Sheet guide device and sheet guiding method

A sheet guide device comprising:

• a sheet carrying unit which carries a sheet from a paper discharge port of an image forming apparatus to a paper supply port of a finishing apparatus;
• a pair of guide plates provided in the finishing apparatus and having sloped surfaces with their one-side ends forming a shape broadening toward the paper supply port;
• an elastic movable plate which has one end attached inside the paper discharge port and other end protruding outside of the paper discharge port, and provided parallel to a carrying path for the sheet;
• and
• a pair of regulating rollers attached to both ends of the other end of the movable plate, wherein when the paper discharge port and the paper supply port are shifted from each other in height position, the regulating rollers contact the sloped surface of one of the pair of guide plates and bend the movable plate according to the quantity of shift in the height position.

A sheet guiding method comprising:

• carrying a sheet from a paper discharge port of an image forming apparatus to a paper supply port of a finishing apparatus;
• providing, in the finishing apparatus, a pair of guide plates having sloped surfaces with their one-side ends forming a shape broadening toward the paper supply port;
• providing an elastic movable plate parallel to a carrying path for the sheet so that one end of the movable plate is attached inside the paper discharge port and the other end protrudes outside of the paper discharge port;
• and
• attaching a pair of regulating rollers to both ends of the other end of the movable plate, when the paper discharge port and the paper supply port are shifted from each other in height position, the regulating rollers contact the sloped surface of one of the pair of guide plates and bend the movable plate according to the quantity of shift in the height position.