Sheet folding apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet;
• and
• a sheet folding unit that is provided in an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus and that performs folding processing on a sheet, wherein
• the sheet folding unit comprises:
• a first conveying path in which a sheet is conveyed;
• a first sheet conveying unit that holds the sheet conveyed in the first conveying path to apply conveying force to the sheet;
• a second sheet conveying unit that is disposed downstream of the first sheet conveying unit in a sheet conveying direction, and holds the sheet to apply conveying force to the sheet;
• a folded part forming unit that forms a folded part on a sheet by nipping a turned-back portion formed on a part of the sheet between the first sheet conveying unit and the second sheet conveying unit;
• a second conveying path that bifurcates from the first conveying path and in which a sheet on which a folded part is formed by the folded part forming unit is conveyed;
• and
• a pushing member that is movable between a pushing position at which the pushing member pushes the turned-back portion toward the folded part forming unit and a retracted position at which the pushing member is retracted from the pushing position, and
• the pushing member also serves as a changing unit that changes a direction of a leading end of the sheet that is conveyed in the first conveying path from the first sheet conveying unit toward the second sheet conveying unit into a direction toward the second conveying path.

An image forming system comprising:

• an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet;
• and
• a sheet folding apparatus that is provided separately from the image forming apparatus and that performs folding processing on a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus, wherein
• the sheet folding apparatus comprises:
• a first conveying path in which a sheet is conveyed;
• a first sheet conveying unit that holds the sheet conveyed in the first conveying path to apply conveying force to the sheet;
• a second sheet conveying unit that is disposed downstream of the first sheet conveying unit in a sheet conveying direction, and holds the sheet to apply conveying force to the sheet;
• a folded part forming unit that forms a folded part on a sheet by nipping a turned-back portion formed on a part of the sheet between the first sheet conveying unit and the second sheet conveying unit;
• a second conveying path that bifurcates from the first conveying path and in which a sheet on which a folded part is formed by the folded part forming unit is conveyed;
• and
• a pushing member that is movable between a pushing position at which the pushing member pushes the turned-back portion toward the folded part forming unit and a retracted position at which the pushing member is retracted from the pushing position, and
• the pushing member also serves as a changing unit that changes a direction of a leading end of the sheet that is conveyed in the first conveying path from the first sheet conveying unit toward the second sheet conveying unit into a direction toward the second conveying path.