configured to become in contact with the belt to generate the resistance against the moving belt;
• and
• wherein the roller is configured to rotate in a rotation velocity, which is different from a moving velocity of the belt moving in the predetermined conveying direction.

An image forming apparatus, which is capable of transferring an image onto a transfer medium, comprising:

• an image forming unit, which is configured to form the image to be transferred onto the transfer medium;
• a seamless belt, which is configured to move in a predetermined conveying direction to convey the transfer medium in an image transfer range;
• a pair of belt rollers, which are arranged in position to define a most downstream portion and a most upstream portion of a stream of the belt moving in the predetermined conveying direction and configured to support the belt in a flattened condition;
• a tensile force applier, which is configured to become in contact with the belt and generate resistance against the belt moving in the predetermined conveying direction and apply the tensile force to the belt in the image transfer range;
• and
• a controller, which is configured to control the tensile force applier to apply the tensile force to the belt in the image transfer range during an imaging period, in which operations including an image transfer operation are executed, and control the tensile force applier to one of reduce and clear the tensile force being applied to the belt during a non-imaging period, which is other than the imaging period,
• wherein the tensile force applier includes a cleaning roller, which is configured to become in contact with a surface of the belt facing the image forming unit and to remove residue from the surface of the belt;
• and
• wherein a path to direct the transfer medium to the belt is formed in a position between the tension generator and the image transfer range.