JP2009092806A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve reduction of cost by exchanging only an intermediate transfer belt, and to achieve rapid exchange thereof. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus has: an image forming apparatus body; an intermediate transfer unit 1 having the intermediate transfer belt 2 and supported to slide over between a set position A where it is attached to the image forming apparatus body and a belt exchange position B where it is pulled out from the image forming apparatus body; and a tensioning and tension-relieving mechanism provided in the intermediate transfer unit 1 and tensioning the intermediate transfer belt 2 and relieving the tension. In a state where the intermediate transfer unit 1 is arranged at the belt exchange position B and the tension of the intermediate transfer belt 2 is relieved, the intermediate transfer belt 2 is made to get in and out in a belt width direction, thereby changing the intermediate transfer belt 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which an intermediate transfer belt can be replaced without removing an intermediate transfer unit having an intermediate transfer belt from an image forming apparatus main body.

  The intermediate transfer belt of the image forming apparatus needs to be periodically replaced because there is a possibility that print troubles may occur due to dimensional changes or damage due to aging or increase in the number of prints.

As an exchange technique for the intermediate transfer belt, a technique for exchanging each belt cartridge including the intermediate transfer belt, a support member for the belt, and a frame for supporting the intermediate transfer belt and the support member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Alternatively, a technique of replacing each process cartridge in which the belt cartridge and the developing unit are integrated (see, for example, Patent Document 2) is known.
JP-A-8-123294 JP-A-3-255464

  By the way, in the case of the above-described two methods, the rollers having a longer service life than the intermediate transfer belt and the driving mechanism thereof are also replaced at the same time, which increases the cost. In addition, as the printing speed of the image forming device increases, the peripheral part of the image forming unit (photoreceptor, developing unit, etc.) increases in size, thereby increasing the peripheral length of the intermediate transfer belt and supporting the intermediate transfer belt. As the number of rollers to be increased is increased and the machine configuration becomes complicated and heavy, there is an inconvenience that it is difficult to quickly replace the two methods.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves such a problem of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce the cost by replacing only the intermediate transfer belt and can be replaced quickly. And

  An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention includes an image forming apparatus main body and an intermediate transfer belt, and a set position attached to the image forming apparatus main body and a belt replacement position pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body. An intermediate transfer unit that is slidably supported on the intermediate transfer unit, and a relaxation mechanism that is provided in the intermediate transfer unit and that relaxes the tension of the intermediate transfer belt, and the intermediate transfer unit is disposed at the belt replacement position. In addition, the intermediate transfer belt can be replaced by inserting and removing the intermediate transfer belt in the belt width direction in a state where the tension of the intermediate transfer belt is relaxed by the slackening mechanism.

  An image forming apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the intermediate transfer unit includes a plurality of rollers for driving the intermediate transfer belt to rotate. The main body has a slide mechanism that slides the intermediate transfer unit between the set position and the belt replacement position in the axial direction of the roller.

  An image forming apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the slide mechanism is provided inside a circumferential movement area of the intermediate transfer belt, and the relaxation mechanism is A tension roller for relaxing the tension of the intermediate transfer belt is provided, and the tension roller is provided inside the circumferential movement area.

  In the case of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the intermediate transfer unit is slid from the set position of the image forming apparatus main body to the belt replacement position, and the tension of the intermediate transfer belt is relaxed by the loosening mechanism. The intermediate transfer belt is exchanged by moving the transfer belt in and out of the belt width direction. Therefore, since only the intermediate transfer belt can be replaced without lowering the intermediate transfer unit from the image forming apparatus main body, the cost can be reduced and the replacement can be performed quickly.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, only the intermediate transfer belt can be removed and attached without being obstructed by the roller, and it is not necessary to replace a roller having a long service life or other mechanical parts.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the intermediate transfer belt can be replaced by sliding the intermediate transfer unit from the set position to the belt replacement position, such as replacement for each belt cartridge or replacement for each process cartridge. It is possible to prevent problems associated with reassembly, reduce maintenance time, facilitate customer maintenance, and effectively use parts that have not reached the end of their service life.

  The present invention will be specifically described below.

  First, based on FIGS. 1 and 2, an outline of the structure and operation of the printer 20 (corresponding to an image forming apparatus) according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a front model cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a printer 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming unit 71 provided in the printer 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 20 of this embodiment is a so-called tandem type, and forms a full-color image on a sheet using an intermediate transfer belt 2 (corresponding to an endless belt). Therefore, the main configuration includes the sheet supply unit 22, the sheet conveyance unit 23, the secondary transfer unit 24, the fixing unit 25, the discharge unit 26, the image forming unit 27, and the intermediate transfer unit 1 which is a main part of the present invention. In the following description, it is assumed that the toner in the printer 20 is positively charged.

  The sheet supply unit 22 is disposed in the lower part of the image forming apparatus main body 11 so that it can be pulled out, and accommodates sheets of various sizes such as printer paper, label sheets, and OHP sheets. When the fact that image formation is to be performed is input to the printer 20, the sheet supply unit 22 sends out the sheets one by one to the sheet conveyance unit 23.

  The sheet conveyance unit 23 conveys the sheet vertically upward along the left inner surface of the printer 20 from the sheet supply unit 22 to the discharge unit 26. The sheet conveying unit 23 is provided with a guide plate 31 for guiding the sheet conveying direction, and a conveying roller pair 32 that is connected to a driving mechanism (not shown) including a motor, a gear, and the like and is rotationally driven. In addition, a registration roller pair 33 that allows the sheet to enter the secondary transfer unit 24 in a synchronized manner is provided below the secondary transfer roller 40.

  The secondary transfer unit 24 transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 2 onto which the toner image formed by the image forming unit 27 is superimposed and transferred (primary transfer) to a sheet. The secondary transfer unit 24 is mainly disposed so as to face the secondary transfer roller 40 and the secondary transfer roller 40, stretches the intermediate transfer belt 2, and is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a motor and a gear. The drive roller 2a that is rotationally driven is described in detail later.

  The fixing unit 25 is disposed above the secondary transfer unit 24 and fixes the second-transferred toner image on the sheet. The fixing unit 25 includes a heating roller 51 that is in contact with the toner image on the sheet, and a pressure roller 52 that is disposed in pressure contact with the heating roller 51. The sheet after the next transfer is entered to fix the toner image on the sheet. The discharge unit 26 is a part that discharges the sheet after fixing to the discharge tray 61, and is disposed on the upper portion of the printer 20.

  The image forming unit 27 is provided above the sheet supply unit 22 and below the intermediate transfer belt 2. The image forming unit 27 includes an image forming unit 71C for cyan, an image forming unit 71M for magenta, an image forming unit 71Y for yellow, and an image forming unit 71B for black. Specifically, the image forming units 71 </ b> C, 71 </ b> M, 71 </ b> Y, 71 </ b> B are close to the intermediate transfer belt 2 between the belt cleaning device 138 on the upstream side in the circumferential direction of the intermediate transfer belt 2 and the secondary transfer unit 24 on the downstream side. Are arranged in parallel. The order of arrangement of the image forming units 71C, 71M, 71Y, 71B is not limited to this, but this arrangement is preferable in consideration of the influence on the completed image such as color mixing of each color. The configuration of each of the image forming units 71C to 71B will be described later.

  The intermediate transfer unit 1 includes a driving roller 2 a that rotates the intermediate transfer belt 2, a driven roller 2 b, four primary transfer rollers 2 c that are provided inside the circular movement area of the intermediate transfer belt 2, and a belt cleaning device 138. Etc., and is unitized. The number of each roller is not limited to this.

  The intermediate transfer belt 2 as an intermediate transfer member is formed of, for example, a dielectric resin and is stretched around a plurality of rollers so as to be able to go around. Further, as the intermediate transfer belt 2, a belt in which both ends are overlapped and joined to form an endless shape or a seamless belt (seamless) is used (= endless belt). Hereinafter, the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt 2 is referred to as “front surface”, and the other surface is referred to as “back surface”.

  The driving roller 2a is a roller disposed opposite to the secondary transfer roller 40, and is a roller disposed on the leftmost side in FIG. The drive roller 2a is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) including a motor, a gear, and the like, and the drive roller 2a is rotationally driven. By this drive roller 2a, the intermediate transfer belt 2 is driven to rotate clockwise in FIG. The drive roller 2a also constitutes a part of the secondary transfer unit 24.

  Referring also to FIG. 2, the primary transfer roller 2 c is disposed so as to contact the back surface of the portion of the intermediate transfer belt 2 that is in contact with the photosensitive drum 72. Specifically, the primary transfer roller 2c is movable in the vertical direction in FIG. 1, and the photosensitive drum 72 of the image forming units 71C to 71B (see FIG. 2) via the intermediate transfer belt 2 as necessary. ) To form a primary transfer portion. The primary transfer roller 2c is applied with a voltage (current) having a polarity (negative in the present embodiment) opposite to the toner charging polarity by a power source (not shown). That is, the primary transfer roller 2c (primary transfer portion) applies a bias having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner to the intermediate transfer belt 2 at a position in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 2. By this bias application, toner is attracted to the intermediate transfer belt 2 from the photosensitive drum 72 located on the surface side of the intermediate transfer belt 2, and the toner images formed by the image forming units 71 </ b> C to 71 </ b> B are 1 on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 2. Next transferred.

  The toner images of the image forming units 71C to 71B are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 2 at a predetermined timing along with the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 2, and cyan, magenta, yellow, and black 4 are printed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 2. A full-color toner image is formed by superimposing the color toner images. The full color toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 2 is transferred again to the sheet by the secondary transfer unit 24.

  The belt cleaning device 138 is provided on the upstream side in the circumferential direction of the intermediate transfer belt 2 of the cyan image forming unit 71C at a position facing the driven roller 2b, and removes toner and the like remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 2 after the secondary transfer. And collect.

  Next, the configuration and operation of each image forming unit 71 will be described with reference to FIG.

  Since the four color image forming units 71C to 71B have the same structure, the symbols “C”, “M”, “Y”, and “B” are omitted, and only one image forming unit 71 will be described. Moreover, the broken line arrow in FIG. 2 shows the rotation direction of each rotating member.

  The image forming unit 71 includes a photosensitive drum 72 as an image carrier, a charging device 73, an exposure device 74, a developing device 75, a cleaning device 76, a charge eliminating device 77, and the like. The image forming unit 71 of this embodiment forms a toner image using a liquid developer in which toner particles are dispersed in an insulating liquid (carrier liquid). An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 72 based on image data such as characters, figures, and patterns received from an external computer (not shown), and this electrostatic latent image is visualized by the developing device 75. Develop to (toner image).

  The photosensitive drum 72 is a cylindrical member in which an amorphous silicon photosensitive layer is provided on the outer peripheral surface of a conductive substrate made of aluminum or the like, and the surface of the charged toner (positively charged in this embodiment) A toner image can be carried. Since the reversal development method is adopted, a positively charged amorphous silicon photosensitive member and a toner that can be charged to positive polarity are used in this embodiment. The photosensitive drum 72 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing at a peripheral speed substantially the same as the sheet conveying speed (for example, 210 mm / s) by a driving device (not shown).

  The charging device 73 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 72. The charging device 73 may be a corona discharge device that discharges by applying a high voltage using a thin wire or the like as an electrode, but may be a roller, a brush, or the like.

  An exposure device 74 is disposed downstream of the charging device 73 in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 72. The exposure device 74 has an LED light source such as an array, and irradiates light on the surface of the charged photoconductive drum 72 according to image data, attenuates the potential of the irradiated portion, and electrostatically forms the surface of the photoconductive drum 72. A latent image is formed. In addition, it can replace with LED and LSU (Laser Scan Unit) etc. can also be used.

  As described above, the developing device 75 uses the liquid developer in which toner particles made of fine positively charged resin are dispersed and turbid in a carrier liquid which is an insulating liquid made of silicon oil or the like. The electrostatic latent image is developed as a toner image. The tank 75a in the developing device 75 is connected to a liquid developer circulating device (not shown) that recycles the recovered carrier liquid, adjusts the concentration, and replenishes the developing device 75 with the liquid developer. .

  Specifically, a developing roller 75b that is rotatably supported and contacts the photosensitive drum 72 to supply the liquid developer, a supply roller 75c that contacts the developing roller 75b and supplies the liquid developer, and a lower portion of the supply roller 75c. Is supplied from a liquid developer circulation device, a support roller 75d that is in contact with the blade, a blade 75e that is provided in contact with the supply roller 75c and regulates the layer thickness of the liquid developer carried on the supply roller 75c to a predetermined value. A developer replenishing section 75f that replenishes the tank 75a with a liquid developer, and a developer removing device 75g that removes the liquid developer remaining on the developing roller 75b without being supplied to the photosensitive drum 72.

  The cleaning device 76 cleans the developer remaining without being transferred from the photosensitive drum 72 to the intermediate transfer belt 2. The neutralization device 77 includes a light source such as an LED, and after the developer is removed by the cleaning device 76, the residual charge on the surface of the photosensitive drum 72 is neutralized by light from the light source to prepare for the next image formation.

  FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing an intermediate transfer unit which is a main part of the present invention.

  The intermediate transfer unit 1 mainly includes a tension roller 3 and a frame 4 in addition to the above-described intermediate transfer belt 2, drive roller 2a, driven roller 2b, and primary transfer roller 2c. The rear plate 11a is horizontally supported by a hinge 5 (see FIG. 9) and a slide rail 6 constituting a slide mechanism so that the rollers 2a and 2b can be inserted and removed in the axial direction (front-rear direction). Here, the slide rail 6 has, for example, a fixed-side rail member 6a and a moving-side rail member 6b. The rail member 6a is fixed to the hinge 5, and the rail member 6b is a positioning member fixed thereto. 7 is attached to the frame 4 of the intermediate transfer unit 1 through 7. The positioning member 7 is attached to the frame 4 by inserting an upward projection 7 a provided on the upper surface of the positioning member 7 into a positioning hole 4 a provided on the ceiling of the frame 4. The slide rail 6 is not limited to a two-stage type, and a three-stage type is used.

  The position of the innermost end of the sliding intermediate transfer unit 1 is inside the image forming apparatus main body 11, and the set position A where the intermediate transfer belt 2 overlaps each photosensitive drum 72 in the vertical direction (see FIGS. 9 to 13). In the present embodiment, the position of the most extended end is set at the belt replacement position B that is drawn forward of the front plate 11b of the image forming apparatus main body 11 in front of the set position A. The front plate 11b is provided with an opening 11c that allows the intermediate transfer unit 1 to be taken in and out.

  The tension roller 3 is moved away from the frame 4 as shown in FIG. 3 by the arm member 3a, and the primary transfer roller 2c is moved away from the frame 4 as shown in FIG. It is comprised so that it may contact and separate. In the separated state C, the tension roller 3 pushes up the intermediate transfer belt 2 and the primary transfer roller 2 c brings the intermediate transfer belt 2 into contact with the photosensitive drum 72. On the other hand, in the approaching state D, the tension roller 3 allows the intermediate transfer belt 2 to descend, and the primary transfer roller 2c separates the intermediate transfer belt 2 from the photosensitive drum 72 and applies tension to the intermediate transfer belt 2. Loosen. Such contact / separation is performed by a relaxation mechanism 10 provided on the lower side of the frame 4 as shown in FIGS. In FIGS. 5 to 7, in order to simplify the configuration and make it easy to understand, one primary transfer roller 2 c is shown, and three primary transfer rollers 2 c are omitted.

  The relaxation mechanism 10 transmits the rotation of the gear 10b attached to the rotation shaft of the drive motor 10a to the gear 10d attached to the shaft 10c, and further rotates the contact / separation cam 10e attached to the shaft 10c, thereby causing the arm member 8 to rotate. The primary transfer roller 2c is brought into contact with and separated from the primary transfer roller 2c. In addition, the arm member 8 is supported by a shaft 8a so that the middle portion thereof can swing. Further, for example, a manual handle 10g is attached to a shaft 10f attached to the arm member 3a, and the tension roller 3 is contacted and separated by rotating the handle 10g. Instead of the handle 10g, the tension roller 3 may be contacted and separated by motor driving.

  The rotation start and stop of the drive motor 10a are controlled by the detection device 9. The detection device 9 includes a home position detection plate 9b attached to the shaft 10c and a home position detection sensor 9a for detecting the rotation speed of the home position detection plate 9b, and the home position detected by the home position detection sensor 9a. Based on the rotational speed of the detection plate 9b, the tension roller 3 and the primary transfer roller 2c are controlled to the separated state C and the approached state D.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 to 13, the intermediate transfer unit 1 is fixed to the set position A by inserting a rearward protrusion 7b provided on the back side of the positioning member 7 into a positioning hole 11d provided on the back plate 11a. In addition, the back end of the positioning member 7 is brought into contact with the back plate 11a, whereby the intermediate transfer unit 1 is arranged at the set position A.

  Next, the contents of the replacement operation of the intermediate transfer belt 2 in the intermediate transfer unit 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, when printing is finished and a standby state is set, a cover (not shown) on the front side of the image forming apparatus main body 11 is opened, and a handle 4c provided on the front cover 4b covering the front side of the intermediate transfer unit 1 is pulled to remove the intermediate transfer unit 1. The belt is moved from the set position A to the belt exchange position B.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the front cover 4 b is removed and the cleaning device 138 is removed from the intermediate transfer unit 1. The front cover 4b is removed by removing a screw (not shown).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, the relaxation mechanism 10 is operated to bring the primary transfer roller 2c into the state D approaching the frame 4 by swinging the arm member 8, and at the same time, the tension is applied by swinging the arm member 3a. The roller 3 is brought into a state D approaching the frame 4. As a result, the intermediate transfer belt 2 whose tension has been loosened is pulled forward as shown in FIGS.

  Thereafter, a new intermediate transfer belt 2 is attached to the intermediate transfer unit 1 by the reverse operation. That is, the new intermediate transfer belt 2 is stretched over the driving roller 2a and the driven roller 2b, the relaxation mechanism 10 is operated, the primary transfer roller 2c is separated from the frame 4 by the swing of the arm member 8, and the arm member 3a is swung. The tension roller 3 is moved away from the frame 4 by the movement to tension the intermediate transfer belt 2.

  Thereafter, the front cover 4b and the cleaning device 138 are attached to the intermediate transfer unit 1, pushed from the belt replacement position B to the set position A, and the cover (not shown) on the front side of the image forming apparatus main body 11 is closed.

  In the case of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above, the intermediate transfer unit 1 is slid from the set position A of the image forming apparatus main body 11 to the belt replacement position B, and the intermediate transfer belt 2 is moved by the relaxation mechanism 10. The intermediate transfer belt 2 is replaced by moving the intermediate transfer belt 2 in and out of the belt width direction with the tension relaxed. Accordingly, since only the intermediate transfer belt 2 can be replaced without taking down the intermediate transfer unit 1 from the image forming apparatus main body 11, the cost can be reduced and the replacement can be performed quickly.

  Further, in the present embodiment, it is possible to remove and attach only the intermediate transfer belt 2 without being obstructed by the rollers 2a and 2b, and it is necessary to replace the rollers 2a and 2b having a long service life and other mechanical parts. Absent. Furthermore, since the intermediate transfer unit 1 can be slid from the set position A to the belt replacement position B and the intermediate transfer belt 2 can be replaced, there is a problem associated with replacement such as replacement for each belt cartridge or replacement for each process cartridge. Prevention, reduction of time required for maintenance, easy maintenance at customers, and effective use of parts that have not reached the end of their service life.

  In the case of the above-described embodiment, the belt replacement position B is set to the front side of the front plate 11b, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the belt replacement position B may be a position pulled slightly forward from the set position A. The point is that the position of the intermediate transfer belt 2 can be changed by loosening the tension, and there is no need to completely protrude from the front plate 11b to the front side, and a part of the front side of the intermediate transfer belt 2 is the front plate 11b. It is good also as a position which came out to the front side.

  In the case of the above-described embodiment, the intermediate transfer unit 1 is pulled out (including pushing) in the axial direction of the driving roller 2a and the driven roller 2b, and then the intermediate transfer belt 2 is also taken in and out in the axial direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the intermediate transfer belt is taken in and out in the axial direction. However, the drawing-out direction of the intermediate transfer unit (the pushing direction is the same) does not need to coincide with the axial direction, and any direction ( For example, it may be the right direction or the left direction when the axial direction is the front direction.

  Further, in the case of the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a printer. However, the present invention has at least two or more functions of an image forming apparatus other than a printer, such as a facsimile or a copying machine, or a printer, a facsimile, or a copying machine. It can also be applied to multi-function machines that are also used.

1 is a front model cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming unit provided in the printer of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing an intermediate transfer unit that is a main part of the present invention, showing a state in which a tension roller and a primary transfer roller are separated from a frame. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing a state in which a tension roller and a primary transfer roller are close to a frame. It is explanatory drawing (perspective view seen from diagonally downward) of a structure of a relaxation mechanism. It is explanatory drawing (the perspective view seen from diagonally upward) of the structure of a relaxation mechanism. It is explanatory drawing (the perspective view seen from diagonally upward) of the structure of a relaxation mechanism. FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing a right end portion of the intermediate transfer unit. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the state where the intermediate transfer belt is pulled out to the front side when viewed obliquely from above. It is the perspective view which looked at the state which removed the front cover from diagonally upward. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a state in which the tension of the intermediate transfer belt is relaxed as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a state in which the intermediate transfer belt is pulled out as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the state where the intermediate transfer belt is removed as viewed obliquely from above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Intermediate transfer unit 2 Intermediate transfer belt 2a Drive roller 2b Driven roller 2c Primary transfer roller 3 Tension roller 6 Slide rail (slide mechanism)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Relaxation mechanism 11 Image forming apparatus main body 20 Image forming apparatus A Set position B Belt replacement position

Claims (3)

An image forming apparatus main body;
An intermediate transfer unit having an intermediate transfer belt and slidably supported between a set position attached to the image forming apparatus main body and a belt replacement position pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body;
A tensioning mechanism that is provided in the intermediate transfer unit and relaxes the tension of the intermediate transfer belt;
Replacing the intermediate transfer belt by placing and removing the intermediate transfer belt in the belt width direction with the intermediate transfer unit disposed at the belt replacement position and the tension of the intermediate transfer belt being relaxed by the loosening mechanism An image forming apparatus, wherein The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The intermediate transfer unit has a plurality of rollers for rotating the intermediate transfer belt, and the image forming apparatus main body moves the intermediate transfer unit in the axial direction of the roller between the set position and the belt replacement position. An image forming apparatus having a slide mechanism for sliding. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The slide mechanism is provided inside the circumferential movement area of the intermediate transfer belt, and the relaxation mechanism has a tension roller that relaxes the tension of the intermediate transfer belt, and the tension roller is provided inside the circumferential movement area. An image forming apparatus.

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