An image forming apparatus includes a load detection sensor located on a feeder to detect whether a print medium is loaded on the feeder, an overload detection sensor to detect an overload state of a discharger, and a controller to detect a width of the print medium according to a combination of a feeder load state of a feeder load detection signal of the load detection sensor and an overload state of a discharger overload detection signal of the overload detection sensor and control an image former to perform printing by applying different print modes according to the detected width of the print medium.

A sheet stacking device includes a stacking tray, an aligning mechanism, a pair of alignment members, and a pair of height detectors. The pair of alignment members can move independently in a sheet width direction and in an up and down direction, and contact side edges in the sheet width direction of sheets stacked on the stacking tray, from both sides in the sheet width direction, so as to align the sheets in the sheet width direction. The pair of height detectors allow the pair of alignment members to contact an upper surface of the sheets near side edges of the sheets, so that sheet heights on both sides in the sheet width direction are detected. The sheet stacking device can individually correct heights of the pair of alignment members when aligning the sheets, based on the sheet heights detected by the pair of height detectors.

In a medium conveying device, a projector projects light, a projection light amount of the light changes, at every fixed time, to a first projection light amount and a second projection light amount less than the first projection light amount, a receiver receives the light projected from the projector, a processor determines, at fixed sampling timings, whether a reception light amount of the receiver is at a first reception light level or a second reception light level smaller than the first reception light level, determines, when the reception light amount alternately changes to the first reception light level and the second reception light level, that a medium is not present on a conveying path, and determines, when the reception light amount is fixed to either the first reception light level or the second reception light level, that the medium is present on the conveying path.

A sheet stacking device includes a stacker, a detector, a blower, and a moving device. A sheet is stacked on the stacker. The detector detects a stacking amount of the sheet on the stacker. The blower blows air to the sheet stacked on the stacker. The moving device moves the blower with respect to the stacker based on the stacking amount of the sheet detected by the detector.

A medium transporting apparatus includes a first medium transport path in which a transport roller pair is provided, a second medium transport path for feeding a medium fed downstream in a medium transport direction from the transport roller pair to an upstream position of the transport roller pair in the first medium transport path, and a medium detection unit for detecting passage of a medium in the first medium transport path, in which a position at which the medium detection unit detects a medium is switched between a transport direction upstream position and a transport direction downstream position of the transport roller pair according to whether or not a medium is transported on the second medium transport path.

A sheet discharging apparatus includes a discharge portion including a first member configured to apply a force to a first region of a sheet from an upper surface and a second member configured to apply a force to a second region of the sheet from a lower surface, and a contact portion including a first guide surface disposed contactably with the first region and a second guide surface disposed contactably with the second region. The first guide surface is formed such that an angle with to a tangential line at a contact point between the first member and the first region of the sheet becomes a first angle. The second guide surface is formed such that an angle to a tangential line at a contact point between the second member and the second region of the sheet becomes a second angle which is smaller than the first angle.

A sheet storage apparatus, including an apparatus body, a storage portion, a regulating portion configured to slidably move in a first direction with respect to the storage portion, a cam member provided in the storage portion and configured to slidably move in a second direction by interlocking with a movement of the regulating portion in the first direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction and being along an attaching/detaching direction of the storage portion, a slide member provided in the apparatus body and configured to slidably move in the second direction by engaging with the cam member, and a sensor including a moving portion and outputting a detection value that varies in response to a position of the moving portion in the second direction, the moving portion slidably moving in the second direction by engaging with the slide member.

A recording-material-storing device includes a detection object whose position is to be detected, a pressing portion that is movable toward and away from a side of a recording material placed in the recording-material-storing device and is to be pressed against the side, and a moving portion that moves the detection object by undergoing a relative motion with respect to the pressing portion when the pressing portion is moved.

A sheet feeding device includes an upper sheet container, a lower sheet container, and a sheet detector. The lower sheet container disposed below the removable upper sheet container is configured to contain a sheet. The sheet detector is configured to detect the sheet in the lower sheet container and includes a sheet contact member disposed above the lower sheet container. The sheet contact member is contactable to the upper sheet container and the sheet in the lower sheet container. Either the upper sheet container or the sheet contact member has a sloped face inclined downward from downstream toward upstream in a container insertion direction, on at least one of a downstream side in the container insertion direction of a lower portion of the upper sheet container and an upstream side in the container insertion direction of an upper portion of the sheet contact member.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a pick roller feeding a medium, a separation roller placed on a downstream side of the pick roller in a conveying direction of a medium, an arrival detection sensor placed on a downstream side of the separation roller in the conveying direction and detecting arrival of a medium, a lift sensor detecting a lift of a medium between an upstream side of a roller nip of the pick roller and a downstream side of a roller nip of the separation roller, and a processor. The processor determines that a medium is a bound medium when a lift of a medium is detected by the lift sensor in a first predetermined period after detection of a front edge of a medium in a conveying direction by the arrival detection sensor, and executes abnormality processing when a medium is determined to be a bound medium.