Patent ID: 8781387

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image bearing body on which a toner image is formed; a transfer section that transfers the toner image onto a print medium; a fixing section including a fixing member that fuses the toner image on the print medium; and a guide section including a first portion and a second portion and disposed generally along a transport direction in which the print medium advances toward the fixing section with an un-fused toner image directly facing the first portion and the second portion, wherein the first portion extends substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the print medium, and the second portion is located downstream of the first portion with respect to the direction of travel of the print medium, the second portion including an upstream end that is contiguous with the first portion and a downstream end on a side of the second portion opposite the upstream end, the upstream end and the downstream end lying in a plane that extends toward the fixing member and farther away from the direction of travel of the print medium nearer the fixing member, the second portion including one of a first surface that lies in the plane and a second surface that lies farther away from a surface of the print medium on which the un-fused toner image is carried than the plane.