SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

摘要

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet regulation member, a lock portion, and a damper portion. The sheet regulation member is changeable between a regulation posture to regulate a sheet supported on a supporting portion not to enter a separation nip portion and a retracted posture to allow the sheet to enter the separation nip portion. The lock portion locks the sheet regulation member in the regulation posture. In a case where external force equal to or more than a predetermined amount is applied to the sheet regulation member toward the downstream in the sheet feeding direction with the sheet regulation member is locked by the lock portion in the regulation posture, the damper portion allows displacement of the sheet regulation member.

主权项

1. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body; a supporting portion held by the apparatus body and configured to support a sheet; a feed portion configured to feed the sheet supported on the supporting portion; a conveyance portion disposed downstream of the feed portion in a sheet feeding direction; a separation portion disposed in pressure contact with the conveyance portion and configured to separate sheets fed from the feed portion one by one in a separation nip portion formed between the conveyance portion and the separation portion; a sheet regulation member disposed upstream of the separation nip portion in the sheet feeding direction, the sheet regulation member being configured to take a regulation posture to regulate the sheet on the supporting portion not to enter the separation nip portion and a retracted posture to allow the sheet on the supporting portion to enter the separation nip portion; a lock portion configured to lock the sheet regulation member in the regulation posture; and a damper portion configured to allow the sheet regulation member locked in the regulation posture by the lock portion to be displaced if external force in the sheet feeding direction and equal to or more than a predetermined amount is applied to the sheet regulation member.