| CPC B65H 29/52 (2013.01) [B65H 2301/4212 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
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1. A discharge unit comprising:
a discharge roller configured to transport and discharge a sheet from a discharge port in a discharge direction; and
a discharge tray having a central downstream-most edge orthogonal to the discharge direction and located in a central region of the discharge tray and an upstream-most edge orthogonal to the discharge direction, the discharge tray including:
a loading surface on which the discharged sheet is loaded, an entirety of the loading surface from an upstream end of the loading surface to a downstream end of the loading surface being sloped at a first inclination angle with respect to the discharge direction such that a top of the sheet in the discharge direction, which is being conveyed by the discharge roller, collides with the loading surface, and an inclination angle of the loading surface with respect to a horizontal plane being a first acute angle that is greater than an angle of the discharge direction with respect to the horizontal plane that is a second acute angle;
a bump cover in an erect plate shape, provided at the upstream end of the loading surface and extending toward the discharge port, and the bump cover being configured to bump against a bottom of the discharged sheet when the discharged sheet slides in a backward direction on the loading surface; and
a guide provided on the loading surface at a second inclination angle with respect to the loading surface, so as to partially lift up the loaded sheet from the loading surface, the guide being provided on the loading surface on a downstream side of a position on the loading surface where the top of the sheet in the discharge direction, which is being conveyed by the discharge roller collides with the loading surface, and an upstream end of the guide being disposed above the discharge port and the upstream end of the loading surface being disposed below the discharge port, wherein
the upstream end of the loading surface extends to the bump cover, and
the entire guide is positioned upstream from the central downstream-most edge of the loading surface of the discharge tray in the discharge direction.
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