Patent ID: 7487967

Claim:
A sheet conveying device for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a driven roller mounted on a casing of the image forming apparatus and rotatable about an axis thereof; a cover positioned on a perimeter of the image forming apparatus and supporting a roller shaft on which a drive roller is mounted in such a manner as to be rotatable about an axis of said drive roller, said cover being hinged to the casing to be angularly movable between a closed position where a circumferential surface of said drive roller is pressed against a circumferential surface of said driven roller and an open position where said circumferential surface of said drive roller is released from said circumferential surface of said driven roller; a positioning section including a positioning member included in the casing and configured to support, when said cover is moved to the closed position, said roller shaft by removably receiving the roller shaft in the positioning member to thereby position said roller shaft; a first drive gear affixed to an end of said roller shaft and rotatable integrally with said roller shaft; and a second drive gear mounted on the cover and held in mesh with said first drive gear and configured to receive a drive force from a drive source, wherein said roller shaft is supported by said cover such that a pitch circle of said first drive gear moves on a pitch circle of said second drive gear while touching said pitch circle of said second drive gear externally.