Clutch apparatus, conveyance apparatus and recording apparatus

A clutch apparatus for connecting or disconnecting power transmission from a drive side gear, which is driven by a drive motor for rotation, to a driven side gear, comprising:

• a cam provided on a driven rotary shaft of the driven side gear or a gear that is engaged at a downstream side of drive transmission of the driven side gear;
• a cam follower provided to press contact the cam;
• a clutch member that has an engaging pawl and a toothed portion that is engageable with the drive side gear, and that is switchable between a clutch engaged state between the toothed portion and the drive side gear and a clutch non-engaged state therebetween as the clutch member swings;
• an arm that is pivotable about a pivot fulcrum;
• a clutch engaging portion that is provided on the arm and engageable with the engaging pawl;
• and
• a lever member that swings the clutch member to switch from the clutch engaged state to the clutch non-engaged state in such a manner that the clutch member and the driven side gear engage the engaging pawl with the clutch engaging portion, wherein
• when the cam follower is fitted in the recessed portion, it enters the clutch engaged state, and the cam follower is configured so that the clutch member is rotated by a predetermined amount in a direction in which the toothed portion is spaced apart from the drive side gear by pivoting the driven side gear by a predetermined amount, wherein
• when the cam follower is not fitted in the recessed portion, it enters the clutch non-engaged state, and wherein
• when a clutch state switches, at least a portion of a swing locus of the toothed portion of the clutch member maintains a clearance with a gear tooth of the drive side gear.