Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a tray rotatably provided on a side surface of a main assembly and including a stacking surface, a feeding portion; and a blowing fan mounted on the tray and generating air blown to a side end of a sheet in a sheet widthwise direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the sheet by the feeding portion. The blowing fan is disposed on an opposite side to a side where the sheet is stacked on the stacking surface so that a position of at least a part of the blowing fan with respect to the sheet widthwise direction is overlapped with a position of the stacking surface with respect to the sheet widthwise direction.

Abstract: A sheet detecting device includes a lever provided with a rotational shaft, a spring and a stopper. The lever is positioned in a stand-by position in a state of being in non-contacting with a sheet, and rotates about the rotational shaft from the stand-by position in a first rotational direction by being contacted with the sheet fed. The spring urges so as to rotate the lever in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction. The stopper restricts rotation of the lever beyond the stand-by position in the second rotational direction by being contacted with the lever after contacting of the sheet with the lever. A direction of a first force acting on the rotational shaft by the spring in a case in which the lever is positioned in the stand-by position is the substantially same direction as a direction of a second force which the lever receives from the stopper when the lever is in contact with the stopper by rotating in the second direction.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus to form an image on a sheet having a width direction includes a separation and feed roller pair having a feed roller, a conveyance roller pair having a driving roller, and a pair of conveyance guides having inner and outer guides. A part of the inner guide overhangs toward an outer guide side from an external common tangent of the feed roller and the driving roller. Points of intersection with the feed roller on the external common tangent are designated as first intersection points and points of intersection with the driving roller on the external common tangent are designated as second intersection points. When ends of the feed and driving rollers serve as vertexes, a guide surface of the inner guide is linearly continuous in the width direction in an inner region on the guide surface of the inner guide formed by connecting the vertexes.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet feeding roller including a core portion to rotatably support the feeding roller on a feeding roller shaft and a roller portion provided on an outer periphery of the core portion, with the core portion including an engaging mechanism to engage with the feeding roller shaft to restrict movement of the feeding roller in an axial direction of the feeding roller shaft. The core portion also includes a protrusion extending in the axial direction and located on an opposite side of the feeding roller shaft from the engaging mechanism. An end portion of the protrusion is positioned at downstream side of a tip portion of the feeding roller shaft in a removing direction of the feeding roller from the feeding roller shaft.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus to form an image on a sheet having a width direction includes a separation and feed roller pair having a feed roller, a conveyance roller pair having a driving roller, and a pair of conveyance guides having inner and outer guides. A part of the inner guide overhangs toward an outer guide side from an external common tangent of the feed roller and the driving roller. Points of intersection with the feed roller on the external common tangent are designated as first intersection points and points of intersection with the driving roller on the external common tangent are designated as second intersection points. When ends of the feed and driving rollers serve as vertexes, a guide surface of the inner guide is linearly continuous in the width direction in an inner region on the guide surface of the inner guide formed by connecting the vertexes.

Abstract: A sheet detecting device includes a lever provided with a rotational shaft, a spring and a stopper. The lever is positioned in a stand-by position in a state of being in non-contacting with a sheet, and rotates about the rotational shaft from the stand-by position in a first rotational direction by being contacted with the sheet fed. The spring urges so as to rotate the lever in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction. The stopper restricts rotation of the lever beyond the stand-by position in the second rotational direction by being contacted with the lever after contacting of the sheet with the lever. A direction of a first force acting on the rotational shaft by the spring in a case in which the lever is positioned in the stand-by position is the substantially same direction as a direction of a second force which the lever receives from the stopper when the lever is in contact with the stopper by rotating in the second direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a feeding roller configured to feed the sheet. The feeding roller includes a core portion which rotatably supports the feeding roller when the feeding roller is fitted to the shaft of the feeding roller, and a roller portion provided on an outer periphery of the core portion. The roller portion rotates integrally with the core portion and abuts on the sheet. The core portion includes an engaging portion that engages with the shaft to restrict a movement of the feeding roller in an axial direction when the feeding roller is fitted to the shaft. The shaft includes an engaging groove with which the engaging portion engages when the feeding roller is fitted to the shaft. The core portion includes a protrusion extending in the axial direction at an opposing position to the engaging portion when the feeding roller is fitted to the shaft.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes an upstream end regulation unit configured to move between a regulating position where the regulation unit is protruded from the sheet support surface and regulates a sheet supported on the sheet support surface from moving upstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and a retracted position where the regulation unit is pushed down into the sheet support surface from the regulating position. The upstream end regulation unit is positioned within an area where it is overlapped with a sheet placed on the reference position, and configured to move from the retracted position to the regulating position in a state where there are no sheets on the upstream end regulating unit.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes an apparatus body, a manual feed tray, first and second regulating members regulating a width direction of a sheet, a feed portion feeding the sheet stacked on the manual feed tray, and a guide portion. The guide portion is provided at least at one of the apparatus body side and the first regulating member side and has an inclined surface that abuts against another member of the apparatus body and the first regulating member to guide the first regulating member in a direction separating widthwise from the second regulating member when the manual feed tray is moved from a sheet stacking position to a storage position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes an apparatus body, a manual feed tray, first and second regulating members regulating a width direction of a sheet, a feed portion feeding the sheet stacked on the manual feed tray, and a guide portion. The guide portion is provided at least at one of the apparatus body side and the first regulating member side and has an inclined surface that abuts against another member of the apparatus body and the first regulating member to guide the first regulating member in a direction separating widthwise from the second regulating member when the manual feed tray is moved from a sheet stacking position to a storage position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus enabling to prevent generating a dent at a retard roller. When a sheet feeding operation is started, a driving motor normally rotates, and a swing arm is moved to a first position to cause a retard roller to press to a feed roller by a C input gear and a C gear. Also, when the sheet feeding operation is finished, the driving motor reversely rotates, and the swing arm is moved to a second position to cause the retard roller to separate from the feed roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a first door that can make the conveyance unit accessible, a rotation shaft configured to rotatably support the first door, and a second door which is provided to the first door in an openable/closable manner, wherein the second door can make the conveyance unit near the rotation shaft accessible.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus in which generation of a hollow at a separation roller can be prevented. A sheet separating and feeding portion 132 which separates and feeds sheets S one by one sent by a pickup roller 129 includes a feed roller 130 and a retard roller 131 which is arranged rotatably in the direction opposite to a sheet feeding direction and which is capable of rotating along with a rotation of the feed roller 130 while being press-contacted to the feed roller 130. Then, the feed roller 130 is rotated by a predetermined amount so as to rotate the retard roller 131 via the sheet S after job completion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus enabling to prevent generating a dent at a retard roller. When a sheet feeding operation is started, a driving motor normally rotates, and a swing arm is moved to a first position to cause a retard roller to press to a feed roller by a C input gear and a C gear. Also, when the sheet feeding operation is finished, the driving motor reversely rotates, and the swing arm is moved to a second position to cause the retard roller to separate from the feed roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a first door that can make the conveyance unit accessible, a rotation shaft configured to rotatably support the first door, and a second door which is provided to the first door in an openable/closable manner, wherein the second door can make the conveyance unit near the rotation shaft accessible.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device blows air on a sheet stack supported on a tray, raises several sheets, attracts an uppermost sheet to an attraction conveying belt, and conveys the attracted sheet. The sheet feeding device includes a next-sheet detection mechanism for detecting the height of a second sheet subsequent to the uppermost sheet.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus in which generation of a hollow at a separation roller can be prevented. A sheet separating and feeding portion 132 which separates and feeds sheets S one by one sent by a pickup roller 129 includes a feed roller 130 and a retard roller 131 which is arranged rotatably in the direction opposite to a sheet feeding direction and which is capable of rotating along with a rotation of the feed roller 130 while being press-contacted to the feed roller 130. Then, the feed roller 130 is rotated by a predetermined amount so as to rotate the retard roller 131 via the sheet S after job completion.

Abstract: A feeding unit is detachably attached to a sheet cassette in which sheets are loaded. The feeding unit includes a sheet tray on which sheets are loaded, and a fan for blowing air against the side surface of a stack of sheets loaded on the sheet tray, the sheet tray and the fan being held in a case.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a sheet loading plate, a sheet feeding member, a side regulating member on the sheet loading plate and a torsion spring to generate an elastic biasing force, so as to bias the sheet loading plate to bring the uppermost sheet into contact with the sheet feeding means. The torsion spring biases the sheet loading plate so that a torsion moment generated by the end-arm portions of the torsion spring is made variable depending on a position of other of the end-arm portions engaged with the side regulating member.

Abstract: A feeding unit is detachably attached to a sheet cassette in which sheets are loaded. The feeding unit includes a sheet tray on which sheets are loaded, and a fan for blowing air against the side surface of a stack of sheets loaded on the sheet tray, the sheet tray and the fan being held in a case.