Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus provided with same

A sheet conveying apparatus, comprising:

• an apparatus main body;
• a sheet cassette which includes a storage for storing sheets inside and is mounted into the apparatus main body in a predetermined mounting direction;
• a mounting portion which is arranged in the apparatus main body and into which the sheet cassette is mounted;
• and
• a conveying unit which is arranged above the sheet cassette in the apparatus main body and conveys the sheet;
• wherein:
• the conveying unit includes:
• a conveyance path in which the sheet is conveyed;
• an upper guide unit which defines an upper surface part of the conveyance path and is fixed to the apparatus main body;
• a lower guide unit which defines a lower surface part of the conveyance path and enters the mounting portion to open the conveyance path by downward rotation of an upstream side in the mounting direction about a rotation supporting point arranged on a downstream side in the mounting direction;
• and
• a locking mechanism which is arranged on one end side of the upstream side in the mounting direction in a sheet width direction intersecting with the mounting direction and locks the lower guide unit to the upper guide unit;
• the lower guide unit includes a projecting piece projecting toward the upstream side in the mounting direction, the locking mechanism being disposed closer to the one side than the projecting piece in the sheet width direction;
• and
• the sheet cassette includes a push-up portion which pushes up the projecting piece when the sheet cassette is mounted into the mounting portion.