A multifunctional printer comprising a printer section, an auto-document feeder, a scanner section, and a finisher, wherein a finisher path leads from the auto-document feeder into the printer section and converges with a print path into a shared finisher path leading to the finisher, such that documents scanned with the auto-document feeder can be conveyed to the finisher such that it can perform a finishing operation on the documents.

An automatic document feeder (300) includes a housing (301), conveyance roller pairs (313 to 317), and a pressure releasing mechanism. The housing (301) is openably/closably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus. The conveyance roller pairs (313 to 317) pinch an original document sheet with pressure and feed the original document sheet. The pressure releasing mechanism detaches one rollers (313b to 317b) of the conveyance roller pairs (313 to 317) from the other rollers (313a to 317a) in conjunction with an operation of opening the housing 301 against the main body.

There is provided a transportation apparatus in which a first transportation unit, which transports a paper sheet from a mounting portion, starts transportation of a next paper sheet at a time when a specific time has elapsed after the second transportation unit, which is positioned on a downstream side of the first transportation unit, starts to transport a paper sheet so that an inter-sheet distance between a preceding paper sheet and a following paper sheet becomes optimal.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body including an image forming unit, a unit detachably attached to the apparatus body, a first rotary member provided in the unit, a second rotary member provided in the apparatus body and configured to be coupled with and decoupled from the first rotary member by being moved in a rotation axial direction of the first rotary member, and a restriction member provided in the apparatus body and movable to a first position and a second position. The restriction member includes an engaging portion configured to engage with the second rotary member and is configured to move the second rotary member by the engaging portion so that the second rotary member is decoupled from the first rotary member along with a move of the restriction member from the first position to the second position.

A sheet conveying device includes a sheet placement table, a sheet discharge table, a conveyance mechanism, raising/lowering mechanism, and a raising/lowering control portion. The sheet discharge table is located below the sheet placement table. The conveyance mechanism conveys a sheet placed on the sheet placement table onto the sheet discharge table via an execution position at which image processing is executed by an image processing portion. The raising/lowering mechanism raises and lowers the sheet placement table. The raising/lowering control portion controls the raising/lowering mechanism to raise and lower the sheet placement table to a target position that is determined in accordance with a size of the sheet on the sheet discharge table.

A sheet conveying device includes a sheet placement table, a sheet discharge table, a conveyance mechanism, raising/lowering mechanism, and a raising/lowering control portion. The sheet discharge table is located below the sheet placement table. The conveyance mechanism conveys a sheet placed on the sheet placement table onto the sheet discharge table via an execution position at which image processing is executed by an image processing portion. The raising/lowering mechanism raises and lowers the sheet placement table. The raising/lowering control portion controls the raising/lowering mechanism to lower the sheet placement table when a human detection sensor configured to detect a human in a detection region has detected a human in the detection region.

A decoloring apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit, a scanner, a decoloring unit, and a controller. The decoloring unit decolors the image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying unit. The decoloring unit is positioned downstream of the scanner in a sheet conveying direction. A distance along the sheet conveying direction between the scanner and the decoloring unit is shorter than a length of a first predetermined sheet size and longer than a length of a second predetermined sheet size. A controller determines whether the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is the first predetermined sheet size or the second predetermined sheet size. The controller performs a mode limiting process if the sheet size is determined to be the first predetermined sheet size.

A sheet conveyance device (1) includes a feed tray (20), a feeding unit (50), a stopper (30), a first abutted portion (41), and an impact reducing mechanism (10). Sheets are loaded on the feed tray (20). The feeding unit (50) feeds the sheets. The stopper (30) is rotatably supported on the feeding unit (50) and rotates when pressed by the sheets inserted into the feed tray (20). The stopper (30) comes into contact with the first abutted portion (41) in association with the rotation of the stopper (30). The impact reducing mechanism (10) reduces impact applied to the first abutted portion (41) by the stopper (30).

A sheet conveying device includes a conveying unit configured to convey sheets along a predetermined conveyance path, and a cover member disposed at a position covering the conveying unit and constituting one of exterior surfaces of the sheet conveying device. The cover member includes a first base portion constituting one of the exterior surfaces, a second base portion facing the first base portion across a space, and a plurality of linking portions provided between the first base portion and the second base portion and linking to both the first base portion and the second base portion. The first base portion, the second base portion, and the plurality of linking portions are integrally formed of a resin material into one piece. The second base portion includes a plurality of ribs protruding from a surface of the second base portion opposite to the first base portion.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes a passage forming body and a sound absorber. The passage forming body is configured to define a sheet conveying passage through which a sheet passes. The sound absorber includes a hollow portion and a communication portion configured to communication the hollow portion and the sheet conveying passage. A position of the communication portion of the sound absorber is changeable in the sheet conveying passage. The sheet conveying device included in the image reading device includes an original document conveying device configured to convey an original document having an image on a surface. The sheet conveying device included in the image forming apparatus includes a recording medium conveying device configured to convey the recording medium accommodated in a recording medium container to the image forming device.