Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system provided with the sheet processing apparatus

A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

• a transport path adapted to transport a sheet in a predetermined transport direction;
• a processing tray adapted to place the sheet transported from the transport path;
• a binding processing apparatus adapted to perform binding processing on sheets placed on the processing tray;
• a discharge opening adapted to discharge the sheet from the processing tray to outside an apparatus main body housing;
• a load tray provided on a downstream side of the processing tray in the transport direction to load sheets discharged from the discharge opening;
• neat alignment plates provided outside the main body housing to shift in an alignment direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the sheet loaded on the load tray and align opposite sides of the sheet;
• a sheet support surface provided in a different position adjacent to the processing tray in the alignment direction to support a sheet inserted from a manual feed opening provided outside the main body housing;
• and
• a width-direction drive mechanism adapted to shift the neat alignment plates in a width direction,
• wherein the binding processing apparatus shifts to the processing tray and the sheet support surface, and is provided to be able to perform the binding processing on sheets placed on the processing tray or the sheet support surface, and
• the apparatus is further provided with a regulation member for regulating so that the neat alignment plates do not overlap with the manual feed opening in the transport direction, during the binding processing on manually fed sheets on the sheet support surface.