An image reading apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a first reading unit, a first guide portion, a second reading unit, and a second guide portion. The second reading unit includes a rectangular transparent member, an optical reading unit, a housing, a first and a second contact portions, a first and a second pressing members, and a protruding portion. The first and the second contact portions are protruding from a facing surface of the housing. The protruding portion, when viewed from an upstream side in a conveyance direction of a recording material passing through a conveyance path between the second reading unit and the second guide portion, is disposed between the first contact portion and the second contact portion and protruding from the facing surface of the housing, a protruding amount of the protruding portion being smaller than protruding amounts of the first and the second contact portions.

A spring kicker element for a kicker unit within a print device is described. In one example, the spring kicker element is fitted onto the kicker unit. The spring kicker element comprises a planar extension extending radially from its base portion, such that when fitted, the planar extension extends away from the kicker unit.

To reduce, at the time of sheet replenishment, breakage of a floating regulation member that regulates floating of a sheet floated by air blowing in a sheet storage apparatus that loosen stored sheets by means of air blowing. Air is blown to sheets stored in a storage part to loosen the sheets. One of a pair of side regulation members for regulating both ends of the sheets stored in the storage part has a floating regulation member for regulating floating of a sheet floated by means of air blowing. The floating regulation member is configured to be turnable in a sheet stacking direction about a rotation axis provided to one of the side regulation members on the side at which the floating regulation member is provided. A load applied to the floating regulation member differs between when the floating regulation member is turned upward and when it is turned downward.

A sheet conveying device includes an abutment that abuts on a sheet conveyance path through which a sheet is conveyed. A holder supports the abutment and pivots to move the abutment between an abutting position where the abutment abuts on the sheet conveyance path and a retracted position where the abutment retracts from the sheet conveyance path. A biasing member applies a biasing force to the abutment. The biasing force moves the abutment from the retracted position toward the abutting position. A restrictor restricts motion of the abutment against the biasing force at the abutting position. An adjuster adjusts the biasing force applied to the abutment situated at the abutting position.

An image forming apparatus includes a sheet container accommodating a recording medium therein, a sheet separating feeder including a sheet feeding body and a sheet separating body, an image forming part, and a bend applier. The sheet feeding body feeds the recording medium along with a surface movement thereof while the recording medium contacting the surface thereof. The sheet separating body forms a sheet separation nip region with the sheet feeding body and sandwiches the recording medium in the sheet separation nip region. The sheet separating feeder separates and feeds the recording medium contacting the sheet feeding body. The image forming part forms an image on the recording medium. The bend applier having a leading end of an elastic material contacts and bends the recording medium before the sheet separation nip region and generates a wrinkle extending on the recording medium in a sheet conveying direction.

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a dispenser assembly for dispensing supplies of sheet material. The dispensing assembly can include a carrier supporting the supplies of sheet material and being moveable along a track between various dispensing positions. The dispenser assembly also can include a carrier pivoting assembly with a lever that engages one of the supplies of sheet material and rotates during dispensing thereof, as well as one or more biased pins connected to the lever and configured to engage locking features provided along the track to support the carrier in one of the dispensing positions. The biased pins further can be configured to retract with rotation of the lever such that they disengage the locking features so the carrier to moves along the track to different dispensing position. Other aspects also are described.

A sheet conveying device includes an abutment that abuts on a sheet conveyance path through which a sheet is conveyed. A holder supports the abutment and pivots to move the abutment between an abutting position where the abutment abuts on the sheet conveyance path and a retracted position where the abutment retracts from the sheet conveyance path. A biasing member applies a biasing force to the abutment. The biasing force moves the abutment from the retracted position toward the abutting position. A restrictor restricts motion of the abutment against the biasing force at the abutting position. An adjuster adjusts the biasing force applied to the abutment situated at the abutting position.

A roll tensioner for use in maintaining a wrapping material cut edge of a wrapping material retained on a wrapping material roll located within a wrapping material box having an interior cavity with an interior front wall with a top cutting edge. The roll tensioner comprises a thin, flexible main body having distal and proximal end sections separated by a spring back reversion section, and formed having a first side and a second side. Attachment means, preferably an adhesive, is located on at least a portion of the proximal end section on the first side adapted to attach the proximal end section to the interior front wall of the wrapping material box. The spring back reversion section is composed of a material that has an immediate elastic response to a static load and is capable of substantially full recovery when the static load is removed. The distal end mechanically bends downward by way of the spring back reversion section in the interior cavity of the wrapping material box. The distal end section is adapted to rest against the wrapping material proximal to the wrapping material cut edge to retain the wrapping material cut edge in an upward, substantially parallel position to the interior front wall of the wrapping material box for easy grasping of the wrapping material cut edge by an end user.

A sheet transport device includes a transport roller, a drive source, and a gear train. The transport roller transports a sheet. The gear train transmits rotating force from the drive source to the transport roller. The gear train includes a movable gear and a leaf spring. The movable gear is configured to move between a normal position where transmission of the rotating force to the transport roller is enabled, and a disengaged position where the transmission of the rotating force to the transport roller is interrupted, and also to move in an axial direction, and includes a helical gear that generates force to axially move in one direction, when the movable gear moves from the normal position to the disengaged position. The leaf spring buffers the movement of the movable gear in the one direction.

A sheet feeding device includes a stacking member, a feeding unit, and a detachable separation unit. The feeding unit feeds sheets stacked from the stacking member. The separation unit separates the fed sheets one by one. The separation unit includes a rotating member to abut and separate from the feeding unit and to rotate, a biasing member to bias the rotating member toward the feeding unit, and an engaged member to be engaged with an engagement member included in the sheet feeding device. The engagement member can move to a first position where the engagement member is engaged with the engaged member, and a second position away from the engaged member. Where the engagement member moves from the first to the second position when the separation unit is attached to the sheet feeding device, the separation unit moves in a detachment direction using the biasing member.