Cooling device and image forming apparatus including the same

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image carrier;
• a latent-image forming unit that selectively forms a latent image on the image carrier according to image signal;
• a developing unit that develops the latent image formed on the image carrier with toner;
• and
• a cooling unit that cools at least any one of the latent-image forming unit and the developing unit, the cooling unit being a cooling device for use in an image forming apparatus that uses toner, the cooling device including:
• a heat receiving unit that receives heat from a cooling target, the heat receiving unit being disposed to come into contact with and away from the cooling target, the heat receiving unit including:
• a heat receiving surface of a heat radiating unit that radiates the heat received by the heat receiving unit;
• a heat conductive member that is disposed on the surface of the heat receiving unit on a side facing the cooling target;
• and
• a protection member that is disposed between the heat conductive member and the cooling target to protect the heat conductive member, the protection member being substantially incompatible with binder resin of the toner,
• wherein the heat receiving surface of the heat radiating unit is in direct contact with the heat conductive member.