Patent ID: 8032070

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet; a fixing device that fixes the image formed by the image forming unit on the sheet; a discharge tray that receives the sheet from the fixing device; a discharge roller that discharges the sheet which is conveyed via a first conveying path from the fixing device to the discharge tray; an automatic double-sided printing device that has a second conveying path which is different from the first conveying path, which receives the sheet has the image fixed thereon by the fixing device and is switched back by the discharge roller, and which reverse the sheet conveyed into the automatic double-sided printing device to feed the sheet to the image forming unit; and a retracting mechanism that stops the sheet, which is not conveyed in the second conveying path, in a position away from the fixing device to retract the sheet from heat of the fixing device, the retracting mechanism being provided in the second conveying path of the automatic double-sided printing device, the retracting mechanism that supports a trailing end side of a preceding sheet, which has been conveyed in the second conveying path, in a first position, and that supports a leading end side of a following sheet, which is conveyed to follow the preceding sheet in the second conveying path, in a second position where the following sheet does not come into contact with the preceding sheet in a position where the leading end side of the following sheet overlaps the trailing end of the preceding sheet in a conveying direction, and the retracting mechanism that includes: a first guide that guides the leading end side of the preceding sheet in the conveying direction and supports the trailing end side of the preceding sheet in the first position; and a conveying roller that supports the following sheet to support the leading end side of the following sheet in the second position.