A sheet conveyance guide includes a door provided to be pivotable between an open state and a close state and permitting access to an operation portion, a releasing portion provided on the door, configured to abut with the operation portion on a guide plate positioned at a second position along with movement of the door and release a guide plate held by a holding portion, and a pressing portion provided on the door and configured to press the operation portion such that the guide plate is positioned at the first position. In addition, a retraction portion is provided on the door and configured to retract the pressing portion from a moving locus of the operation portion in moving the guide plate from the first position to the second position by abutting with the operation portion of the guide plate moving from the second position to the first position and swinging.

A sheet conveyance guide includes a door provided to be pivotable between an open state and a close state and permitting access to an operation portion, a releasing portion provided on the door, configured to abut with the operation portion on a guide plate positioned at a second position along with movement of the door and release a guide plate held by a holding portion, and a pressing portion provided on the door and configured to press the operation portion such that the guide plate is positioned at the first position. In addition, a retraction portion is provided on the door and configured to retract the pressing portion from a moving locus of the operation portion in moving the guide plate from the first position to the second position by abutting with the operation portion of the guide plate moving from the second position to the first position and swinging.

An example sheet guide devices comprises a housing and a guide member coupled to the housing. The housing is to receive a stack of sheets to staple. The guide member includes a cylinder shaft, a counterbalance component, and guide arm. The cylinder shaft is rotatable and disposed within the housing. The counterbalance component is disposed with the cylinder shaft to shift a center of gravity of the guide member in a first direction. The guide arm is disposed off-center from a central axis of the cylinder shaft in a second direction.

An example sheet guide devices comprises a housing and a guide member coupled to the housing. The housing is to receive a stack of sheets to staple. The guide member includes a cylinder shaft, a counterbalance component, and guide arm. The cylinder shaft is rotatable and disposed within the housing. The counterbalance component is disposed with the cylinder shaft to shift a center of gravity of the guide member in a first direction. The guide arm is disposed off-center from a central axis of the cylinder shaft in a second direction.

A sheet conveyor unit is connected to downstream side of an upstream side unit in a sheet conveying direction. The sheet conveyor unit includes a convey guide for receiving a sheet discharged from outlet of the upstream side unit. The convey guide is constituted of a pair of guide members disposed to face each other with a predetermined space therebetween. The guide members have the same shape and include base parts having guide surfaces that form a sheet conveying path when combined to face each other, and inclined parts bent to directions apart from the guide surfaces from one end of the base parts in the sheet conveying direction so as to form a receiving port. The convey guide is attached selectively to one of positions different in at least one of a height direction and the sheet conveying direction with respect to an apparatus main body.

A sheet conveyor unit is connected to downstream side of an upstream side unit in a sheet conveying direction. The sheet conveyor unit includes a convey guide for receiving a sheet discharged from outlet of the upstream side unit. The convey guide is constituted of a pair of guide members disposed to face each other with a predetermined space therebetween. The guide members have the same shape and include base parts having guide surfaces that form a sheet conveying path when combined to face each other, and inclined parts bent to directions apart from the guide surfaces from one end of the base parts in the sheet conveying direction so as to form a receiving port. The convey guide is attached selectively to one of positions different in at least one of a height direction and the sheet conveying direction with respect to an apparatus main body.

A conveying apparatus for feeding sheets into a processing apparatus is discloses which comprises a plurality of nips within which sheets are gripped and driven along a conveying direction towards the processing apparatus, each nip being defined between a respective drive wheel and an opposing reaction surface. The drive wheels are omni-wheels configured to apply a frictional force to advance the sheets in the conveying direction while permitting free movement of the sheets in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, the reaction surfaces permitting free movement of the sheets in the transverse direction, and an elongate guide is arranged on one side of the conveying apparatus, to extend generally parallel to the conveying direction, the conveying apparatus being configured to urge conveyed sheets in the transverse direction into contact with the guide. A control system is provided to move the guide generally in the transverse direction in dependence upon sensed fiducials on the conveyed sheets, to ensure correct alignment of the sheets in the transverse direction with respect to the processing apparatus.

A sheet conveyor is provided for transporting a sheet. The sheet conveyor includes a supplying conveyor, a receiving conveyor and a sheet guidance unit. The receiving conveyor includes a support surface arranged for supporting the sheet on a contact side of the sheet and an attraction unit arranged for attracting the sheet to the support surface. The supplying conveyor includes a transport belt being arranged for advancing the sheet in a transport direction along a transport path towards the support surface of the receiving conveyor; the sheet having two side edge portions relative to the transport path. The sheet guidance unit is arranged at a downstream end of the transport path for guiding the sheet towards the receiving conveyor, wherein said sheet guidance unit includes a lifting element arranged for lifting both side edge portions of the sheet away from the support surface while a middle portion of the sheet in between both side edge portions is guided towards the support surface.

Provided are an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of coping with a medium exceeding a transport limit of a pair of rollers in image formation in which the medium is transported with the medium interposed between the pair of rollers. In a case where a medium exceeding a transport limit of first transport means to which medium transport using a first roller and a second roller is applied is used, second transport means is used to assist in the medium transport performed by the first transport means. The driving of second driving means for driving the second transport means is controlled using a driving signal applied to the driving control of the first driving means for driving the first transport means. Medium transport in which synchronization is taken between the first transport means and the second transport means is realized.

Provided are an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of coping with a medium exceeding a transport limit of a pair of rollers in image formation in which the medium is transported with the medium interposed between the pair of rollers. In a case where a medium exceeding a transport limit of first transport means to which medium transport using a first roller and a second roller is applied is used, second transport means is used to assist in the medium transport performed by the first transport means. The driving of second driving means for driving the second transport means is controlled using a driving signal applied to the driving control of the first driving means for driving the first transport means. Medium transport in which synchronization is taken between the first transport means and the second transport means is realized.