Guide device with mechanism capable of minimizing damage to toner image by water droplet and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A guide device that is disposed downstream from a fixing device, which fixes a toner image on a recording medium in a recording medium conveyance direction, and that guides the recording medium discharged from the fixing device, the guide device comprising:

• a first conveyance wall plate;
• and
• at least one rib assembly mounted on the first conveyance wall plate, including:
• a plurality of primary ribs contacting the first conveyance wall plate, each having a first thickness in a direction orthogonal to the recording medium conveyance direction, and
• a plurality of secondary ribs mounted on selected ones of the plurality of primary ribs, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of primary ribs comprises fewer than all of the primary ribs, each secondary rib including:
• a bottom contacting the primary rib and having a second thickness in the direction orthogonal to the recording medium conveyance direction that is smaller than the first thickness of the primary rib, and
• a top contacting the recording medium and having a third thickness in the direction orthogonal to the recording medium conveyance direction that is smaller than the second thickness of the bottom of the secondary rib.