Patent ID: 7537206

Claim:
A sheet alignment apparatus comprising: a feeding section that sequentially feeds a sheet to a predetermined alignment position; a stopper against which the downstream side edge in the feeding direction of the sheet that is fed by the feeding section is butted in order for the sheet to be stopped at the predetermined alignment position; a stacking tray on which the sheet that is butted against the stopper is stacked; a support portion that supports the lower surface of the sheet that is stacked on the stacking tray at the downstream side edge; a first press portion, having a first length and including a root fixed on the stopper, that elastically curves as a result of pressing an upper face of a sheet bundle composed of the sheets that are stacked on the stacking tray to a level higher than a first predetermined height against the support portion; and a second press portion, having a second length greater than the first length at a same position of the sheet feeding direction, and including a root fixed on the stopper, that elastically curves as a result of pressing an upper face of a sheet bundle composed of the sheets that are stacked on the stacking tray to a level higher than a second predetermined height that is higher than the first predetermined height against the support portion.