Sheet pressing mechanism and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A sheet pressing mechanism includes a pressing member configured to press a sheet that has been deformed to corrugate in a width direction that is orthogonal to a sheet discharging direction when the sheet is discharged toward a discharge tray. The pressing member has a first pressing area for pressing portions other than a top portion of a crest of the sheet when the discharged sheet comes into contact with the pressing member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet pressing mechanism comprising:
 a pressing member configured to press a sheet that has been deformed to corrugate in a width direction that is orthogonal to a sheet discharging direction when the sheet is discharged toward a discharge tray,   wherein the pressing member has a first pressing area for pressing portions other than a top portion of a crest of the sheet when the discharged sheet comes into contact with the pressing member.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet pressing mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressing member has a second pressing area for pressing a central area of the sheet in the width direction when the sheet is brought into contact with the discharge tray. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet pressing mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pressing area presses two or more portions other than the top portion of the crest of the sheet when the discharged sheet comes into contact with the pressing member. 
     
     
         4 . The sheet pressing mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressing member has a pair of pressing sections for pressing two portions other than the top portion of the crest of the sheet when the discharged sheet comes into contact with the pressing member and a connection section that connects tip sections of the pair of pressing sections. 
     
     
         5 . The sheet pressing mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressing member has a substantially U-shape in which a downstream side viewed from a vertical direction is curved in the sheet discharging direction. 
     
     
         6 . The sheet pressing mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressing member is configured to rotate about an axis along the width direction. 
     
     
         7 . An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet mechanism according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the discharge tray includes a first tray section and a second tray section that is continuously connected to the downstream side of the first tray section in the sheet discharging direction,
 the first tray section is inclined such that the downstream side is higher than an upstream side,   the second tray section is disposed in a horizontal position, or in a substantially horizontal position, or inclined such that the downstream side is higher than the upstream side at an angle smaller than the angle of the first tray section, and   the first pressing area in the pressing member extends to an area corresponding to the second tray section in the sheet discharging direction when the sheet is brought into contact with the discharge tray.