A conveyor device, including: a first roller; a second roller disposed under the first roller and configured to be movable between a nip position at which the second roller cooperates with the first roller to nip a sheet therebetween so as to discharge the sheet in a discharge direction and a separated position located at a height level lower than the nip position; a cover configured to be movable between a first position and a second position located at a height level lower than the first position, the cover including a downstream wall which at least partially covers a downstream portion of the second roller located at the nip position when the cover is located at the first position; and a moving mechanism configured to move the second roller between the nip position and the separated position and to move the cover between the first position and the second position.

A medium conveying apparatus includes an imaging unit provided to be movable in a direction perpendicular to a conveying surface for conveying a medium, to image the medium, a roller pair provided on an upstream side of the imaging unit in a medium conveying direction, the roller pair including a first roller provided to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface, and a second roller facing the first roller, and a conveyance guide provided on a rotation shaft of the first roller, to move in conjunction with a movement of the first roller. The conveyance guide includes a guide surface extending at least from a downstream end portion of a nip portion of the roller pair to an upstream end portion of the imaging unit in the medium conveying direction and being flush with a lower surface of the imaging unit.

A medium conveying apparatus includes an imaging unit provided to be movable in a direction perpendicular to a conveying surface for conveying a medium, to image the medium, a roller pair provided on an upstream side of the imaging unit in a medium conveying direction, the roller pair including a first roller provided to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface, and a second roller facing the first roller, and a conveyance guide provided on a rotation shaft of the first roller, to move in conjunction with a movement of the first roller. The conveyance guide includes a guide surface extending at least from a downstream end portion of a nip portion of the roller pair to an upstream end portion of the imaging unit in the medium conveying direction and being flush with a lower surface of the imaging unit.

A hold down finger for a finisher process tray contacts the top sheet of paper on a paper tray to prevent subsequently printed pages from disturbing pages disposed on the paper tray. The hold down finger includes gears that move a portion of the hold down finger that contacts the top sheet of paper from a retracted position to a forward hold down position along a substantially elliptical path. After each sheet is printed and placed on top of other pages in the paper tray, the paper tray lowers and the hold down finger continues along the substantially elliptical path back to the retracted position. A rack gear associated with the paper tray engages a cylindrical gear of the hold down finger to return the hold down finger to the retracted position if the paper tray is forced upwards while the hold down finger is in the forward position.

A hold down finger for a finisher process tray contacts the top sheet of paper on a paper tray to prevent subsequently printed pages from disturbing pages disposed on the paper tray. The hold down finger includes gears that move a portion of the hold down finger that contacts the top sheet of paper from a retracted position to a forward hold down position along a substantially elliptical path. After each sheet is printed and placed on top of other pages in the paper tray, the paper tray lowers and the hold down finger continues along the substantially elliptical path back to the retracted position. A rack gear associated with the paper tray engages a cylindrical gear of the hold down finger to return the hold down finger to the retracted position if the paper tray is forced upwards while the hold down finger is in the forward position.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet discharged from the apparatus body is to be stacked, an extension member, and an upper device. The extension member is rotatable about a rotating fulcrum between a first position at which the extension member is stored in the sheet stacking portion and a second position at which the extension member extends to downstream of the sheet stacking portion in a sheet discharge direction in which the sheet is discharged from the apparatus body. The upper device is disposed above the rotating fulcrum of the extension member and is supported to be openable by the apparatus body. The upper device in a closed state regulates a rotation of the extension member from the first position toward the second position.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet discharged from the apparatus body is to be stacked, an extension member, and an upper device. The extension member is rotatable about a rotating fulcrum between a first position at which the extension member is stored in the sheet stacking portion and a second position at which the extension member extends to downstream of the sheet stacking portion in a sheet discharge direction in which the sheet is discharged from the apparatus body. The upper device is disposed above the rotating fulcrum of the extension member and is supported to be openable by the apparatus body. The upper device in a closed state regulates a rotation of the extension member from the first position toward the second position.

Provided is a sheet placement apparatus that is capable of changing the force of pushing a hopper configured to push up a sheet, without an increase in size, and a printing apparatus that is equipped with such a sheet placement apparatus.

Provided is a sheet placement apparatus that is capable of changing the force of pushing a hopper configured to push up a sheet, without an increase in size, and a printing apparatus that is equipped with such a sheet placement apparatus.

A sheet conveyor includes a drive roller, a retard roller forming a nip with the drive roller, a first torque limiter disposed coaxially with the retard roller and communicating with the retard roller, a first gear disposed coaxially with the retard roller, a drive train including a plurality of gears for receiving a driving force from the first gear, a second torque limiter, and an arm member including a contact portion located downstream of the drive roller in the conveyance direction. The arm member is movable between a first arm position to allow transmission of the driving force to the second torque limiter and a second arm position to interrupt transmission of the driving force to the second torque limiter. The arm member is configured to, as the sheet conveyed by the drive roller contacts the contact portion, move from the first arm position to the second arm position