Patent ID: 7546058

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising (a) an image holding member, (b) a charging device for charging the image holding member, (c) a latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the image holding member, (d) a developing device for visualizing, with developer, the electrostatic latent image formed on the image holding member, so as to form a visualized image, (e) a transfer device for transferring the visualized image onto a recording medium, and (f) a fixing device for fixing, to the recording medium, the developer transferred to the recording medium, the image forming apparatus further comprising: a partitioning member for isolating a space from an outside space and for preventing outside air from flowing into the space, the space encompassing at least: (i) a space encompassing (a) the developing device and (b) a part of the image holding member, which part faces the developing device; (ii) a space encompassing (a) the transfer device and (b) a part of the image holding member, which part faces the transfer device; and (iii) a space encompassing the fixing device; and a pressure reducing device for reducing a pressure of the isolated space below a pressure of the outside space, wherein the partitioning member comprises: a partition that is provided to surround the isolated space; a set of transporting members at an aperture of the partition, the transporting members being for carrying a recording medium in or out of the isolated space by rotating in opposite directions to each other, while sandwiching the recording medium therebetween; and a sealing member in a gap between the partition and the transporting members, the sealing member preventing outside air from entering the isolated space.