Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a vertical transfer path through which a paper sheet having a toner image is transferred upward from below;
• a horizontal transfer path which is continuous to the vertical transfer path and through which the paper sheet is transferred in a substantially horizontal direction;
• a fixing roller which is brought into contact with one surface of the paper sheet on the vertical transfer path and which heats and melts toner of the toner image;
• a pressurizing roller which is opposite to the fixing roller and which is brought into contact with another surface of the paper sheet on the vertical transfer path and pressurizes the toner image in association with the fixing roller;
• a paper discharge driving roller which is provided at an end of the horizontal transfer path and which substantially horizontally discharges the paper sheet with the toner image fixed thereon;
• a tray which receives the paper sheet discharged from the paper sheet discharge roller;
• a paper transfer guide which is provided between the fixing roller and the paper discharge driving roller and which guides the paper sheet to be transferred along the vertical transfer path and the horizontal transfer path;
• and
• a paper discharge guide roller which is provided at a position between the vertical transfer path and the horizontal transfer path where a transfer direction of the paper sheet is changed from vertical to horizontal, and which rotates following motion of the paper sheet to be transferred, which is made of a high-conductivity material and which has a structure of a good heat radiating characteristic, and wherein the paper discharge guide roller is covered with one of an antistatic resin film and a fluorinated ethylene resin-based film on its circumferential surface.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a vertical transfer path through which a paper sheet having a toner image is transferred upward from below;
• a horizontal transfer path which is continuous to the vertical transfer path and through which the paper sheet is transferred in a substantially horizontal direction;
• a fixing roller which is brought into contact with one surface of the paper sheet on the vertical transfer path and which heats and melts toner of the toner image;
• a pressurizing roller which is opposite to the fixing roller and which is brought into contact with another surface of the paper sheet on the vertical transfer path and pressurizes the toner image in association with the fixing roller;
• a paper discharge driving roller which is provided at an end of the horizontal transfer path and which substantially horizontally discharges the paper sheet with the toner image fixed thereon;
• a tray which receives the paper sheet discharged from the paper sheet discharge roller;
• a paper transfer guide which is provided between the fixing roller and the paper discharge driving roller and which guides the paper sheet to be transferred along the vertical transfer path and the horizontal transfer path;
• and
• a paper discharge guide roller which is provided at a position between the vertical transfer path and the horizontal transfer path where a transfer direction of the paper sheet is changed from vertical to horizontal, and which rotates following motion of the paper sheet to be transferred, which is made of a high-conductivity material and which has a structure of a good heat radiating characteristic, wherein the paper discharge guide roller comprises a metal cylinder having a hollow portion extending therethrough in an axial direction and has a plurality of inner ribs in the hollow portion, wherein the inner ribs are one of spiral blades and screw blades unparallel to an axis of the paper discharge guide roller.