Drying apparatus

1 . A drying apparatus which dries a recording medium on which an image is formed, while conveying the recording medium, the drying apparatus comprising:

a conveying unit which supports and conveys the recording medium in a predetermined conveyance direction;

a heater unit which is disposed above the conveying unit, and blows a high temperature air to the conveyed recording medium;

a casing in which the heater unit is housed;

a lifting mechanism which is provided in the casing and supports the heater unit so as to be lifted and lowered; and

a closing member which comes into contact with the heater unit when the heater unit is lowered, and separates a heating space below the heater unit from an internal space of the casing, wherein

the closing member is lifted and lowered within a predetermined range as the heater unit is lifted and lowered.

2 . The drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the closing member is supported by the casing so as to be lifted and lowered in an upper-and-lower direction by a biasing member.

3 . The drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the heater unit includes a plurality of the heater units disposed adjacently, and

the closing members are disposed between the heater units and the casing, and between the heater units.