Patent ID: 8444143

Claim:
A sheet transport apparatus, comprising: a guide member having a convex surface that forms a portion of a sheet transport path in conjunction with an opposing fixed guide member having a concave surface, the guide member being elastically positioned by a spring, wherein a first recess portion for supporting one end of the spring is formed in a first face of the guide member, a second recess portion for supporting the other end of the spring is formed in a second face of a support member of the guide member that opposes the first face, the support member swingably supporting the guide member around pins, the spring is disposed and enclosed inside the first recess portion of the guide member and the second recess portion of the support member, thereby sandwiching the spring between the guide member and the support member, the first face is slanted with respect to the second face, and only a clearance space necessary for the guide member to rotate around the pins and be displaced toward the support member against elasticity of the spring, in accordance with a stiffness of a sheet transported in the sheet transport path making contact with the convex surface and the concave surface, is provided between the first face and the second face, such that only a portion of the spring is exposed through the clearance space, the other portion of the spring is covered by the first recess portion and the second recess portion, in side view, the pins are provided at positions between a bottom surface of the first recess portion and the first face, and overlapping the first recess portion, and the first face comes into contact with the second face such that the first recess portion communicates with the second recess portion.