Image forming system

Abstract

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus, a sheet stacking portion, a sheet feeding unit, and a sheet supporting portion disposed upstream of the sheet stacking portion in a sheet feeding direction and configured to support the sheet. The sheet supporting portion includes a sheet supporting surface disposed adjacent to a sheet stacking surface on which the sheet is stacked in the sheet stacking portion, the sheet supporting surface being configured to support the sheet in conjunction with the sheet stacking surface, and a rotary member disposed such that part of the rotary member projects upward from the sheet supporting surface and comes into contact with a lower surface of the sheet, the rotary member being configured to rotate in accordance with feeding of the sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image forming system comprising:
 an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;   a sheet stacking portion provided on the image forming apparatus and configured to stack the sheet;   a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheet that is stacked on the sheet stacking portion; and   a sheet supporting portion disposed upstream of the sheet stacking portion in a sheet feeding direction and configured to support the sheet,   wherein the sheet supporting portion includes:
 a sheet supporting surface disposed adjacent to a sheet stacking surface on which the sheet is stacked in the sheet stacking portion, the sheet supporting surface being configured to support the sheet in conjunction with the sheet stacking surface; and 
 a rotary member disposed such that part of the rotary member projects upward from the sheet supporting surface and comes into contact with a lower surface of the sheet, the rotary member being configured to rotate in accordance with feeding of the sheet. 
   
     
     
         2 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sheet stacking portion is disposed on a side surface of the image forming apparatus, and is configured to pivot.   
     
     
         3 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the sheet feeding direction, the rotary member is disposed between an end portion on an upstream side of the sheet stacking surface and an end portion on a downstream side of the sheet supporting surface, and   wherein at least part of the rotary member projects upward from a virtual line that connects the end portion on the downstream side of the sheet supporting surface and the end portion on the upstream side of the sheet stacking surface.   
     
     
         4 . The image forming system according to  claim 3 ,
 further comprising a position switching portion configured to switch the rotary member between a projecting position, in which part of the rotary member is caused to project upward from the virtual line, and a retracted position, in which the rotary member is caused to be retracted below the virtual line.   
     
     
         5 . The image forming system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the position switching portion includes:
 a first supporting member configured to support the rotary member; 
 a first urging member configured to urge the first supporting member toward a direction which causes the rotary member to be positioned at one of the projecting position and the retracted position; 
 a position moving unit configured to switch between a first position, in which the first supporting member is moved toward a direction which causes the rotary member to be positioned at one of the projecting position and the retracted position, and a second position, in which the first supporting member is moved toward a direction which causes the rotary member to be positioned at another of the projecting position and the retracted position; and 
 a first operation portion configured to perform a switching operation of the position moving unit between the first position and the second position. 
   
     
     
         6 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a brake portion that is configured to switch between a stop state, in which rotation of the rotary member is stopped, and a rotatable state, in which the rotation of the rotary member is allowed.   
     
     
         7 . The image forming system according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the brake portion includes:
 a second supporting member configured to support a brake pad that is configured to apply frictional resistance by coming into contact with the rotary member; 
 a second urging member configured to urge the second supporting member toward a direction which causes the rotary member to transition to one of the stop state and the rotatable state; 
 a pressing portion configured to switch between a pressing position, in which the second supporting member is pressed toward a direction that causes the rotary member to transition to another of the stop state and the rotatable state, and a release position, in which pressing onto the second support member is released; and 
 a second operation portion configured to perform a switching operation of the pressing portion between the pressing position and the release position. 
   
     
     
         8 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the rotary member includes a roller.   
     
     
         9 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the rotary member includes a belt that is tensioned over a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel in the sheet feeding direction.   
     
     
         10 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sheet stacking portion is a manual sheet feed tray onto which the sheet supplied to the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus is manually fed.   
     
     
         11 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a frame portion including support legs configured to support the sheet supporting portion,   wherein the support legs include:
 a first support leg configured to come into contact with a floor surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed; and 
 a second support leg arranged closer to a side of the image forming apparatus than the first support leg is in a horizontal direction at a sheet supply position at which the sheet is supplied to the sheet stacking portion, and the second support leg is configured to come into contact with the floor surface. 
   
     
     
         12 . The image forming system according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the first support leg includes a first caster configured to roll on the floor surface, and   wherein the second support leg includes a second caster configured to roll on the floor surface.   
     
     
         13 . The image forming system according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the second support leg is configured to move to a third position, where the second support leg is positioned on a side opposite to the image forming apparatus in the horizontal direction with respect to an installation space of a sheet feeding apparatus that is configured to supply the sheet to the image forming apparatus, and to a fourth position where the second support leg is positioned within the installation space in the horizontal direction.   
     
     
         14 . The image forming system according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the support legs include a third support leg configured to come into contact with a sheet feeding apparatus, that is configured to supply the sheet to the image forming apparatus, in a state in which the sheet feeding apparatus is connected to the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         15 . The image forming system according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the third support leg includes a contact portion configured to extend and contract so as to engage and disengage with respect to the sheet feeding apparatus.   
     
     
         16 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a sheet feeding apparatus that is configured to be mounted to the image forming apparatus.