In one example, a sheet media alignment system includes: a guide (12) defining a curved media path (14) that extends from an upstream part of the guide to a downstream part of the guide; a movable blocker (16, 56) to block the curved media path (14) at the downstream part of the guide, the blocker movable into and out of a blocking position in which the blocker is spaced from the downstream part of the guide a first distance; and a driver (24, 58) upstream from the curved media path to drive a media sheet into the guide along the curved media path and into the blocker. The driver is spaced from the upstream part of the guide a second distance greater than the first distance such that a media sheet driven into the blocker will buckle between the driver and the guide before it will buckle between the guide and the blocker.

A sheet feeding device includes a reversing roller, a guide member and a rotatable member. The guide member includes a curved portion to curve inside a first surface of the sheet and guides the sheet along the curved portion in contact with a second surface opposite to the first surface of the sheet in a first direction. The rotatable member disposed opposed to a sheet guide surface in the curved portion with a gap and is rotated by contacting with the first surface of the sheet. When the sheet is fed by the reversing roller in a second direction, the rotatable member is rotated by contact of the first surface of the sheet with the rotatable member.

For a printing apparatus, a first conveyance speed for a first printing medium is determined according to first print data to be printed on the first printing medium and a second conveyance speed for a second printing medium is determined according to second print data to be printed on the second printing medium that follows the first printing medium along a conveying path. In a case where the second conveyance speed is equal to the first conveyance speed, a conveyance operation of the second printing medium is started before the first printing medium is discharged from the conveying path. In a case where the second conveyance speed is different from the first conveyance speed, the conveyance operation of the second printing medium is started after the first printing medium is discharged from the conveying path.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a feeder, and a relay device. The main body forms an image on a sheet. The feeder feeds the sheet toward the main body. The relay device connects the main body to the feeder. The main body is placed on a placement surface. The feeder is arranged opposite to the main body with the relay device therebetween in a direction along the placement surface. The relay device includes a conveyance unit and a casing which houses the conveyance unit. The conveyance unit conveys the sheet fed from the feeder to the main body and rotates relative to the casing with an axis as a pivot thereof. The axis extends in a cross direction intersecting with the placement surface.

A transportation portion includes an apparatus body, a cover, first and second path formation portions, and a movement portion. The apparatus body has a transportation path including a downward path and an upward path having portions located at the same level in the Z direction. The cover covers and uncovers the transportation path. The first path formation portion is movable to a first position and to a second position. The second path formation portion defines the upward path and defines the downward path with the first path formation portion. The movement portion moves the first path formation portion in response to opening or closing of the cover. The first path formation portion is positioned in a movement area during a closed state. The movement portion moves the first path formation portion to the second position when the cover is opened and to the first position when the cover is closed.

The detection unit includes a first contact member, which comes into contact with a first surface of a recording material and a second contact member, which comes into contact with a second surface of the recording material, the first contact member and the second contact member being disposed so as to oppose each other thus being capable of nipping the recording material, and the first contact member and the second contact member are movable in a direction in which the first contact member and the second contact member nip the recording material, and is rotatable about an axis line extending in a predetermined direction, the predetermined direction being orthogonal to the direction in which the first contact member and the second contact member are movable and being orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material.

The transporting device includes a transporting path on which a medium recorded by the recording portion is transported in a transporting direction, and a contact portion that comes in contact with a front end of the medium, which is transported through the transporting path, to adjust a transporting state of the medium is adjusted. The transporting path has a guide portion that guides the medium to be transported to the contact portion, the guide portion has a first guide portion that is configured to swing, and a second guide portion that faces the first guide portion and is configured to swing, and the first guide portion and the second guide portion are disposed at a standby position when the medium is not transported through the transporting path, and are configured to move in directions away from each other from the standby position.

A sheet transport device includes: a curved sheet transport path; multiple transport roller pairs disposed in the sheet transport path; multiple driving sources that drive the multiple transport roller pairs; multiple load detectors that detect the loads of the multiple driving sources; and a control unit that controls the driving speed of at least one of the driving sources such that detection results obtained by the load detectors are within a predetermined range in accordance with the position of the leading end of a sheet.

A sheet transportation device includes a first transport roller that transports a sheet member toward a first direction, a second transport roller that is arranged on a downstream side of the first transport roller in a transport direction of the sheet member and transports the sheet member in a second direction different from the first direction, and a guide portion that guides the sheet member by coming into contact with a leading end of the sheet member in a region on a second transport roller side with respect to a first line extending from a part of the first transport roller, in which the sheet member is pinched, in the first direction and on an opposite side to a first transport roller side with respect to a second line extending from a part of the second transport roller, in which the sheet member is pinched, in the second direction.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a first conveyance portion configured to convey a sheet, a second conveyance portion configured to convey the sheet, the second conveyance portion including an abutment portion configured to form a loop on the sheet by being abutted against a leading edge of a sheet conveyed by the first conveyance portion, a curved guide portion, which is curved, configured to guide the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance portion to the second conveyance portion, and a rotary member arranged downstream of the first conveyance portion and upstream of the second conveyance portion in a sheet conveyance direction, and configured to be driven to rotate by a surface of the sheet that is guided by the curved guide portion, the surface sliding against the curved guide portion.