Patent ID: 8437671

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a first image forming unit configured to directly transfer an image onto a transfer sheet being conveyed; an intermediate transfer member onto which an image to be additionally transferred onto the transfer sheet is transferred; a secondary image forming unit configured to transfer an image onto the intermediate transfer member; a secondary transfer unit configured to transfer the image, already transferred on the intermediate transfer member by the secondary image forming unit, onto the transfer sheet, on which the image directly transferred by the first image forming unit is transferred; a fixing unit: that is provided downstream of the secondary transfer unit in a vertical conveying direction of the transfer sheet on a vertical conveying path of the transfer sheet, and that is configured to fix an image formed on the transfer sheet at a fixation position where the fixing unit comes into contact with the transfer sheet and apply pressure to the transfer sheet; a guide member configured to guide the transfer sheet to the fixation position on the vertical conveying path where the transfer sheet is conveyed from the secondary transfer unit to the fixation position, the guide member including: a contact surface, which is a side surface of the guide member, the contact surface being in contact with the transfer sheet on the vertical conveying path where the transfer sheet is conveyed vertically from the secondary transfer unit to the fixation position, and a rotation axis fixed to an upper portion of the guide member that is configured to be able to change an angle between the transfer sheet and the contact surface by rotating the guide member, the rotation axis extending through the guide member proximate to a point of the guide member closest to the fixation position; a sensor configured to detect a home position of the guide member as a position to be a basis for changing the angle between the transfer sheet and the contact surface; and a control unit configured to obtain a predetermined condition of the transfer sheet and information on the home position of the guide member from the sensor, and drive the rotating of the guide member by the rotation axis to set the angle between the transfer sheet and the contact surface based on the predetermined condition of the transfer sheet and the information on the home position of the guide member.