Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus
A sheet feeding apparatus includes a supporting portion configured to support sheets, a feeding member configured to feed the sheets, an air blower unit configured to blow air to separate the sheets, and a side end regulating member including a regulating surface, an air outlet port through which the air from the air blower unit is blown out, a first restriction member movable to a protruding position and to a retracting position, and a second restriction member disposed downstream of the first restriction member in the feeding direction, the second restriction member being fixed to a position where the second restriction member protrudes inward in the sheet width direction with respect to the regulating surface so as to restrict the excessive floating of the sheets.
1 . A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
a supporting portion, including a support surface, configured to support a sheet;
a feeding member configured to feed the sheet supported on the supporting portion in a feeding direction;
an air blower unit configured to blow air toward the sheet supported on the supporting portion; and
a side end regulating member including:
a regulating surface configured to face a side end portion of the sheet in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction and regulate a position of the sheet in the sheet width direction;
a first restriction member movable to:
a protruding position where the first restriction member protrudes inward in the sheet width direction with respect to the regulating surface such that the first restriction member restricts the sheet, in a state in which the sheet is blown upward by the air from the air blower unit; and
a retracting position where the first restriction member is retracted outward from the protruding position in the sheet width direction; and
a second restriction member disposed downstream of the first restriction member in the feeding direction, wherein the second restriction member:
is immovable with respect to the regulating surface;
protrudes inward in the sheet width direction with respect to the regulating surface; and
is plate shaped with a major surface thereof oriented facing toward the support surface in a direction perpendicular to the support surface and is configured to restrict the sheet by coming in contact with an upper surface of the sheet.
2 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting portion is a tray provided at a side surface portion of the sheet feeding apparatus and configured to pivot between a closed position where the tray is closed with respect to the side surface portion and an open position where the feeding member is allowed to feed the sheet.
3 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second restriction member is disposed at a position where the second restriction member does not come into contact with the feeding member, in a state in which the tray is moved from the opened position to the closed position and in a state in which the side end regulating member has been moved to a most inward position in the sheet width direction.
4 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a holding member configured to hold the feeding member,
wherein the second restriction member is disposed at a position where the second restriction member does not come into contact with the holding member, in a state in which the tray is closed and in a state in which the side end regulating member has been moved to a most inward position in the sheet width direction.
5 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
the side end regulating member includes:
an upstream portion that forms a part of the regulating surface,
a downstream portion that forms another part of the regulating surface and that is disposed downstream of the upstream portion in the feeding direction, and
a recessed portion formed between the upstream portion and the downstream portion in the feeding direction, the recessed portion providing an upper edge of the side end regulating member that is recessed downward relative to an upper edge of the upstream portion and an upper edge of the downstream portion,
the first restriction member is provided in the upstream portion, and
the second restriction member is provided in the downstream portion.
6 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a holding member configured to hold the feeding member,
wherein at least part of the holding member is accommodated in the recessed portion as viewed in the sheet width direction in a state where the tray is in the closed position.
7 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the air blower unit is a first air blower unit,
the side end regulating member is a first side end regulating member,
the regulating surface is a first regulating surface,
the major surface is a first major surface,
the sheet feeding apparatus further comprises:
a second air blower unit configured to blow air toward the sheet supported on the supporting portion; and
a second side end regulating member configured to face the first side end regulating member in the sheet width direction and move in the sheet width direction in an interlocked manner with the first side end regulating member, wherein the second side end regulating member includes:
a second regulating surface configured to face a side end portion of the sheet on an opposite side from the first regulating surface in the sheet width direction and to regulate the position of the sheet in the sheet width direction;
a third restriction member movable to:
a position where the third restriction member protrudes inward in the sheet width direction with respect to the second regulating surface such that the third restriction member restricts the sheet, in a state in which the sheet is blown upward by the air from the second air blower unit; and
a position where the third restriction member is retracted outward in the sheet width direction; and
a fourth restriction member disposed downstream of the third restriction member in the feeding direction, wherein the fourth restriction member:
is immovable with respect to the second regulating surface;
protrudes inward in the sheet width direction with respect to the second regulating surface; and
is plate shaped with a second major surface thereof oriented facing toward the support surface in the direction perpendicular to the support surface and is configured to restrict the sheet by coming in contact with the upper surface of the sheet.
8 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first restriction member:
is disposed rotatably at the side end regulating member;
is moved from the retracting position to the protruding position by an air pressure of the air from the air blower unit; and
remains in the retracting position by a weight of the first restriction member in a period in which the air blower unit is not blowing air.
9 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an air outlet port disposed at the regulating surface and through which the air from the air blower unit is blown out toward the side end portion of the sheet supported on the supporting portion;
a duct provided at a position that coincides with a position of the first restriction member in the feeding direction and that is more on outside than the regulating surface in the sheet width direction, the duct being configured to guide the air from the air blower unit to the air outlet port,
wherein the duct is not provided at a position that coincides with a position of the second restriction member in the feeding direction and that is more on outside than the regulating surface in the sheet width direction.
10 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second restriction member is positioned in an end portion region, on a downstream side in the feeding direction, of the regulating surface.
11 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first air outlet port disposed at the regulating surface and through which the air from the air blower unit is blown out toward the side end portion of the sheet supported on the supporting portion; and
a second air outlet port disposed at the regulating surface, which is provided upstream of the first air outlet port in the feeding direction, and through which the air from the air blower unit is blown out toward the side end portion of the sheet supported on the supporting portion,
wherein the side end regulating member further includes an upstream restriction member disposed upstream of the first restriction member in the feeding direction, and
wherein the upstream restriction member is movable to a second protruding position and to a second retracting position, the second protruding position being where the upstream restriction member protrudes inward in the sheet width direction with respect to the regulating surface such that the upstream restriction member restricts the sheet, in the state in which the sheet is blown upward by the air from the air blower unit, the second retracting position being where the upstream restriction member is retracted outward from the second protruding position in the sheet width direction.
12 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein:
the first restriction member is disposed downstream of a center position of the regulating surface in the feeding direction, and
the upstream restriction member is disposed upstream of the center position of the regulating surface in the feeding direction.
13 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein as viewed from above the supporting portion, an area of a portion of the first restriction member protruding inward in the sheet width direction with respect to the regulating surface, in a state in which the first restriction member is positioned in the protruding position, is larger than an area of a portion of the second restriction member protruding inward in the sheet width direction with respect to the regulating surface.
14 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding apparatus.
15 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the major surface is substantially parallel to the support surface.
16 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the major surface includes a parallel portion parallel to the support surface and an inclined portion provided upstream of the parallel portion in the feeding direction and inclined upward away from the support surface as the major surface extends upstream in the feeding direction.
17 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second restriction member is integrally molded with the regulating surface.
18 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second restriction member is configured to guide the sheet such that the sheet passes below the major surface while the feeding member is feeding the sheet.