Patent ID: 7712892

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a recording head that discharges droplets of a recording liquid onto a paper so as to form an image; a belt conveyance mechanism including a conveyance belt that electrostatically attaches the paper and conveys the paper in a direction perpendicular to a carding direction of the paper; a separating mechanism that separates the paper from said conveyance belt, the separating mechanism including a separating claw contacting said conveyance belt; a lift preventing mechanism that prevents a lift of the paper being fed out of said belt conveyance mechanism, the lift preventing mechanism including a contacting member that is configured to be brought into contact with the paper being fed out of said belt conveyance mechanism, said contacting member being located close to but separate from said conveyance belt and located in an area directly above the separating claw on an upstream side of a separating point and on a downstream side of said recording head; and a paper eject mechanism located on a downstream side of said separating point, said paper eject mechanism including a paper eject roller and a second spur for holding the paper separated from the conveyance belt therebetween, wherein said contacting member includes a first spur located above and opposite to a part of the conveyance belt where the paper is electrostatically attached thereto, and separate from the paper eject roller, the first spur contacts the paper fed out of said belt conveyance mechanism to reduce a lift of the paper, and the first spur has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the second spur.