A handoff mechanism for use with a media stacker of a media production apparatus comprises a plurality of kicker units (101) arranged across a width of the handoff mechanism. A common drive mechanism (103) is provided to move the plurality of kicker units (101) between a closed position and an open position. Each kicker unit (101), when in the closed position during use, applies a pressure to any media sheets that are already stacked in a stacker tray (105) while a new media sheet is being fed to the stacker tray. The pressure provided by each kicker unit (101) is independent of the pressure provided by the other kicker units (101).

An example system includes a pressure plate actuating portion. The pressure plate actuating portion includes a cam gear coupled to a cam arm and a pressure plate arranged to be driven by the cam arm as the cam arm rotates with the cam gear through a pick-up cycle, the pressure plate being biased in a first direction toward the cam arm with a pressure plate spring. The example system also includes a pressure plate release control portion, the pressure plate release control portion being arranged to transfer potential energy from the pressure plate spring in a gradual manner.

A recording apparatus includes a return member switchable between a first orientation in which a portion of the return member overlaps a feed roller in a side view of a medium feeding path and a second orientation in which the return member is turned toward a downstream side in a medium feeding direction and does not overlap the feed roller. The return member changes an orientation thereof from the second orientation to the first orientation, thereby returning a medium to an upstream side in the medium feeding direction. When a transport roller disposed downstream of the feed roller is driven in reverse to return the medium to the upstream side and position the medium at a recording start position, the return member takes a third orientation in which the return member is raised toward the upstream side further than in the first orientation.

A pickup roller is moved to a retracted position by rotating a feeding motor in reverse by a first predetermined amount and is moved to a contact position by rotating the feeding motor forward by a second predetermined amount.

The apparatus includes a first clutch and a second clutch. The first clutch transmits rotation of the driving unit in a first rotation direction to the first feeding device without transmitting rotation of the driving unit in a second rotation direction that is reverse to the first rotation direction to the first feeding device. The second clutch transmits the rotation of the driving unit in the second rotation direction to the conveyance device and the double-side printing conveyance device and without transmitting the rotation of the driving unit in the first rotation direction to the conveyance device and the double-side printing conveyance device. The third transmission path is configured to transmit the rotation of the driving unit to a conveyance device. The fourth transmission path is configured to transmit the rotation of the driving unit to a double-side printing conveyance device.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a guide member, a holding member, and urging members. The guide member can move between a first position to guide a conveyed sheet toward a first conveyance path and a second position to guide the conveyed sheet toward a second conveyance path. A first urging member applying applies an urging force to the holding member so that the guide member is held at the first position. The second urging member applies, to the guide member, an urging force to move the guide member from the first to the second position. The holding member is movable between a hold position at which the guide member is held and a release position in which the holding member releases the guide member. When the holding member is at the release position, the guide member is held at the second position by the second urging member urging force.

A sheet feeder includes a sheet platen, a pickup roller, a feeding roller, a regulating portion, a driving mechanism, a feeding control unit, a sheet sensor, and a determination processing unit. The feeding control unit executes a feeding operation by rotationally driving the pickup roller and the feeding roller in a state where the regulating portion is located at a retreating position. The sheet sensor is located at a downstream side in the feeding direction of the feeding roller. The determination processing unit determines whether the sheet feeding has succeeded or not based on a signal from the sheet sensor. After a start of the feeding operation, when the determination processing unit determines that the sheet feeding has failed, the feeding control unit once moves the regulating portion located at the retreating position to the abutting position and then executes the feeding operation again.

A sheet supply apparatus detachably attached to an image forming apparatus is configured to receive a drive force from the image apparatus to supply sheet to the image forming apparatus. The sheet supply apparatus includes a sheet supply tray, a sheet supply roller, a first transmission mechanism configured to transmit a drive force from the image forming apparatus to the sheet supply roller, a second transmission mechanism including an output member and configured to transmit a drive force supplied from the image forming apparatus to the output member, a clutch mechanism configured to intermittently transmit a drive force from the image forming apparatus to the second transmission mechanism, a latch member pivotable between a restriction position and an allowance position, a change cam, a sector gear, a rotational force applying member, an engaging member, a first engagement portion, a second engagement portion, and an electromagnetic solenoid.

Provided is a cap unit that can prevent or suppress collision between the drive gear and intermittent gear when the drive gear and intermittent gear begin to mesh. A cap unit 25 has a moving mechanism 28 that moves a cap 26. The moving mechanism 28 has an intermittent cam gear 36 with a cam channel 43; a drive gear 35; and a cap holder 45. The cap holder 45 includes a holding member 48 that holds the cap 26; a cam follower pin 49; a pin support mechanism 50 that supports the cam follower pin 49; and a coil spring 51 that urges the cam follower pin 49 toward the bottom 43a of the cam channel 43. A slope 57 is disposed to the bottom 43a of the cam channel 43. The cam follower pin 49 is on the slope 57 when meshing of the intermittent cam gear 36 and drive gear 35 is disengaged, and the intermittent cam gear 36 turns in conjunction with the cam follower pin 49 moving on the slope 57 due to the urging force of the coil spring 51.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image-forming mechanism; a reconveying roller; an electric motor; and a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is configured to operate in one of a reverse-rotation transmission mode for reversing a direction of a rotational force received from the electric motor to transmit the reversed rotational force to the reconveying roller and a normal-rotation transmission mode for transmitting the rotational force to the reconveying roller without reversing the direction of the rotational force. The transmission mechanism includes an interrupting unit for interrupting transmission of a rotational force from the reconveying roller to the electric motor at least when a sheet is being conveyed in the image-forming mechanism. The transmission mechanism is configured to interrupt transmission of the rotational force received from the electric motor to the reconveying roller when a sheet is being conveyed in the image-forming mechanism.