A document feeder, which may be incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet conveying guide, at least one recess, a frame, and at least one protrusion. The sheet conveying guide is disposed facing an exposure glass on an apparatus body and guides an original document passing over the exposure glass when the document feeder is closed to the apparatus body. The recess is disposed on the apparatus body at both ends of the exposure glass in a lateral direction orthogonal to a document conveying direction. The frame is openably closable about one end side of the apparatus body in the lateral direction and vertically movably holds the sheet conveying guide. The protrusion is disposed on the frame facing the recess. The sheet conveying guide and the frame are secured to each other while the recess and the protrusion are engaged with each other in the closed state.

The present disclosure provides a double-sided printing paper conveying unit, including a paper conveyor configured to convey paper in a conveying direction, a guiding part configured to guide the paper conveyed by the paper conveyor, an aligner movably mounted on the guiding part, and configured to correct a skew posture of the paper during conveyance in an alignment direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; and a movement mechanism mounted on the guiding part and capable of moving the aligner along the alignment direction and between a first position corresponding to a first size of paper and a second position corresponding to a second size of paper such that the aligner aligns the paper based on a size of the paper. In addition, the present disclosure also provides an imaging apparatus that includes the double-sided printing paper conveying unit.

The present disclosure provides a double-sided printing paper conveying unit, including a paper conveyor configured to convey paper in a conveying direction, a guiding part configured to guide the paper conveyed by the paper conveyor, an aligner movably mounted on the guiding part, and configured to correct a skew posture of the paper during conveyance in an alignment direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; and a movement mechanism mounted on the guiding part and capable of moving the aligner along the alignment direction and between a first position corresponding to a first size of paper and a second position corresponding to a second size of paper such that the aligner aligns the paper based on a size of the paper. In addition, the present disclosure also provides an imaging apparatus that includes the double-sided printing paper conveying unit.

A deflection correcting device includes a banknote running passage defined by a first passage plate and a second passage plate. Deflection correcting wheels are arranged in the banknote running passage and a deflection correcting direction of the deflection correcting wheels is deflected from a reference side of the banknote running passage. A lateral guiding mechanism is provided at the reference side, and configured to drive a banknote that reaches the reference side to move in the transmission direction of the banknote running passage; and a deflection correcting adjusting wheel is provided at a tail end in a deflection direction of the plurality of the deflection correcting wheels, and a deflection correcting direction of the deflection correcting adjusting wheel is deflected from the reference side. The banknote is prevented from jamming at the reference side and the passage.

A deflection correcting device includes a banknote running passage defined by a first passage plate and a second passage plate. Deflection correcting wheels are arranged in the banknote running passage and a deflection correcting direction of the deflection correcting wheels is deflected from a reference side of the banknote running passage. A lateral guiding mechanism is provided at the reference side, and configured to drive a banknote that reaches the reference side to move in the transmission direction of the banknote running passage; and a deflection correcting adjusting wheel is provided at a tail end in a deflection direction of the plurality of the deflection correcting wheels, and a deflection correcting direction of the deflection correcting adjusting wheel is deflected from the reference side. The banknote is prevented from jamming at the reference side and the passage.

A sheet conveyance device includes: a container that accommodates loaded sheets; a feeding mechanism that continuously feeds the sheet from the container; a conveyance path on which the sheet is conveyed; and a pitch adjustment mechanism provided on the conveyance path and which adjusts a pitch of a preceding sheet and a subsequent sheet, wherein the pitch adjustment mechanism includes a pitch adjustment roller pair including a first pitch adjustment roller and a second pitch adjustment roller that sandwich the conveyance path and are in pressure contact with each other, the first pitch adjustment roller is driven and rotated in a direction following a sheet conveying direction, the second pitch adjustment roller is driven and rotated in the direction following a sheet conveying direction, and the second pitch adjustment roller is connected to a drive shaft that drives the second pitch adjustment roller via a one-way clutch.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a bottom plate, a side restriction member extending in a sheet conveying direction, a drive roller rotatable about a first axis substantially orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and a driven roller facing the drive roller and rotatable about a second axis inclined relative to the first axis. The driven shaft includes a shaft portion and an elastic portion. The shaft portion integrally includes a first extending portion, a second extending portion, and an intermediate portion located therebetween. The elastic portion is fitted over the intermediate portion. The first extending portion includes a first protruding portion. The second extending portion includes a second protruding portion. A first distance from the second axis to an outer peripheral surface of the first protruding portion is greater than a second distance from the second axis to an outer peripheral surface of the second protruding portion.

A roller-type lateral force generation device includes a roller, a first plate, a second plate, a connection plate, a first spring, a rotation shaft, a second spring, a fixing element and an adjustment element. The connection plate is disposed along a set direction, which is perpendicular to a paper-feeding direction. The first spring is disposed between the first plate and a first shaft portion of a roller shaft of the roller. The second spring is disposed between the second plate and a second shaft portion of the roller shaft. The adjustment element has a limitation plate perpendicular to the first plate. The limitation plate has a limitation groove. The first shaft portion is penetrated through the limitation groove. The set direction and the connection line of the rotation shaft and the roller shaft have an angle larger than 0 degree. A lateral force is generated, thereby avoiding paper squeezing inward.

An image forming apparatus that controls to cut off exciting currents supplied to a plurality of motors to drive conveyance roller pairs after a leading end of a paper sheet is brought in contact with a registration roller pair, and, when cutting off the exciting currents, cut off the exciting current for at least one of the motors at a different timing from the other motors.

The sheet conveyance apparatus includes first and second rollers, the second roller coming into contact with the first roller and thereby forming a nip portion, the second rotation axis being inclined with respect to the first rotation axis, wherein the second roller includes a first outer circumferential portion having a first outside diameter, a second outer circumferential portion arranged on one side of the first outer circumferential portion in an axial direction of the second rotation axis and having a second outside diameter larger than the first outside diameter, and a third outer circumferential portion arranged on the other side of the first outer circumferential portion, and wherein an outer circumferential surface of the first roller contacts with at least the first, second and third outer circumferential portions of the second roller, to form the nip portion.