Patent ID: 8811849

Claim:
An image forming apparatus including an image forming portion for forming an image on a recording medium and a fixing portion for thermally fixing the image onto the recording medium after image forming, comprising: a proximate post-fixing conveying path for conveying a recording medium directly after thermal fixing by the fixing portion and being extended upwardly from the fixing portion; an output conveying path joined to the proximate post-fixing conveying path at a junction for conveying a recording medium to an output port or switching back a recording medium received from the proximate post-fixing conveying path; a duplex conveying path jointed to the output conveying path at the junction for receiving the recording medium and performing duplex printing of the recording medium switched back by the output conveying path; a cooling mechanism having a blowoff port for sending a cooling air; and an exhausting mechanism having a suction port that suctions and discharges the cooling air, characterized in that the blowoff port is positioned opposing the output conveying path, the suction port is positioned opposing the junction of the output conveying path and the proximate post-fixing conveying path, and the blowoff port and the suction port are arranged on a same conveyance surface side of the output conveying path.