Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable unit, a support unit, a protruding portion, a guide portion, and a pressing portion. The movable unit includes a fixing member and a pressure member, and swings along a width direction of a sheet. The support unit supports the movable unit. The protruding portion is electrically conductive and is provided to protrude from a first unit of one of the movable unit and the support unit toward a second unit of the other. The guide portion is electrically conductive and is formed in the second unit so that the protruding portion can be inserted therein, and guides the protruding portion along the width direction. The pressing portion presses the movable unit in a pressing direction perpendicular to the width direction and along a horizontal plane.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that forms a toner image on an image carrier, a transfer portion, a fixing portion, a discharge portion, a pair of conveyance rollers, a sheet conveyance passage, a duplex conveyance passage, and a side cover. The side cover forms the outer surface of the duplex conveyance passage. In a manner coordinated with the opening of the side cover, one of the pair of conveyance rollers moves in a direction away from the other of the pair of conveyance rollers to open part of the sheet conveyance passage from the pair of conveyance rollers to the discharge portion.

Abstract: A guide unit holding portion is formed at a position between two struts in a longitudinal direction of a fixing unit. When a main cover portion rotates from an open position to a closed position, a supported portion of a swing guide unit moves from a position where the supported portion is separated from the guide unit holding portion to a position where the supported portion is in contact with the guide unit holding portion. Further, the supported portion slides on the guide unit holding portion. When the supported portion slides on the guide unit holding portion, the swing guide unit is swung upward, and then held at a target position by the guide unit holding portion.

Abstract: A heating unit urging member urges a first support body of a heating unit toward a second support body of a fixing unit with elastic force. The heating unit urging member brings the first support body into contact with the second support body and brings the second support body into contact with two struts. An interlocking mechanism moves the heating unit along a direction in which the heating unit and the fixing unit are arranged, in conjunction with movement of an operation portion. When the operation portion moves from a first position to a second position, the interlocking mechanism moves the first support body from a reference position where the first support body is in contact with the second support body to a retracted position where the first support body is separated from the second support body.

Abstract: A heating unit urging member urges a first support body of a heating unit toward a second support body of a fixing unit with elastic force. The heating unit urging member brings the first support body into contact with the second support body and brings the second support body into contact with two struts. An interlocking mechanism moves the heating unit along a direction in which the heating unit and the fixing unit are arranged, in conjunction with movement of an operation portion. When the operation portion moves from a first position to a second position, the interlocking mechanism moves the first support body from a reference position where the first support body is in contact with the second support body to a retracted position where the first support body is separated from the second support body.

Abstract: A guide unit holding portion is formed at a position between two struts in a longitudinal direction of a fixing unit. When a main cover portion rotates from an open position to a closed position, a supported portion of a swing guide unit moves from a position where the supported portion is separated from the guide unit holding portion to a position where the supported portion is in contact with the guide unit holding portion. Further, the supported portion slides on the guide unit holding portion. When the supported portion slides on the guide unit holding portion, the swing guide unit is swung upward, and then held at a target position by the guide unit holding portion.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes a sheet receiving part, a first discharge part, a sheet conveyance path, an escape conveyance path, a branch guide, an escape tray, a second discharge part, and a first sheet detection part. When a device failure occurs, the branch guide switches the conveyance direction such that the sheet remaining on the sheet conveyance path is discharged on the escape tray by the second discharge part, through the escape conveyance path sequentially. Then, the second discharge part stops a discharging of the sheet in a state where the sheet remains in the second discharge part when the sheet is a last sheet to be conveyed to the escape tray. Then, a receiving of a new sheet to the sheet receiving part from the image forming apparatus is inhibited while the first sheet detection part detects the last sheet.

Abstract: A relay conveyance device includes a discharge unit which discharges a sheet toward a carry-in port, a decurling unit attached to the discharge unit, and a discharge adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a height direction inclination of the discharge unit. The discharge adjustment mechanism is set to be capable of adjusting an inclination of the discharge unit such that the decurling unit maintains a predetermined reference position even when the discharge unit is supported by any of a plurality of unit supporting portions set according to a height position of the carry-in port.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a correcting unit. The correcting unit corrects displacement of a sheet conveyed from an upstream side conveying path, and conveys the sheet to a downstream side conveying path. The correcting unit includes a first conveying part conveying the sheet, a first moving part moving a first frame supporting the first conveying part and a detecting part detecting a side end edge of the sheet at a reference position without displacement. The first conveying part stops conveyance of the sheet when a leading end of the sheet reaches the detecting part. While the driving of the first conveying part is stopped, the first moving part moves the first frame to move the sheet, and stops movement of the first frame, when detection result of the detecting part is changed, to position the side end edge to the reference position to correct displacement of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet conveying passage, an upper conveying guide provided in the sheet conveying passage and facing the upper surface of a sheet, a lower conveying guide facing the lower surface of the sheet, a conveying member conveying the sheet along the sheet conveying passage, a sheet stack tray arranged above the upper conveying guide. The upper conveying guide is swingable up and down, with one end part of it in the sheet conveying direction or in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction serving as a pivot shaft. The sheet stack tray has a movable part making contact with the upper conveying guide at least when it swings, and the movable part is movable between a sheet receiving position where it forms a sheet stack surface and a retracted position where it has swung upward from the sheet receiving position.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, conveying members, a switching unit, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The sheet conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path having a conveying load for a sheet larger than the first conveying path. The switching unit selectively switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path. The control unit determines whether the sheets are first sheets or second sheets thicker than the first sheets, based on sheet thickness information received by the receiving unit. If the sheets are the first sheets, the switching unit switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path alternately. If the sheets are the second sheets, the switching unit switches to fix the sheet conveying path to the first conveying path.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet conveying passage, an upper conveying guide provided in the sheet conveying passage and facing the upper surface of a sheet, a lower conveying guide facing the lower surface of the sheet, a conveying member conveying the sheet along the sheet conveying passage, a sheet stack tray arranged above the upper conveying guide. The upper conveying guide is swingable up and down, with one end part of it in the sheet conveying direction or in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction serving as a pivot shaft. The sheet stack tray has a movable part making contact with the upper conveying guide at least when it swings, and the movable part is movable between a sheet receiving position where it forms a sheet stack surface and a retracted position where it has swung upward from the sheet receiving position.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance device 10 includes a first conveyance path 12a having a linear portion 121 along which a sheet is to be linearly conveyed, a second conveyance path 12b branched from the linear portion 121 and a branch member 30 which is to be set selectively to a first position for guiding the sheet to a downstream side of the first conveyance path 12a or a second position for guiding the sheet to the second conveyance path 12b. The branch member 30 is made up of a resinous guide body 31 having a first guide surface 31a for guiding the sheet to a downstream side of the first conveyance path 12a, and a metallic guide plate 35. A second guide surface 35a for guiding the sheet to the second conveyance path 12b is formed of the resinous guide body 31 and the metallic guide plate 35.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance unit includes a sheet inlet port, an inlet guide, and a guide switching mechanism. The inlet guide has an upper guide and a lower guide below the upper guide. The guide switching mechanism switches a position of the inlet guide between a conveyance position at which the upper guide and the lower guide face each other with a first distance and a separation position at which the upper guide and the lower guide are spaced from each other by a second distance greater than the first distance. To connect the sheet conveyance unit to the sheet discharge unit, the inlet guide is disposed to the separation position before the discharge guide is inserted between the upper guide and the lower guide, and is disposed to the conveyance position after the discharge guide is inserted between the upper guide and the lower guide.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes a sheet receiving part, a first discharge part, a sheet conveyance path, an escape conveyance path, a branch guide, an escape tray, a second discharge part, and a first sheet detection part. When a device failure occurs, the branch guide switches the conveyance direction such that the sheet remaining on the sheet conveyance path is discharged on the escape tray by the second discharge part, through the escape conveyance path sequentially. Then, the second discharge part stops a discharging of the sheet in a state where the sheet remains in the second discharge part when the sheet is a last sheet to be conveyed to the escape tray. Then, a receiving of a new sheet to the sheet receiving part from the image forming apparatus is inhibited while the first sheet detection part detects the last sheet.

Abstract: A relay conveyance device includes a discharge unit which discharges a sheet toward a carry-in port, a decurling unit attached to the discharge unit, and a discharge adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a height direction inclination of the discharge unit. The discharge adjustment mechanism is set to be capable of adjusting an inclination of the discharge unit such that the decurling unit maintains a predetermined reference position even when the discharge unit is supported by any of a plurality of unit supporting portions set according to a height position of the carry-in port.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, conveying members, a switching unit, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The sheet conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path having a conveying load for a sheet larger than the first conveying path. The switching unit selectively switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path. The control unit determines whether the sheets are first sheets or second sheets thicker than the first sheets, based on sheet thickness information received by the receiving unit. If the sheets are the first sheets, the switching unit switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path alternately. If the sheets are the second sheets, the switching unit switches to fix the sheet conveying path to the first conveying path.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a correcting unit. The correcting unit corrects displacement of a sheet conveyed from an upstream side conveying path, and conveys the sheet to a downstream side conveying path. The correcting unit includes a first conveying part conveying the sheet, a first moving part moving a first frame supporting the first conveying part and a detecting part detecting a side end edge of the sheet at a reference position without displacement. The first conveying part stops conveyance of the sheet when a leading end of the sheet reaches the detecting part. While the driving of the first conveying part is stopped, the first moving part moves the first frame to move the sheet, and stops movement of the first frame, when detection result of the detecting part is changed, to position the side end edge to the reference position to correct displacement of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance device 10 includes a first conveyance path 12a having a linear portion 121 along which a sheet is to be linearly conveyed, a second conveyance path 12b branched from the linear portion 121 and a branch member 30 which is to be set selectively to a first position for guiding the sheet to a downstream side of the first conveyance path 12a or a second position for guiding the sheet to the second conveyance path 12b. The branch member 30 is made up of a resinous guide body 31 having a first guide surface 31a for guiding the sheet to a downstream side of the first conveyance path 12a, and a metallic guide plate 35. A second guide surface 35a for guiding the sheet to the second conveyance path 12b is formed of the resinous guide body 31 and the metallic guide plate 35.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance unit includes a sheet inlet port, an inlet guide, and a guide switching mechanism. The inlet guide has an upper guide and a lower guide below the upper guide. The guide switching mechanism switches a position of the inlet guide between a conveyance position at which the upper guide and the lower guide face each other with a first distance and a separation position at which the upper guide and the lower guide are spaced from each other by a second distance greater than the first distance. To connect the sheet conveyance unit to the sheet discharge unit, the inlet guide is disposed to the separation position before the discharge guide is inserted between the upper guide and the lower guide, and is disposed to the conveyance position after the discharge guide is inserted between the upper guide and the lower guide.