Patent ID: 7744076

Claim:
A sheet processing apparatus, comprising: a sheet housing unit configured to house a bundle of sheets that are slid into the sheet housing unit, the sheet housing unit including a housing sheet mounting face configured to contact and support an end edge of said bundle of sheets, a housing wall configured to support a first side of the bundle of sheets, and an opposing housing wall opposing the housing wall and configured to face a second side of the bundle of sheets; and a transport unit configured to pass through said sheet housing unit and, when passing therethrough, to transport the bundle of sheets from said sheet housing unit to another position by scooping the bundle of sheets positioned in said sheet housing unit in a state where the end edge of said bundle of sheets is mounted thereon, the transport unit including a transport sheet mounting face configured to contact and support the end edge of said bundle of sheets, a fixed transport wall configured to support the first side of the bundle of sheets, and a fixed opposing transport wall opposing the fixed transport wall and configured to face the second side of the bundle of sheets, a distance between the fixed transport wall and the fixed opposing transport wall being constant, wherein said transport unit is configured to transport the bundle of sheets while maintaining the bundle of sheets in a state of being bundled on one side in a thickness direction thereof, a distance between ends of the housing sheet mounting face adjoining the housing wall and the opposing housing wall is greater than a distance between ends of the fixed transport wall and the fixed opposing transport wall adjoining the transport sheet mounting face, said transport unit is provided with a guide unit opening outward from the fixed opposing transport wall via a bend portion continuous to said fixed opposing transport wall that is parallel to the bundle of sheets, and a shortest distance between the fixed transport wall and the leading edge of said guide unit is greater than the distance between the ends of the housing sheet mounting face adjoining the housing wall and the opposing housing wall.