Patent ID: 8135290

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an apparatus body; a transfer portion which transfers a toner image onto a lower surface of a sheet; a fixing device which fixes the toner image transferred by the transfer portion onto the sheet; a conveying portion which attracts the upper surface of the sheet with the toner image transferred onto the lower surface thereof by the transfer portion to convey the sheet to the fixing device; an abutment member that abuts the sheet so that the sheet is nipped between abutment member and a sheet conveying surface of the conveying portion; a driving unit which moves the abutment member so as to nip the sheet; at least one sheet detection sensor which detects the sheet; a jam determining unit which determines a jam in response to outputs from the at least one sheet detection sensor, wherein the apparatus body has a conveying unit which is drawn out from the apparatus body to remove a jammed sheet, wherein the conveying portion moves integrally with the conveying unit as the conveying unit is drawn out, wherein the abutment member is separated from the sheet in response to the jam determining unit determining that a jam is not occurring, and wherein the driving unit moves the abutment member so as to nip the sheet in response to the jam determining unit determining that a jam is occurring, and said abutment member continues to nip the sheet when the conveying unit is drawn out.