Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus including the same

A sheet conveying device comprising:

• a first conveyance path configured to guide a sheet member from a sheet storage portion to an image forming portion;
• a second conveyance path formed at a downstream side of the first conveyance path in a conveying direction of the sheet member and configured to guide the sheet member having an image formed thereon by the image forming portion, to a sheet discharge port;
• a third conveyance path, one end thereof being connected to the first conveyance path and the other end being connected to the second conveyance path, configured to reverse the sheet member guided to the sheet discharge port and guide the sheet member to the image forming portion;
• a merging portion at which the second conveyance path and the third conveyance path merge with each other;
• and
• a discharge roller pair provided near the sheet discharge port so as to be rotatable forward and reversely and configured to nip the sheet member and convey the sheet member from the sheet discharge port either in a discharge direction or in a reverse direction, wherein
• the second conveyance path includes a conveyance guide provided with a plurality of guide ribs that project upward from a guide surface thereof and extend along the conveying direction of the sheet member, and
• the plurality of the guide ribs are provided at intervals in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet member and include an outer guide rib provided outward of the discharge roller pair in the width direction and an inner guide rib provided inward in the width direction, and a height of the outer guide rib is higher than a height of the inner guide rib.