Patent ID: 8073356

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a pair of opposing side frames; a plurality of image formation units disposed between the side frames, each of the image formation units including an image carrier configured to rotate about a corresponding one of a plurality of rotational axes and to form an image carried on the image carrier onto a recording medium, the side frames being perpendicular to the rotational axes; a plate disposed below the image formation units, the plate connecting the side frames, the plate having a plurality of holes arranged along and adjacent to each of the side frames; and a fan disposed above the plate, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a passage extending from the holes in the plate to the fan, wherein the image formation units and each of the side frames define a portion of the passage, such that the passage is configured to direct air flowing from the holes to the fan through the portion of the passage formed by the image formation units and each of the side frames.