1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a color image forming apparatus which has a process cartridge including at least one of an image bearing member such as a photoconductive medium and an intermediate transfer medium.
2. Discussion of Background
A conventional color image forming apparatus has an intermediate transfer belt on which composite color toner images which include at least one of yellow, magenta, cyan and black toner are formed. The composite toner images on the intermediate transfer belt are then transferred to a sheet of paper.
In such an apparatus, not only a developing device and a photoconductive medium but also the intermediate transfer belt has to be replaced when the belt reaches the end of its useful life.
Further, since a length of the intermediate transfer belt with respect to a rotating direction of the intermediate transfer belt has to be more than a maximum paper size, for example the length of the intermediate transfer belt has to be more than 260 mm if the maximum paper size is A3 size, the color image forming apparatus becomes large.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds