An image forming apparatus includes an attachable/detachable storage unit having a positioned portion projecting downstream in an attachment direction of the storage unit, a conveyance member, an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet conveyed by the conveyance member, and a conveyance unit to move between a first position and a second position. Engagement of the positioned portion with a positioning portion of the image forming apparatus causes the storage unit to be positioned with respect to the image forming apparatus. The conveyance unit includes a contact portion and a depressed portion. In a case where the contact portion of the conveyance unit comes into contact with the storage unit and the conveyance unit is moved from the second position to the first position by the storage unit, the positioned portion does not come into contact with the depressed portion of the conveyance unit.

A sheet feeder includes a sheet tray, a feed roller, a sheet feed frame, a contact element, a guide frame, a photosensor, a shield, and a linkage. The feed roller feeds a sheet on the sheet tray. The sheet feed frame holds the feed roller. The contact element is pivotable relative to the sheet feed frame. The guide frame is disposed below the sheet feed frame. The photosensor includes a light emitter and a light receiver. The shield is movable between a light transmission position and a light shield position. The linkage connects the contact element and the shield such that the shield is movable as the contact element pivots. The light receiver receives the light emitted from the light emitter when the shield is at the light transmission position. The shield at the light shield position shields the light receiver from the light emitted from the light emitter.

A conductive sheet capable of preventing erroneous reading and writing is provided. The conductive sheet according to one embodiment is configured to be positioned between a sheet tray of an image forming device and a sheet. The conductive sheet includes a base layer and a double conveyance prevention structure. The base layer comprises a conductive material positioned to overlap with a wireless tag of the sheet. The double conveyance prevention structure is coupled to or defined by the base layer. The double conveyance prevention structure is configured to prevent conveyance of the conductive sheet by the image forming apparatus when the conductive sheet overlaps the sheet in the sheet tray.

According to one embodiment, a sheet conveying device includes a tray, a pickup roller, a movement mechanism, a holder, a biasing unit, and a detecting mechanism. The movement mechanism moves the tray between a raised position and a lowered position. The raised position is a position where sheets come into contact with the pickup roller. The holder holds the pickup roller so that the pickup roller is displaceable when pushed up by the sheets. The biasing unit applies a biasing force to the holder pushing down the pickup roller. The detecting mechanism detects when the sheets push up the pickup roller. The detecting mechanism includes a detection unit and a sensor. The detection unit is switchable between a reference position and a detection position according to displacement of the holder accompanying the movement of the tray. The sensor detects when the detection unit reaches the detection position.

An image forming apparatus includes a paper feeding cassette, a first conveying unit, a lift mechanism, a motor, a second conveying unit, and a control unit. The controller drives the motor and, if a value indicating a movement amount of the tray moving from when the lift mechanism starts the lifting of the tray until when a position of the top part reaches a first position is a first value, matches a position of the first conveying unit, which comes into contact with the top part to thereby rise together with the tray, with a second position and, if the value indicating the movement amount is a second value larger than the first value, matches the position of the first conveying unit, which comes into contact with the top part to thereby rise together with the tray, with a third position lower than the second position.

A conveying roller unit comprises a first unit, a second unit, and a lock mechanism. The first unit comprises: a roller section; and a hollow cylindrical holder section. The second unit can be removably mounted to the first unit, and comprises: a second connection section; a rod section inserted into the holder section. The lock mechanism includes: a first engagement section provided on the inner circumferential surface of the holder section; a second engagement section provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rod section; and a urging member for pressing the second unit in the direction in which the rod section comes out of the holder section. The urging member maintains the first engagement section and the second engagement section in an engaged state and restricts the position of the second unit relative to the first unit in both the circumferential direction and the rotation axis direction.

An object is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of switching, with a simple configuration, the positional relation between a supporting member and a feeding member and the positional relation between a developing member and a photosensitive member. A separation cam 100 rotated by the driving force of a motor M and a slider 101 moving in accordance with the rotation of the separation cam 100 are configured to switch the positional relation between a lifting plate 13 and a feeding roller 3 and the positional relation between a developing roller 103b and a photosensitive drum 8.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, an image forming device to form an image on the image bearer, a transfer device to transfer the image formed on the image bearer onto a sheet, a storage to store the sheet, a sheet feeder to convey the sheet one by one to the transfer device, and a slip amount prediction controller. The slip amount prediction controller calculates a predicted slip amount between the sheet feeder and the sheet before forming the image and, subsequently calculates an interval between images based on the predicted slip amount. The slip amount prediction controller controls the image forming device based on the calculated interval between images to form the image on the image bearer.

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus for selectively feeding printing media to an image former of a main body through a cassette and a multipurpose tray includes a tray feeder configured to feed printing media placed in the multipurpose tray, a cassette feeder configured to feed printing media placed in the cassette, a power train configured to transmit power generated from a driving motor, and a power switching unit configured to transmit power transmitted to the power train to the tray feeder or the cassette feeder as the multipurpose tray is moved to a use position or a non-use position.

A conveyance apparatus includes a separation unit configured to separate and convey a sheet, a detection unit configured to detect a floating of the sheet passing through the separation unit, and a control unit configured to stop separate conveyance by the separation unit if the detection unit detects the sheet for not less than a predetermined time and/or a predetermined count.