Duplex unit with recess for retracting manual sheet feeding tray and image forming apparatus using the same duplex unit

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a main body case housing an image forming unit;
• a reverse unit that includes a case housing a sheet reverse path configured to reverse a sheet having an image formed at the image forming unit on one side of the sheet and to refeed the sheet toward the main body case, the case being rotatably supported such that the case rotates in directions approaching and separating from a side surface of the main body case;
• and
• a manual sheet feeding tray that is rotatably supported at one end thereof below the reverse unit and that is configured to rotate from a closed position which is substantially vertical and parallel to a side surface of the case of the reverse unit to an open position to manually feed a sheet,
• wherein a recess is formed at the side surface of the case of the reverse unit and is configured to receive the manual sheet feeding tray into the recess without protruding from the side surface of the case of the reverse unit when the manual sheet feeding tray is in the closed position.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a main body case housing an image forming unit, said main body case having a sheet discharge outlet and a sheet refeed inlet;
• a reverse unit including a reverse path connecting the sheet discharging outlet to an opening opened downward at a bottom part of the reverse unit, and a refeed path connecting the reverse path to the sheet refeed inlet so as to reverse a sheet conveyed to the reverse path by feeding the sheet to the sheet refeed inlet with a trailing edge of the sheet switched to a leading edge of the sheet, the reverse unit including a reverse unit case;
• a bracket rotatably supporting the reverse unit case;
• and
• a guide member including a guide surface arranged facing the opening to guide the sheet protruded from the opening, the guide surface being a curved surface formed by an entire upper curved surface of a plurality of ribs integrally formed with the guide member, and the guide member serving as a covering member to cover the bracket.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a main body case housing an image forming unit, said main body case having a sheet discharge outlet and a sheet refeed inlet;
• a reverse unit including a reverse path connecting the sheet discharging outlet to an opening opened downward at a bottom part of the reverse unit, and a refeed path connecting the reverse path to the sheet refeed inlet so as to reverse a sheet conveyed to the reverse path by feeding the sheet to the sheet refeed inlet with a trailing edge of the sheet switched to a leading edge of the sheet;
• and
• a manual sheet feeding unit including a sheet feeding section having a guide surface arranged facing the opening to guide the sheet protruded from the opening, and a manual sheet feeding tray rotatably provided at the sheet feeding section and that is configured to receive stacked sheets.

An image forming apparatus having an image forming unit and a main body case housing the image forming unit, comprising:

• a duplex unit configured to reverse a sheet supplied from the image forming unit and to refeed the sheet to the image forming unit, the duplex including,
• a case housing a sheet reverse path that connects a sheet discharging outlet to a sheet refeed inlet provided on the main body case and that is configured to reverse the sheet supplied from the sheet discharging outlet and refeed the sheet to the sheet refeed inlet, the case being rotatable around a first supporting shaft where the case is configured to have an open position and a closed position;
• and
• a manual sheet feeding tray that is rotatably supported by a horizontal second supporting shaft whereby the open position of the case is configured to allow a sheet to be manually fed to a manual sheet feeding inlet provided on the main body case and the closed position,
• wherein the case includes a recess configured to receive the manual sheet feeding tray into the recess without protruding from a side surface of the case when the tray is in the closed position.