Patent ID: 8606169

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming portion that forms an image on a sheet; an image reading unit that reads an image on an original and is movably mounted above the image forming portion; a sheet processing apparatus that processes the sheet having the image formed thereon by the image forming portion; and a stacking portion, disposed between the image forming portion and the image reading unit, on which the sheet processed by the sheet processing apparatus is stacked, wherein the sheet processing apparatus comprises a sheet conveyance path through which a sheet with an image formed by the image forming portion is conveyed, a process tray on which plural sheets conveyed through the sheet conveyance path are temporarily stacked, a binder which binds the sheets stacked on the process tray, and a reverse conveyance path, provided between the image reading unit and the sheet conveyance path, through which a sheet having an image to be conveyed to the image forming portion is reversely conveyed, wherein the sheet conveyance path is formed by a first portion which includes the process tray and a second portion which faces the process tray, and wherein the second portion is movably provided and has a first side forming the reverse conveyance path with a lower portion of the image reading unit, and a second side forming the sheet conveyance path with the first portion of the sheet processing apparatus, and wherein with an opening operation to move the image reading unit upwardly, the lower portion of the image reading unit moves away from the first side of the second portion so that the reverse conveyance path is opened, and with a further opening operation to move the image reading unit upwardly the second portion moves toward the lower portion of the image reading unit and away from the first portion so as to open the sheet conveyance path and the process tray.