Image forming apparatus with first and second guiding sections for varying a contact length of a sheet with a heating member in accordance with a thickness of the sheet

An image forming apparatus capable of forming an image onto a first recording sheet having a first width and a first thickness, and a second recording sheet having a second width larger than the first width and a second thickness smaller than the first thickness, the image forming apparatus comprising:

• a fixing section including a heating member and a pressing member, the fixing section being adapted for performing a heat-fixing of an image on a recording sheet by nipping the recording sheet between the heating member and the pressing member and heating the recording sheet;
• and
• a guiding section including a first guiding member and a second guiding member arranged in a direction of a width of a recording sheet for guiding the recording sheet having been applied with the heat-fixing in the fixing section to a predetermined discharge portion, wherein
• the first guiding member is provided in a central portion in the direction of the width of the recording sheet in a first conveyance path for the first recording sheet so as to come in contact with the first recording sheet to thereby guide the first recording sheet to the discharge portion;
• and
• the second guiding member is provided in outside areas at both sides of the first conveyance path in the direction of the width of the recording sheet in a second conveyance path for the second recording sheet separate from the first conveyance path so that only the second guiding member comes in contact with the second recording sheet to thereby guide the second recording sheet to the discharge portion in such an angle that a contact length of the second recording sheet with the heating member along a conveyance direction of the second recording sheet is shorter than a contact length of the first recording sheet with the heating member along a conveyance direction of the first recording sheet.