Patent ID: 8668197

Claim:
A sheet conveying apparatus which conveys a sheet, comprising: a rotatable endless belt having a plurality of suction holes; an air suction portion which is provided inwardly of the endless belt, has an opening for air suction, and takes in air through the suction holes of the endless belt and the opening so as to absorb the sheet onto the endless belt; a shutter which can close an upstream side of the opening in a sheet convey direction; an opening/closing portion which moves the shutter to open and close the upstream side of the opening; a sheet conveying portion arranged downstream of the rotatable endless belt, which conveys the sheet that is absorbed and conveyed by the rotatable endless belt and the air suction portion; an inputting portion which inputs sheet conveying direction length information of the sheet; and a controller which controls the opening/closing portion according to the sheet conveying direction length information of the sheet from the inputting portion so as to move the shutter to close the upstream side of the opening before the sheet leading end reaches the sheet conveying portion and to move the shutter to open the upstream side of the opening before the sheet trailing end passes through the rotatable endless belt when a sheet having a length in which a trailing end of the sheet reaches the endless belt before a leading end of the sheet reaches the sheet conveying portion is conveyed by the sheet conveying apparatus.