| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeder capable of preventing the double feeding of sheets without causing an increase in cost, and to provide an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: Air is blown by a draining nozzle 33 to side surfaces of the sheets supported by a tray 12 to float the sheets, and also, air is blown by a separation nozzle 34 to the floated sheets to separate the sheet Sa placed at the uppermost position among the floated sheets. Then, the separated uppermost sheet Sa is sucked and conveyed by a sucking/conveying belt 21, and then, conveyed by a pair of conveying rollers 42 provided at the downstream side of the sucking/conveying belt 21 in the sheet feeding direction. Then, after the uppermost sheet Sa reaches the pair of conveying rollers 42, a loop is formed in the uppermost sheet Sa between the sucking/conveying belt 21 and the pair of conveying rollers 42, and then, air is blown from the separation nozzle 34 to the loop SL of the uppermost sheet Sa. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT |
