Patent ID: 6882809

Claim:
An image forming device for forming developer images on a recording medium, the image forming device comprising: a main body case; an image bearing member disposed within the main body case and having a surface; a latent image forming unit disposed within the main body case, the latent image forming unit forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image bearing member; a process cartridge that is removably disposed in the main body case; a developing unit disposed within the process cartridge, the developing unit holding developer and using the developer to form a developer image on the image bearing member; a transfer unit disposed within the main body case at a position in opposition with the process cartridge, the transfer unit transferring the developer image on the image bearing member onto the recording medium; a fixing unit disposed within the main body case, the fixing unit generating heat to thermally fix the developer image onto the recording medium; a duct wall having a cartridge-side wall section opposed to the process cartridge, a fixing-unit-side wall section opposed to the fixing unit, and a connecting wall section that connects the cartridge-side wall section and the fixing-unit-side wall section together, the cartridge-side wall section, the fixing-unit-side wall section, and the connecting wall section defining a duct that extends between the fixing unit and the process cartridge, the connecting wall section and the fixing-unit-side wall section being formed with a fixing-unit-side through hole that extends from a portion of the connecting wall section to a portion of the fixing-unit-side wall section; and an exhaust unit that draws air in the vicinity of the fixing unit, through the through hole and the duct, to outside the main body case.