SHEET PATH SELECTOR AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE HAVING THE SELECTOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent damage to an actuator or flapper when an attachment on which the flapper is mounted is to be unintentionally dislodged from a housing while the actuator urges the flapper to select a changed sheet path. SOLUTION: A sheet path selector 81 comprises a flapper 505 that ordinarily opens one preselected of branch sheet paths defined within an attachment 500 separable from a housing 101, and a flapper actuation mechanism 91 placed in separable contact with the flapper 505 to change over it from the preselected sheet path to another. The housing 101 has either of the flapper 505 and flapper actuation mechanism 91; the other is placed in the attachment 500. An operator is disposed to return the flapper actuation mechanism 91 to its waiting position when the attachment 500 is to be dislodged from the housing 101 while the flapper actuation mechanism 91 moves out of its waiting position and urges the flapper 505 to select a changed sheet path.