Patent ID: 8118301

Claim:
A sheet discharging device, comprising: a sheet discharging unit provided at one end of an image forming apparatus, the sheet discharging unit including a pair of discharging rollers to discharge sheets from the image forming apparatus; a sheet discharge tray located adjacent to the sheet discharging unit, rotatably provided at the end of the image forming apparatus in a stored position to cover the end of the image forming apparatus such that a back surface of the sheet discharge tray is substantially flush with the end of the image forming apparatus, and in an extended position, the sheet discharge tray extends from the end of the image forming apparatus to stack the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus, the sheet discharge tray including: an opening through which the sheets are discharged from the image forming apparatus, the opening provided at a portion of the sheet discharge tray opposite the pair of discharging rollers; and a shutter disposed over the opening to open and close the opening; and a driving mechanism to drive the shutter in conjunction with rotary movement of the sheet discharge tray to open the opening in the sheet discharge tray in the stored position and to close the opening in the sheet discharge tray in the extended position.