A sheet transfer guide, which is disposed along a sheet conveyance passage through which a sheet passes, provided to guide the sheet, and is included in an image forming apparatus and an image reading device, includes a base material, a coat layer formed on the base material and having a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the base material, and a guide face to which the sheet contacts. The coat layer is formed on the guide face.

A paper sheet transportation mechanism includes: transportation portions between which a paper sheet is sandwiched so as to transport the paper sheet; and a transportation guide that protrudes in a direction of the paper sheet sandwiched by the transportation portions such that the paper sheet is deformed into a wave shape in a cross section perpendicular to a transportation direction of the paper sheet, and that extends in the transportation direction.

A sheet discharge apparatus includes a first conveyance guide having a plurality of first ribs and rotatably supporting a drive roller, with the plurality of first ribs guiding a sheet, and a second conveyance guide to support a holder member movably in a separating direction where the holder member separates from the drive roller. The second conveyance guide includes a plurality of second ribs which form a conveyance path, together with the first ribs, through which the sheet passes, and a regulation portion to regulate movement of the holder member within a range of a first distance in the separating direction from a position where a driven roller is in contact with the drive roller, wherein the first distance is smaller than a second distance which is a distance between the first ribs and the second ribs in the separating direction.

An ink-jet recording apparatus includes: an image recorder; a first supporter including support ribs extending to positions under the image recorder; an ink receiver disposed downstream of the support ribs; first and second roller pairs disposed downstream of the first supporter; a guide; and a protrusion disposed between the ink receiver and the first roller pair and having an upper end located below upper ends of the support ribs and above a first imaginary line connecting between a nip position of the first roller pair and a downstream end of the ink receiver. A distance between an upstream end of the ink receiver and a nip position of the second roller pair is less than a length of a first-size sheet and greater than a length of a second-size sheet. The protrusion is disposed, in a widthwise direction, in a region through which the second-size sheet is conveyed.

A sheet feeder, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a rotary body to contact and feed a recording medium to a downstream side along a sheet conveying path, a friction body disposed facing and contacting the rotary body with the sheet conveying path interposed therebetween, the friction body forming a separation nip region with the rotary body, a receiver to support the friction body at a position opposite to the separation nip region, and multiple projections to guide the recording medium toward the separation nip region. Each of the multiple projections extends toward the rotary body at respective axial ends of the rotary body and has a top face disposed upstream from the separation nip region in a sheet conveying direction between an outer circumferential surface of the rotary body and a surface of the friction body.

A sheet discharging device has a discharge port, a discharge tray, a discharge roller including first and second rollers, a flick-out pulley, a sheet pressing member, and a pressing rib. The flick-out pulley is formed coaxially with the rotary shaft of the first roller at an interval from an end of the first roller, and has a circumferential edge and a plurality of projections protruding from it. The sheet pressing member is supported on a pivot axis provided on the downstream side of the discharge roller with respect to the sheet discharge direction to be swingable in the sheet discharge direction. A pressing rib is arranged at a position overlapping the flick-out pulley in the direction along the pivot axis as seen from the sheet discharge direction.