Patent ID: 7896489

Claim:
An image recording apparatus, comprising: an image recording section for recording an image on a recording medium; a loading section for loading said recording medium; feeding means for feeding said recording medium from said loading section to said image recording section; a discharging section for discharging said recording medium on which said image has been recorded in said image recording section; transport means for transporting said recording medium from said loading section to said discharging section; a regulating guide which is arranged in a transport path for said recording medium transported by said transport means from said loading section to said discharging section and which regulates a position of said recording medium in a width direction perpendicular to a transport direction of said recording medium transported by said transport means, wherein said regulating guide has: a pair of outer guides arranged at outermost positions in said width direction and having in a direction perpendicular to a transport plane for said recording medium plural outer passage portions for regulating a position of one end portion of said recording medium in said width direction, and at least one inner guide arranged between said pair of outer guides and having on both sides in said width direction inner passage portions for regulating a position of another end portion of said recording medium in said width direction at a position in said direction perpendicular to said transport plane for said recording medium corresponding to one outer passage portion of said pair of outer guides, and wherein said regulating guide forms plural passages in said direction perpendicular to said transport plane for said recording medium, said plural passages including: a first passage formed by two corresponding outer passage portions of said pair of outer guides, and at least one second passage formed by the other one outer passage portion of one of said pair of outer guides and one of said inner passage portions of said at least one inner guide corresponding to the other one outer passage portion; and passage changing means for regulating said transport direction of said recording medium in said direction perpendicular to said transport plane for said recording medium and changing said first passage and one of said at least one second passage to guide said recording medium to a changed passage, wherein said passage changing means comprises: a roller pair arranged immediately upstream said regulating guide, for transporting said recording medium in a nipping state; a leading guide provided integrally with said roller pair, for regulating said recording medium to guide said recording medium into one of said plural passages for said recording medium in said direction perpendicular to said transport plane for said recording medium; and rocking means for rocking said roller pair and said leading guide.