A contact interface includes a first contact member including a first contact surface with a first material subsurface and a second material subsurface. The second material subsurface protrudes transversely above the first material subsurface. A second contact member includes a second contact surface to slide in contact with the first contact surface. The first material subsurface comprises a first material. The second material subsurface comprises a second material. The second material has a lower hardness than the first material.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus and an optional device attachable to the image forming apparatus, includes a sheet container, a sheet feeder, a separator, a guide, and a projection. The sheet container loads multiple sheets. The sheet feeder feeds a sheet out of the multiple sheets in the sheet container. The separator separates the sheet from another sheet fed together with the sheet. The guide having a guide surface to guide the sheet passing the separator such that the sheet is fed in a predetermined sheet conveying direction. An upstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the guide surface of the guide is located lower than a downstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the separator. The projection is disposed facing the separator at the upstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the guide surface.

A sheet conveying device includes a conveyer to convey a sheet and a primary sheet guide, disposed downstream from the conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyer in the sheet conveyance direction. A secondary sheet guide is disposed opposite the primary sheet guide and includes a bending portion to bend the sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change the sheet conveyance direction. A sheet conveyance path is defined by the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide. The primary sheet guide includes a cavity disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path and a communication through-hole communicating with the cavity and the sheet conveyance path. The communication through-hole is disposed opposite the bending portion in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a housing in which a paper feeding port is provided, a paper feeding roller configured to convey paper through the paper feeding port, a drive shaft to which the paper feeding roller is attached, the drive shaft extending in a Y direction intersecting a conveying direction of the paper, and an elastic roller attached to the drive shaft and configured to prevent sound occurring on the inside of the housing from leaking to the outside of the housing through the paper feeding port. The elastic roller comes into contact with the paper conveyed by the paper feeding roller and removes electric charges of the paper.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a feed roller, a roller holder supporting the feed roller rotatably about a rotation axis, a frame supporting the roller holder pivotably about a first axis parallel to the rotation axis of the feed roller, a force-transmitting device configured to transmit, to the roller holder, a force with which to cause the roller holder to pivot in a direction where the feed roller is pressed against a tray, a force-applying member movable between a force applying position where the force-applying member contacts the force-transmitting device to apply the force thereto and a force-free position where the force-applying member is spaced apart from the force-transmitting device, and a cushioning member configured to, when the force-applying member is at an initial contact positon located between the force applying position and the force-free position, be sandwiched in contact between the force-transmitting device and the force-applying member.

An image forming apparatus includes a tray, a casing having a first outlet, a second outlet above the first outlet, a first path, and a second path, a stack lever, a drive source, and a controller. The second path communicates with the second outlet such that a sheet conveyed along the second path is partially discharged from the second outlet and is reversed along the second path. The first outlet communicates with the first path such that the sheet conveyed along the first path is discharged from the first outlet onto the tray. The stack lever is movable between a first position where the stack lever presses a sheet on the tray and a second position higher than the first position. The controller is configured to control the drive source such that, when the sheet is discharged from the second outlet, the stack lever is at the second position.

An image forming apparatus includes a tray, a roller unit, an image forming unit, and a pressing mechanism. The roller unit includes a feed roller disposed above a downstream end portion of the tray in a sheet conveying direction in which a sheet is conveyed, a separation roller disposed downstream of the feed roller in the sheet conveying direction, and a roller holder pivotable about a rotation axis of the separation roller, the roller holder holding the feed roller rotatably about an axis of the feed roller and pivotably vertically. The pressing mechanism includes an arm member configured to press the roller holder such that the roller holder pivots downward, and a weight portion provided to the arm member and applying, to the arm member, a load in a direction in which the feed roller is raised from the upper surface of the sheet supported on the tray.

The invention provides a paper feed roller capable of reducing abnormal noise caused by a knurled shape while maintaining characteristics thereof, including maintaining friction coefficient and coping with paper powder. The paper feed roller comprises a roller body formed of elastic material in a cylindrical shape and is characterized in that the roller body has protruding lines and recessed grooves inclinedly extending relative to an axis of the roller body so that convex and concave portions having predetermined widths are alternatively formed in a circumferential direction of a peripheral surface, and the protruding lines have one-end side protruding line portions extending from a central part in an axial direction of the roller body toward one end thereof and other-end side protruding line portions extending from the central part in the axial direction toward the other end, and they are inclined relative to the axis in opposite directions.

Provided is a paper-discharge apparatus that suppresses operating sound of the paper-discharge apparatus. A contact member changes the posture of the introduction guide by coming in contact with the introduction lever and rotating the introduction lever. A control unit sets a state in which paper is introduced to the paper-discharge-conveying unit to a non-contact state of the introduction lever and contact member, and sets a state when conveyed paper is guided to another discharge destination to a contact state of the introduction lever and the contact member. The control unit rotates the motor at a first speed and moves the contact member, and brings the contact member in contact with the introduction lever after setting the rotating speed of the motor to a second speed that is slower than the first speed.

A sheet conveyer, including a tray, a pickup roller, a separator roller, a separator pad, a driving source, a roller holder with an arm, an engagement member engageable with the arm, a load applier lever, and a first urging member coupled with the load applier lever, is provided. The load applier lever is movable between a first position, wherein the load applier lever supports the first end of the first urging member at a position where the first urging member causes the engagement member to be urged against the arm and to apply a load that acts in a direction to cause the pickup roller to be pressed against the sheets to the arm; and a second position, wherein the load applier lever supports the first end of the first urging member at a position where the first urging member is in the natural length thereof.