Sheet transfer apparatus and image forming apparatus

摘要

A disclosed apparatus includes a first unit upstream of a first path to transfer a sheet; a second unit upstream of a second path to transfer another sheet from opposite side of the first path; a third unit on a combined path of the first and second paths to transfer the sheets downstream; and a first member provided where the first and second paths meet to guide the sheets to the combined path. The third unit is a nip unit including elements forming a nip. One of the elements on the second path side is a belt unit. The first member has a downstream edge extending in a sheet width direction. The downstream edge has a first part facing the nip part and a second part not facing the nip part. The second part is located downstream of the first part in the sheet transfer direction.

主权项

1. A sheet transfer apparatus comprising:
a first transfer unit configured to transfer a sheet and provided on an upstream side of a first transfer path through which the sheet is transferred; a second transfer unit configured to transfer another sheet and provided on an upstream side of a second transfer path through which said another sheet is transferred from an opposite side of the first transfer path; a third transfer unit provided on a combined transfer path into which the first transfer path and the second transfer path merge, the third transfer unit being configured to transfer the sheet transferred from the first transfer path and said another sheet transferred from the second transfer path to a downstream side of the combined transfer path in a sheet transfer direction; and a first guiding member provided at a position where the first transfer path and the second transfer path meet, the first guiding member being configured to guide the sheet transferred from the first transfer path and said another sheet transferred from the second transfer path to the combined transfer path, wherein
the third transfer unit is configured to form a nip part by a pair of rotating members for transferring the sheet and said another sheet, one of the pair of rotating members being on a side of the second transfer path being a belt transfer unit, andthe first guiding member has a downstream edge extending in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet transfer direction, the downstream edge having a first edge part of a continuous straight edge extending in the sheet width direction and having the same level in the sheet transfer direction, the first edge facing the nip part and a second edge part not facing the nip part, the second edge part being situated on a downstream side of the first edge part and on an upstream side of the nip part in the sheet transfer direction, the first edge part and the second edge part meeting at an area outside of a nip part outermost area in the sheet width direction.