Bypass feeder and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A bypass feeder attached to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, the bypass feeder comprising:

• an opening/closing unit having an upper part and a lower part in a vertical direction, the lower part having a fulcrum,
• the opening/closing unit to rotate the upper part thereof about the fulcrum and to open and close with respect to the apparatus body between a unit closed state in which the opening/closing unit is disposed at a position close to the apparatus body and a unit open state in which the opening/closing unit is disposed at a position separated from the apparatus body;
• a bypass tray having a sheet loading surface on which a sheet is loaded and having an upper part and a lower part in a vertical direction, the lower part having a fulcrum,
• the bypass tray to rotate the upper part thereof about the fulcrum and to open and close with respect to the opening/closing unit between a tray closed state in which the bypass tray is disposed at a position close to the opening/closing unit and a tray open state in which the bypass tray is disposed at a position separated from the opening/closing unit;
• a linkage including a flexible-member fixing member and openably connecting the opening/closing unit to the apparatus body;
• and
• a flexible member having one end fixed to the flexible-member fixing member and the other end fixed to the bypass tray,
• wherein, when the opening/closing unit is changed from the unit closed state to the unit open state while the bypass tray is rotated in a direction away from the opening/closing unit to the tray open state in which the sheet is loadable on the sheet loading surface thereof, the flexible-member fixing member of the linkage shifts while pulling the flexible member to hold the bypass tray at a substantially horizontal line with respect to the sheet loading surface.