Patent ID: 8523466

Claim:
An image forming apparatus having an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet comprising: a housing configured to accommodate the image forming portion; a cassette configured to be inserted into and drawn out from the housing; and a conveying mechanism configured to at least partially define a conveying path for guiding the sheet to the image forming portion, wherein the conveying mechanism has a first conveying element including an upstream end on which a feeding assembly for feeding the sheet is formed, and a second conveying element confronting the first conveying element to form the conveying path in cooperation with the first conveying element, the second conveying element includes an upstream element extending along a sheet feed direction, and a pivotal downstream element connected to the upstream element, the housing includes a rail configured to guide the second conveying element from a first position where the second conveying element forms the conveying path along the first conveying element to a second position where the second conveying element is away from the first conveying element, the rail includes a first rail configured to guide the upstream element when the second conveying element is displaced from the first position to the second position, a second rail configured to guide the downstream element when the second conveying element is displaced from the first position to the second position, and a third rail configured to guide the cassette to be inserted and drawn out, the first rail and the second rail join together with the third rail, and the second conveying element located in the second position is configured to be guided by the third rail to move in a direction where the cassette is inserted and drawn out.