Image forming apparatus having a rotating detection lever operable in vertical and horizontal positions

An image forming apparatus for performing an operation to form an image on a sheet, comprising:

• a bottom portion serving as an installation surface for horizontally installing said apparatus;
• a side surface portion serving as an installation surface for vertically installing said apparatus;
• a rotary endless latent image carrier;
• latent image forming means for forming a latent image on said latent image carrier;
• developing means for developing the latent image on said latent image carrier with a powder developer;
• transferring means for transferring the developed image on said latent image carrier onto a sheet fed via a feeding path;
• and
• sheet detecting means for detecting the sheet in the feeding path, said sheet detecting means having a detection lever rotating about a rotary shaft, with a line connecting a center-of-rotation to a center-of-gravity being set at 40.degree. through 50.degree. with respect to a direction-of-gravity and sensing means for detecting said detection lever, said detection lever arranged about said rotary shaft to be rotatable in a first direction due to a force exerted by the sheet fed via the feeding path and to be rotatable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, due to the force of gravity only.

An image forming apparatus capable of operating in horizontal and vertical orientations comprising:

• a photosensitive drum for carrying a latent image;
• an optical unit, for forming a latent image on said photosensitive drum;
• a developing unit, for developing the latent image on said photosensitive drum;
• a transfer unit, transferring the developed image on said photosensitive drum onto a sheet fed via a feeding path;
• and
• a detection lever, detecting the sheet in the feeding path, arranged about a rotary shaft to be rotatable in a first direction due to a force exerted by the sheet fed via the feeding path and to be rotatable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, due to the force of gravity only.