Patent ID: 8177226

Claim:
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a sheet conveying path configured to convey a sheet, a sheet stack tray that receives the sheet in order to stack the sheet, a sheet discharging member that discharges the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path to the sheet stack tray, the discharging member being a pair of discharging rollers, means for guiding the sheet that is movable from a first position that guides the sheet discharged from the sheet discharging member to a second position that opens a sheet path of the sheet discharging member, the means for guiding the sheet being arranged in the sheet processing apparatus such that the means for guiding the sheet extends from an upstream side of the sheet discharging member with respect to the sheet conveying path to a downstream side of the sheet discharging member, the means for guiding the sheet including a means for pressing a trailing edge of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharging member, and means for responding to the sheet that is arranged at the upstream side of the sheet discharging member with respect to the sheet conveying path, and that responds to the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path in order to move the means for guiding the sheet between the first and second positions, wherein the means for pressing urges a trailing edge of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharging member to the sheet stack tray by directly contacting a top surface of the sheet after the sheet is conveyed beyond the means for responding to the sheet such that the sheet no longer contacts the means for responding to the sheet, and the means for pressing and the means for responding to the sheet are arranged in the sheet processing apparatus such that, immediately after the sheet no longer contacts the means for responding to the sheet, the means for guiding the sheet rotates so that a base portion of the means for pressing directly contacts a top surface of the sheet before the trailing edge of the sheet is discharged from the sheet discharging member.