Sheet collecting apparatus and image formation system provided with the apparatus

A sheet collecting apparatus comprising:

• a sheet discharge outlet for sequentially carrying out a sheet;
• sheet collecting means disposed in a level difference formed on a downstream side of the sheet discharge outlet to load and store the sheet from the sheet discharge outlet;
• stopper means for regulating a front end position of the sheet to be loaded on the sheet collecting means;
• stopper driving means for shifting a position of the stopper means corresponding to a sheet length;
• and
• a carry-in guide member for guiding the sheet from the sheet discharge outlet onto an uppermost sheet collected on the sheet collecting means,
• wherein the carry-in guide member is comprised of a pivot point, a slide-contact guide surface that swings on the pivot point corresponding to a load amount of the sheet collecting means to guide a sheet front end fed from the sheet discharge outlet onto the uppermost sheet, and a sheet pressing portion that is continued to the slide-contact guide surface and that presses the uppermost sheet on the sheet collecting means,
• in the carry-in guide member are arranged the slide-contact guide surface and the sheet pressing portion in this order in a sheet discharge direction from the sheet discharge outlet, and
• the stopper means regulates a front end position of the sheet so that a contact point, where the front end of the sheet fed from the sheet discharge outlet first comes into contact with the slide-contact guide surface, is positioned on the downstream side in the sheet discharge direction from a rear end of the sheet loaded on the sheet collecting means,
• the carry-in guide member is provided with biasing member for causing a pressing force for the sheet pressing portion to press the sheet on the sheet collecting means, and the biasing means is configured to enable a sheet pressing force of the sheet pressing portion to be adjusted to increase or decrease, and
• the biasing member is comprised of a spring member or a weight member to provide the carry-in guide member with a rotation force on the pivot point, and is coupled to the carry-in guide member via switching means for enabling the biasing member to be engaged to or released from the carry-in guide member.