Patent ID: 9290345
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: B65H

Claim Text:
1. A sheet conveying device comprising: a sheet conveying path that includes a nonlinear portion, the nonlinear portion of the sheet conveying path defining a U-curved sheet conveying path; a conveying mechanism arranged in the sheet conveying path to convey a sheet; and a guiding plate arranged in the nonlinear portion of the sheet conveying path and having a guiding surface along which the sheet is guided, the guiding surface defining an outer conveying surface of the U-curved conveying path and being curved gently from an upstream edge to a downstream edge so as to define a smooth concave surface with no guide rib formed thereon, the guiding plate including: a thinned portion formed at approximately an upstream half of the guiding plate and having a substantially constant thickness; and a thick portion extending downstream from the thinned portion to the downstream edge, the thick portion gradually increasing in thickness from the thinned portion to the downstream edge along the concave surface, wherein the thinned portion is at an area of the guiding surface against which a leading end of the sheet being conveyed along the sheet conveying path collides so that the thinned portion suppresses high frequency components of an impulsive sound produced by the collision.