Medium conveying device and image forming apparatus which has an inclined roller that maintains line contact

A medium conveying device which conveys a recording medium in a conveying direction comprising:

• a counter member disposed in a conveying path along which the recording medium is conveyed, the counter member comprising a curved surface along which the recording medium is conveyed, the counter member being a pad that does not rotate;
• and
• an inclined roller disposed opposite the counter member in the conveying path, the inclined roller comprising an outer circumferential surface opposing the curved surface of the counter member, and a rotational axis of the inclined roller being inclined with respect to the conveying direction such that the inclined roller conveys the recording medium interposed between the inclined roller and the counter member in an oblique direction that is inclined from the conveying direction,
• wherein one of the outer circumferential surface of the inclined roller, a rotation axis of the inclined roller, and the curved surface of the counter member is arranged at a predetermined angle based on a function of (i) an angle between the oblique direction and the medium conveying direction and (ii) a radius of curvature of the curved surface such that the outer circumferential surface abuts the curved surface, via the recording medium, substantially along a line.