Sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus including same

A sheet conveying device, comprising:

• a first conveying unit to convey a sheet in a first sheet conveying direction;
• a second conveying unit, disposed on a downstream side of the first conveying unit in the first sheet conveying direction, to convey the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit in a second sheet conveying direction different from the first sheet conveying direction,
• the second conveying unit including
• a rotary conveyance driving unit, to rotate to transmit a driving force, and a belt conveying unit, forming a sheet holding section therebetween to hold and convey the sheet,
• the belt conveying unit including
• a belt, including an elastic member, to rotate with the rotary conveyance driving unit to convey the sheet to the sheet holding section,
• at least a pair of rotary belt holding members to rotatably hold the belt, and
• a belt supporting member to rotatably support each of the pair of rotary belt holding members to maintain a constant distance between the pair of rotary belt holding members;
• a first sheet conveying path provided between the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit;
• a second sheet conveying path, different from the first sheet conveying path, provided between an upstream side of the second conveying unit and the second conveying unit;
• and
• a common conveying path provided to a position where the first sheet conveying path and the second sheet conveying path merge, on an outer side thereof the belt conveying unit being disposed,
• wherein the second conveying unit includes a sheet holding section formed by a rotary conveyance driving unit to rotate to transmit a driving force, and a belt conveying unit disposed on an outer side of the common conveying path,
• the belt conveying unit including a belt, including an elastic member, to rotate with the rotary conveyance driving unit to convey the sheet to the sheet holding section,
• at least a pair of rotary belt holding members to rotatably hold the belt, and
• a belt supporting member to rotatably support each of the pair of rotary belt holding members to maintain a constant distance between the pair of rotary belt holding members,
• the belt including a hardness in a range of from approximately 40 degrees to approximately 80 degrees and a coefficient of friction of a surface of at least one of the two belt holding members to the belt is set to approximately 0.8 to approximately 2.6, wherein when the belt is spanned around the pair of rotary belt holding members, an extension rate of an extended circumferential length of the belt to a normal circumferential length of the belt is in a range of from approximately 5% to approximately 10%.