Patent ID: 8218996
Filing Date: 2012-07-10
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that heats and fixes a sheet on which an image is formed; a discharge unit that is provided above the fixing unit to discharge the sheet passing through the fixing unit; a stacking unit on which the sheet discharged from the discharge unit is stacked; an inversion guide that is provided above the fixing unit to invert the sheet passing through the fixing unit; a cooling fan that is disposed to face a guide surface of the inversion guide; an opening that is provided in the guide surface of the inversion guide to form a flow passage of the cooling fan; a duct that is formed between the stacking unit and the fixing unit to take in ambient air; and a second duct that is formed between a side end of the fixing unit and an uprising wall to guide air from the duct above the fixing unit, the uprising wall being an upstream end of the stacking unit, wherein the discharge unit is provided on a downstream side of the side end of the fixing unit in a paper discharge direction, and an air flow direction from the duct toward the second duct is substantially matched with a direction in which hot air above the fixing unit is taken in by the cooling fan.