Sheet conveying apparatus, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

In one embodiment, a sheet conveying apparatus has a first conveying guide and a second conveying guide which is opposite to the first conveying guide. The sheet conveying apparatus further has at least one first concave portion. The first concave portion is provided in the first conveying guide to be recessed in a direction to separate from one surface of a sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet conveying apparatus, comprising:
 a first conveying guide which is arranged at one surface side of a sheet to be conveyed;   a second conveying guide which is arranged opposite to the first conveying guide, and at the other surface side of the sheet; and   at least one first concave portion which is provided in the first conveying guide to be recessed in a direction to separate from the one surface of the sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one second concave portion which is provided opposite to at least the one first concave portion, and in the second conveying guide to be recessed in a direction to separate from the other surface of the sheet.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 a plurality of sets of the facing first and second concave portions are provided.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a plurality of sound absorption chambers each of which is formed by the facing first and second concave portions.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the plurality of sound absorption chambers have different lengths in a conveying direction of the sheet.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the first conveying guide has an inner surface which is opposite to the one surface of the sheet, and a protrusion which is provided on the inner surface to contact the sheet.   
     
     
         7 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 an image forming device which forms an image on a sheet;   a first conveying path which conveys a sheet on which the image is to be formed to the image forming device, and discharges the sheet which has passed through the image forming device;   a second conveying path which conveys a sheet formed with a document image for forming the image to a reading position for reading the document image, and discharges the sheet from the reading position;   a first conveying guide which is provided in at least one conveying path of the first and second conveying paths, and is arranged at one surface side of the sheet;   a second conveying guide which is provided in the one conveying path, and is arranged opposite to the first conveying guide, and at the other surface side of the sheet; and   at least one first concave portion which is provided in the first conveying guide to be recessed in a direction to separate from the one surface of the sheet.   
     
     
         8 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 at least one second concave portion which is provided opposite to at least the one first concave portion, and in the second conveying guide to be recessed in a direction to separate from the other surface of the sheet.   
     
     
         9 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 a plurality of sets of the facing first and second concave portions are provided.   
     
     
         10 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a plurality of sound absorption chambers each of which is formed by the facing first and second concave portions.   
     
     
         11 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the plurality of sound absorption chambers have different lengths in a conveying direction of the sheet.   
     
     
         12 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the first conveying guide has an inner surface which is opposite to the one surface of the sheet, and a protrusion which is provided on the inner surface to contact the sheet.