An image forming apparatus includes a second conveyance guide diverging from a first conveyance guide at a bifurcation and joining the first conveyance guide at a junction, the bifurcation being downstream of a first position of an image former in a conveyance direction, the junction being upstream of the first position in the conveyance direction, first and second sensors disposed in second and third positions between the junction and the first position along the first conveyance guide, respectively, and a controller that, when a sheet passes through the second and third positions for a second time, detects a surface characteristic of a side of the sheet by the first sensor and determines an image forming condition for the side based on the surface characteristic of the side and a basis weight detected by the second sensor when the sheet passed through the second and third positions for a first time.

A hinge for a cover of an image forming apparatus has a hinge housing to be movably positioned into an opening in a body of the image forming apparatus, a hinge cam to couple to the cover and to pivotably couple to the hinge housing to support pivoting of the cover.

An image reading device includes a loading plate, a frame, a scanner, a flat cable, and a holding member. The scanner includes a reading mechanism that extends in a main scanning direction and reciprocates in a sub-scanning direction on the side of a bottom surface opposite to an upper surface on which a document on the loading plate in the frame is loaded. The flat cable extends in the frame so that a width direction of the flat surface follows a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface of the loading plate. The holding member reciprocates together with the scanner and holds a part of the flat cable from the side on a main surface of the frame.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a plurality of image bearers, an endless belt, a contact and separation mechanism to generate a first trajectory and a second trajectory of the endless belt, a sensor to detect an object on a surface of the endless belt, and a positioning mechanism to enable the sensor to detect the object in the first trajectory and the second trajectory of the endless belt. The positioning mechanism includes a stay to support the sensor, a first bracket, a second bracket, a first positioning portion attached to the apparatus body to position the sensor in a direction of rotation of the first bracket and the second bracket at a time of the first trajectory, and a second positioning portion attached to the second bracket to position the sensor in the direction of rotation of the first bracket at a time of the second trajectory.

A cable fixing mechanism has a guide member and a conductive member, and permits a flexible cable to be fixed that is formed in the shape of a strip with a plurality of conductive wires arranged parallel to one another inside a cover member. The guide member has a guide surface facing one face of the flexible cable, and is fixed to a frame made of metal. The conductive member is flexible, is fixed to the guide member to face the guide surface, and is in contact with the frame. By the restoring force of the conductive member elastically deformed when fixed to the guide member, the flexible cable is held between the conductive member and the guide surface.

A sheet conveying device includes a supporting shaft, a rotating unit removable from an installation portion, a movable shaft, and an interlocking device. The rotating unit includes first and second ends, a holding member that holds a rotating body that conveys a sheet. The supporting shaft supports the rotating unit at the first end in an axial direction of the rotating body. The movable shaft is movable in the axial direction and supports the second end. The interlocking device moves the movable shaft per the rotating unit movement. Where the rotating unit is to be moved at a moving amount towards a side in which the rotating unit separates from the supporting shaft as part of removing the rotating unit from the installation portion, the interlocking device moves the movable shaft in the axial direction at a moving amount that is larger than the moving amount the rotating unit.

Regarding a restricting member that includes a contact face configured to be brought into contact with at least one portion of edges of a bundle of media mounted on a medium mounting section, and that is configured to be switched to either a blocking attitude for blocking advancement of the edges of the bundle of media into a nip portion between a feeding roller and a separating roller or an opening attitude for permitting the advancement of the edges of the bundle of media into the nip portion, the restricting member allows, in the blocking attitude, an edge shape of the bundle of media in contact with the contact face to be formed into a shape that fills in a tapered space tapering toward the nip portion.

The device of the present invention includes a frame that supports a switch and a link provided between an opening-closing member and the switch. The link has a first fulcrum forming portion supported at a first support portion of the frame to form a first fulcrum, a power-point portion pushed by the opening-closing member, a second fulcrum forming portion supported at a second support portion of the frame to form a second fulcrum, and a switch operation portion that presses the switch. The first fulcrum forming portion is separable with respect to the first support member. An urging member for urging the link is provided, with the urging member urging the first fulcrum forming portion toward the first support portion.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a plurality of image bearers, an endless belt, a contact and separation mechanism to generate a first trajectory and a second trajectory of the endless belt, a sensor to detect an object on a surface of the endless belt, and a positioning mechanism to enable the sensor to detect the object in the first trajectory and the second trajectory of the endless belt. The positioning mechanism includes a stay to support the sensor, a first bracket, a second bracket, a first positioning portion attached to the apparatus body to position the sensor in a direction of rotation of the first bracket and the second bracket at a time of the first trajectory, and a second positioning portion attached to the second bracket to position the sensor in the direction of rotation of the first bracket at a time of the second trajectory.

An image reading apparatus includes an image reading unit, a mounting portion, and a cover member. The cover member includes a first restricting portion, a lock portion, and an operation portion. The operation portion operated from outside the main unit is displaceable in a direction in which the lock portion deforms from the locking shape into the releasing shape. The mounting portion includes a second restricting portion and a part. The second restricting portion restricts displacement of the operation portion in the cover member mounted on the mounting portion in the second orientation. The part has a second aperture opening into the lock portion in the cover member mounted on the mounting portion in the second orientation from outside the main unit. The second aperture is an opening for the insertion of a tool for deforming the lock portion from the locking shape into the releasing shape.