Systems and methods for detecting the presence of metallic objects in media to be conveyed in a medium transport system are disclosed. One or more induction sensors are included in the medium transport system to detect the presence of metal in the transported media, with detection signals sent from the sensors to a system processing unit. An ultrasonic detector is employed in some embodiments to output another detection signal. One or more microphones may also be included, for detecting the sound created as the medium is being transported. The system processing unit analyzes various detection signals and analyzes computed sound values from the microphones, to determine the presence and location of metal in the media. A position jam detector may assist in determining jams of the media along the medium transport path.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a cover unit opened and closed with respect to an apparatus body and a guide unit including first and second movable guides respectively movable with respect to the apparatus body. A first conveyance path is formed between the first guide portion and the first movable guide, and a second conveyance path is formed between the second guide portion and the second movable guide. The guide unit is provided with a linking mechanism including an intermediate member for linking the first and second movable guides. The linking mechanism coordinates movements of the first and second movable guides such that the first and second movable guides are respectively moved away from the first and second guide portions along with an opening movement of the cover unit with respect to the apparatus body.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a rotation unit including a shaft portion and configured to rotate by being pushed by a sheet conveyed, a sensor configured to generate a signal according to a position of the rotation unit in a rotational direction, a first supporting portion configured to rotatably support the shaft portion, a second supporting portion configured to rotatably support the shaft portion, an elastic portion connected to the shaft portion, and configured to extend in an axial direction of the shaft portion, and be elastically deformable in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the shaft portion, a regulation portion configured to regulate a movement of the rotation unit supported by the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion by contacting the elastic portion.

A recording-material-transporting apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports a recording material by using a driving rotating member that performs a rotational driving operation and a driven rotating member that rotates upon receiving a driving force from the driving rotating member; a number-of-rotation information acquisition unit that is connected to the driven rotating member and that acquires information regarding a number of rotation of the driven rotating member; and a restricting portion against which the number-of-rotation information acquisition unit is pressed and that restricts a movement of the number-of-rotation information acquisition unit.

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.

The damper mechanism includes a rack and a damper unit. The rack is provided in an apparatus main body. The damper unit is provided in a turning member. The damper unit has a movable gear, a fixed gear and a supporting member. The movable gear is configured to engage with the rack and to rotate by the turning of the turning member. The fixed gear is configured to be engaged with the movable gear and to apply a load to the rotation of the movable gear. The movable gear is supported by the supporting member so as to move relatively with respect to the fixed gear in a direction to be engaged with the fixed gear at the turning of the turning member in one direction and in another direction to be separated from the fixed gear at the turning of the turning member in the other direction.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a first guide, a second guide, and a lever. The first guide is fixedly disposed to the sheet conveying device. The second guide is disposed opposite the first guide and defining a sheet conveyance passage with the first guide and is configured to rotate about a support shaft thereof operable to open and close the sheet conveyance passage. The lever is configured to rotate about a rotation shaft thereof operable to rotate the second guide. The second guide is configured to change from a closed state in which the sheet conveyance passage is closed to an open state in which the sheet conveyance passage is open, after an angle of rotation of the lever exceeds a threshold value.

An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction and multiple plates which are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction. These multiple plates include a first type of plate and a second type of plate. Plates of a first type of plate are configured to overlap a sheet when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the widthwise direction, while plates of the second type of plate do not.

A sheet discharge device includes: a conveying portion which conveys the sheet in a conveying direction with the sheet interposed between a first roller and a second roller; a first conveying guide; a second conveying guide; a rotating portion which is disposed on a shaft of the first roller and has an outer diameter larger than that of the first roller; and a guide portion which is provided in the first conveying guide and in which an interval between the guide portion and the opposite second conveying guide becomes narrower toward a downstream side in the conveying direction, the guide portion being located at a position corresponding to the rotating portion in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction.

After a detection flag and a detection member are integrally rotated as a result of the detection flag being pushed by a sheet, the detection flag is rotated relative to the detection member, with the detection member being in contact with an abutting portion.