Patent ID: 7594659

Claim:
A paper conveying/branching device comprising: a main conveyer passage having a downstream end; a first branched conveyer passage branched from the downstream end for discharging paper into a paper discharge tray in a face-down manner; a second branched conveyer passage branched from the downstream end for discharging the paper into another paper discharge tray in a face-up manner; a change-over guide member disposed at the downstream end so as to rotate around a support shaft; an actuator having a displacing member capable of being displaced between a first operation position for changing the change-over guide member to a first position for closing the second branched conveyer passage and communicating the main conveyer passage with the first branched conveyer passage and a second operation position for changing the change-over guide member to a second position for closing the first branched conveyer passage and communicating the main conveyer passage with the second branched conveyer passage; a paper sensor provided in the main conveyor passage for detecting a leading-end of the paper being conveyed; and a controller for controlling operation of the actuator, wherein upon the change-over guide member being changed to the second position, the paper is so guided as to move along a lower surface of the change-over guide member, upon the displacing member being displaced to the first operation position from the second operation position, the change-over guide member is rotated from the second position to the first position by its own weight or by a spring force of spring means, so that an upstream side in the direction of conveying paper is lowered with respect to the support shaft, and in a state where the change-over guide member is brought to the second position, the controller judges that the leading end of the paper has passed through and the paper is passing through the change-over guide member, or while the leading end of the paper is passing through the change-over guide member, with signals detecting the leading-end of the paper by the paper sensor, the controller operates the actuator to displace the displacing member to the first operation position from the second operation position, so that an upstream side position to the support shaft in a lower surface of the change-over guide member is lowered to be lower than the upstream side position to the support shaft in the lower surface of the change-over guide member which is positioned in the second position, and a downstream side position to the support shaft in the lower surface of the change-over guide member is raised to be higher than the downstream side position to the support shaft in the lower surface of the change-over guide member which is positioned in the second position, so as to reduce curvature of the paper conveyed along the lower surface of the change-over guide member.