Image forming apparatus

1 . An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an apparatus main body including (i) a housing having a discharge portion and (ii) a door being openable and closable relative to the housing, the door including a wall disposed on an opposite side to the discharge portion with respect to a horizontal direction, wherein the discharge portion includes a first opening for discharging the recording medium, and the wall includes a second opening, the second opening including a plurality of holes;

a photosensitive drum stored in the apparatus main body, wherein the photosensitive drum is rotatable and disposed below the first opening and the second opening with respect to a vertical direction, and when viewed in a rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, the photosensitive drum is disposed between the first opening and the second opening in the horizontal direction;

a transfer member contacting the photosensitive drum such that a transfer portion, through which the recording medium passes, is formed between the photosensitive drum and the transfer member, wherein a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is transferred onto the recording medium at the transfer portion;

a fixing unit configured to heat the recording medium, the fixing unit disposed above the photosensitive drum;

an opposed member facing a two-sided conveying path including a first communication path, the first communication path communicating with the first opening and the second opening, the opposed member including:

(i) an exposed surface stored in the apparatus main body, wherein the exposed surface is exposed toward the first communication path and disposed below the first communication path,

(ii) a plurality of ribs arranged along the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, wherein the plurality of ribs projects from the exposed surface toward the first communication path, and each of the plurality of ribs extends in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction,

(iii) a receiving rib projecting from the exposed surface and including a receiving surface projecting from the exposed surface toward the first communication path; and

an opening/closing member disposed below the opposed member and supporting the transfer member, and the opening/closing member being movable between (i) a closed position in which the opening/closing member covers the photosensitive drum and the transfer member is in contact with the photosensitive drum and (ii) an open position in which the photosensitive drum is exposed and the transfer member is separated from the photosensitive drum,

wherein, in a state where the opening/closing member is at the closed position, a second communication path is formed between the opening/closing member and the opposed member, the second communication path is formed above the photosensitive drum and below the first communication path with respect to the vertical direction, and the second communication path communicates with a conveyance path through which the recording medium is conveyed from the photosensitive drum toward the fixing unit, and communicates with the two-sided conveying path,

wherein the receiving surface is upwardly oriented with respect to the vertical direction and faces the first communication path, and the receiving surface extends along the rotational axis direction to connect with the plurality of ribs and is disposed to be positioned above the photosensitive drum with respect to the vertical direction,

wherein the receiving surface is inclined relative to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction so that a leading end of the receiving surface is disposed above a root of the receiving surface connecting with the exposed surface, and

wherein the receiving surface is positioned above the second communication path and

when viewed in the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, the receiving surface is closer to the second opening than to the first opening.

2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the exposed surface includes a curved surface,

wherein the curved surface is upwardly curved with respect to the vertical direction and includes a first surface, and

wherein the first surface is positioned on one side of an apex of the curved surface in the horizontal direction when viewed in the rotational axis direction, downwardly extending from the apex, and is positioned between the apex and a leading end of the receiving surface in the horizontal direction.

3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first surface includes a curved portion.

4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first surface is closer to the second opening than the apex is.

5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the curved surface includes a second surface positioned on the other side of the apex of the curved surface in the horizontal direction when viewed in the rotational axis direction, and downwardly inclined from the apex.

6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ribs is configured to guide the recording medium.

7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, with respect to the rotational axis direction, a position of the receiving surface overlaps with a position of the photosensitive drum.

8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the opening/closing member includes (i) guide ribs configured to guide the recoding medium passing through the tow-sided conveyance path and (ii) a back surface disposed between the guide ribs, and

wherein, in the state where the opening/closing member is at the closed position, the receiving rib projects toward the opposite side relative to the back surface with respect to the horizontal direction.

9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving surface projects more than or equal to 1 mm from the exposed surface.

10 . An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an apparatus main body including (i) a housing having a discharge portion and (ii) a door being openable and closable relative to the housing, the door including a wall disposed on an opposite side to the discharge portion with respect to a horizontal direction, wherein the discharge portion includes a first opening for discharging the recording medium, and the wall includes a second opening, the second opening including a plurality of holes;

a photosensitive drum stored in the apparatus main body, wherein the photosensitive drum is rotatable and disposed below the first opening and the second opening with respect to a vertical direction, and when viewed in a rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, the photosensitive drum is disposed between the first opening and the second opening in the horizontal direction;

a transfer member contacting the photosensitive drum such that a transfer portion, through which the recording medium passes, is formed between the photosensitive drum and the transfer member, wherein a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is transferred onto the recording medium at the transfer portion;

a fixing unit configured to heat the recording medium, the fixing unit disposed above the photosensitive drum;

an opposed member stored in the apparatus main body, wherein the opposed member faces a first communication path communicating with the first opening and the second opening and is disposed below the first communication path; and

an opening/closing member disposed below the opposed member and supporting the transfer member, and the opening/closing member being movable between (i) a closed position in which the opening/closing member covers the photosensitive drum and the transfer member is in contact with the photosensitive drum and (ii) an open position in which the photosensitive drum is exposed and the transfer member is separated from the photosensitive drum,

wherein the opening/closing member includes a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a third side wall, and a fourth side wall,

wherein the first side wall extends along the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum and connects with the bottom wall,

wherein the second side wall extends along the rotational axis direction, connects with the bottom wall, and faces the first side wall,

wherein the third side wall extends along a first direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction and connects with the bottom wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall,

wherein the fourth side wall extends along a second direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction, connects with the bottom wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, and faces the third side wall,

wherein, in a state where the opening/closing member is at the closed position, the bottom wall extends in a direction intersecting with the vertical direction, and the first side wall, the second side wall, the third side wall, and the fourth side wall upwardly extend from the bottom wall with respect to the vertical direction to form an upwardly open concave portion with respect to the vertical direction,

wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, the third side wall, and the fourth side wall, and the bottom wall are integrally disposed to form the upwardly open concave portion, and

wherein, in the state where the opening/closing member is at the closed position, the upwardly open concave portion is positioned below the first communication path communicating with the first opening and the second opening and above the photosensitive drum with respect to the vertical direction, and the bottom wall faces the opposed member.

11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the opposed member faces a two-sided conveying path including the first communication path,

wherein a second communication path is formed above the photosensitive drum and below the first communication path with respect to the vertical direction, and

wherein the second communication path communicates with a conveyance path through which the recording medium is conveyed from the photosensitive drum toward the fixing unit, and communicates with the two-sided conveying path.

12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein, in the state where the opening/closing member is at the closed position, the bottom wall faces the second communication path.

13 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the opposed member includes

(i) an exposed surface stored in the apparatus main body, wherein the exposed surface is exposed toward the first communication path and disposed below the first communication path,

(ii) a plurality of ribs arranged along the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, wherein the plurality of ribs projects from the exposed surface toward the first communication path, and each of the plurality of ribs extends in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction,

(iii) a receiving rib projecting from the exposed surface and including a receiving surface projecting from the exposed surface toward the first communication path,

wherein the receiving surface is upwardly oriented with respect to the vertical direction and faces the first communication path, and the receiving surface extends along the rotational axis direction to connect with the plurality of ribs and is disposed to be positioned above the photosensitive drum with respect to the vertical direction, and

wherein the receiving surface is inclined relative to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction so that a leading end of the receiving surface is disposed above a root of the receiving surface connecting with the exposed surface.

14 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein a position of the upwardly open concave portion does not overlap with a positions of the receiving surface with respect to the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum.

15 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, when the opening/closing member moves from the closed position to the open position, the upwardly open concave portion moves away from the photosensitive drum.

16 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, in the state where the opening/closing member is at the closed position, the second side wall is positioned between the first side wall and the photosensitive drum in the horizontal direction, and a height of the second side wall is lower than a height of the first side wall.

17 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, in a state where the opening/closing member is at the closed position, an upper end of the opening/closing member is positioned above the photosensitive drum with respect to the vertical direction.

18 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the opening/closing member includes an upper wall projecting from the first side wall, and

wherein in the state where the opening/closing member is at the closed position, the upper wall extends in a direction intersecting with the vertical direction, and the upper wall extends from the first side wall in a direction apart from the second opening.

19 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the opposed member includes a rib extending in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction, and a concave portion is provided at a leading end of the upper wall, and

wherein in the state where the transfer guide 13 is at the closed position, the rib is stored in the concave portion.

20 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the housing is provided with a plurality of upper holes disposed above the first communication path.

21 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the housing is provided with a plurality of upper holes disposed above the first communication path.