Patent ID: 6290350
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: B41J,B65H

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:recording means for recording an image on a sheet and having a carriage shiftable in a sheet width-wise direction;rotary conveying means for conveying the sheet through said recording means and for discharging the sheet after recording, said rotary conveying means comprising a discharge roller disposed downstream of said recording means;support means for supporting one surface of the discharging sheet;shift means for shifting said support means between a support position to support the discharging sheet above a discharge portion and a retreat position not to support the sheet by said support means; andtransmission means for transmitting a driving force, for rotating said rotary conveying means, to said shift means, said transmission means comprising a fixed gear fixed in an axial direction and a slidable gear capable of being shifted in the axial direction by said carriage to be engaged with and disengaged from said fixed gear,wherein, when said carriage is positioned at a predetermined position, said slidable gear is engaged with said fixed gear to transmit the driving force to said shift means so that said support means is shifted to the retreat position, and when said carriage is separated from the predetermined position, said slidable gear is disengaged from said fixed gear to release said shift means so that said support means is shifted to the support position by an elastic force.