A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in a conveying direction includes a pair of conveying rollers receiving and conveying a sheet; an endless conveying belt conveying the sheet; a plurality of balls to be rotatable in any direction while nipping the sheet with the conveying surface; a pair of regulating guides disposed on both sides of the conveying belt; a guide moving unit that moves the pair of regulating guides; and a roller moving unit that moves at least one of the pair of conveying rollers to a nip position and a nip release position. Before a rear end of the sheet passes the pair of conveying rollers, the pair of conveying rollers is moved to the nip release position by the roller moving unit, and then, the guide moving unit makes each of the pair of regulating guides reach the guide position from the retracting position.

According to one embodiment, provided is an automatic document feeder including a conveying unit, a first tray, a storage unit, and a paper discharge guide. The conveying unit is configured to convey paper to the paper discharge tray. The first tray is a paper discharge tray on which paper discharged by the conveying unit is stacked. The storage unit is a groove-shaped hole provided below the first tray. The paper discharge guide is a member for guiding paper having a predetermined size discharged by the conveying unit to the storage unit.

According to one embodiment, provided is an automatic document feeder including a conveying unit, a first tray, a storage unit, and a paper discharge guide. The conveying unit is configured to convey paper to the paper discharge tray. The first tray is a paper discharge tray on which paper discharged by the conveying unit is stacked. The storage unit is a groove-shaped hole provided below the first tray. The paper discharge guide is a member for guiding paper having a predetermined size discharged by the conveying unit to the storage unit.

An information processing method performs steps for an information processing apparatus to communicate with an image forming apparatus having first and second sheet output sections. The second sheet output section can be switched between a close position to serve to guide a sheet to the first sheet output section, and an open position not to guide the sheet to the first sheet output section but to stack the sheet. The method inputs a type of sheet, acquires information indicating whether the second sheet output section is in an open or closed state, and transmits image information to the image forming apparatus. When the sheet type recommends the sheet be output to the second sheet output section and the second sheet output section is in the closed state, a message is output to prompt to switch the second sheet output section into the open position before the image information is transmitted.

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.

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.

A printer includes a record section, a discharge section, a mount section, a movable rib, a move section, and a control section. The record section records on a sheet by ejecting an ink to the sheet. The discharge section discharges the sheet. The mount section has a mount surface on which the sheet discharged is mounted. A movable rib is configured to protrude from the mount surface and supports the sheet. The dimension of the movable rib in an A-direction is larger than the dimension thereof in a Y-direction. The move section moves the movable rib in a C-direction. The control section controls, based on temperature and humidity information, movement of the movable rib made by the move section.

A printing apparatus comprises a sheet eject tray; a movable guide arranged on an upstream side of the sheet eject tray in a direction of conveyance of a sheet and is configured to be able to move to a protruding position and a retracted position; and a driving mechanism configured to cause the movable guide to move to the protruding position when a leading edge of a sheet is conveyed along the movable guide and cause the movable guide to move to the retracted position when a trailing edge of a sheet is conveyed along the movable guide, wherein the protruding position includes a first position at which the movable guide presses a sheet to the sheet eject tray and a second position between the first position and the retracted position.

Post-processing apparatus for performing given process subsequently to image forming process by image forming apparatus is disclosed. Post-processing apparatus includes: first ejector which ejects sheet; first tray which temporarily holds sheet; second tray situated downstream of first tray in ejection direction of sheet; a tray driver which moves second tray downwardly from first height position; blower which forms airstream between second tray and lower surface of sheet; and controller which controls blower and tray driver. Controller includes: blower controller which causes blower to blow air over time period in synchronization with first time period from start to end of sheet ejection by first ejector; and tray controller which causes tray driver to move second tray downwardly from first height position after first time period.

Post-processing apparatus for performing given process subsequently to image forming process by image forming apparatus is disclosed. Post-processing apparatus includes: first ejector which ejects sheet; first tray which temporarily holds sheet; second tray situated downstream of first tray in ejection direction of sheet; a tray driver which moves second tray downwardly from first height position; blower which forms airstream between second tray and lower surface of sheet; and controller which controls blower and tray driver. Controller includes: blower controller which causes blower to blow air over time period in synchronization with first time period from start to end of sheet ejection by first ejector; and tray controller which causes tray driver to move second tray downwardly from first height position after first time period.