Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus

1. A sheet feeder, comprising:

a housing including a mount portion that receives recording media;

an open-close portion that is disposed on an upper surface of the housing to close the mount portion and rotates about a first hinge to open or close a mount space over the mount portion; and

a manual insertion portion at least part of which is disposed on the open-close portion to receive manually inserted recording media, the manual insertion portion being rotatable about the first hinge or a second hinge disposed parallel to the first hinge to rotate upward from a position where the manual insertion portion overlaps the open-close portion;

wherein a container member including the mount portion that receives recording media longer than an A3-size recording medium is removably attached to the housing.

2. The sheet feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the second hinge is disposed at a portion of the housing closer to a first end in a first direction than the first hinge.

3. The sheet feeder according to claim 2 , wherein the manual insertion portion shifts from a position where the manual insertion portion overlaps the open-close portion to an erect position with an operation of the open-close portion opening the mount space.

4. The sheet feeder according to claim 3 , wherein the first hinge extends in a direction crossing a transportation direction of the recording media stacked on the mount portion.

5. The sheet feeder according to claim 3 , wherein with the operation of the open-close portion opening the mount space, the manual insertion portion rotates in such a direction as to stand erect while sliding over an upper portion of the open-close portion.

6. The sheet feeder according to claim 5 , wherein a slide portion that slides over the upper portion of the open-close portion is attached to the manual insertion portion.

7. The sheet feeder according to claim 6 , wherein the slide portion is formed from a resin member softer than a resin member forming the upper portion of the open-close portion.

8. The sheet feeder according to claim 2 , wherein the first hinge extends in a direction crossing a transportation direction of the recording media stacked on the mount portion.

9. The sheet feeder according to claim 2 , wherein a container member including the mount portion that receives recording media longer than an A3-size recording medium is removably attached to the housing.

10. The sheet feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are disposed coaxial with each other or arranged vertically at a portion of the housing closer to a first end in a first direction.

11. The sheet feeder according to claim 10 , wherein the first hinge extends in a direction crossing a transportation direction of the recording media stacked on the mount portion.

12. The sheet feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the first hinge extends in a direction crossing a transportation direction of the recording media stacked on the mount portion.

13. The sheet feeder according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a pair of walls that hold the mount space over the mount portion between themselves from both sides in a direction crossing a transportation direction of the recording media,

wherein the first hinge or the second hinge is supported by the pair of walls, and

wherein, while the open-close portion opens the mount space, the recording media are inserted across a first wall of the pair of walls to be placed on the mount portion.

14. The sheet feeder according to claim 13 , further comprising:

a handle that is disposed at an end portion of the open-close portion opposite to an end portion closer to the first hinge in the transportation direction, and that unlocks the open-close portion from the housing including the pair of walls while the open-close portion closes the mount space.

15. The sheet feeder according to claim 14 , wherein the handle is disposed at a portion of the open-close portion closer to the first wall.

16. The sheet feeder according to claim 13 , further comprising:

a damper that is disposed between a second wall of the pair of walls and the open-close portion, and that assists an operation of the open-close portion opening the mount space.

17. The sheet feeder according to claim 16 , wherein the damper is a single damper.

18. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

the sheet feeder according to claim 1 ,

wherein the recording media are transported from the sheet feeder to an image forming unit.

19. A sheet feeder, comprising:

a housing including a mount portion that receives recording media;

an open-close portion that is disposed on an upper surface of the housing to close the mount portion and rotates about a first hinge to open or close a mount space over the mount portion; and

a manual insertion portion at least part of which is disposed on the open-close portion to receive manually inserted recording media, the manual insertion portion being rotatable about the first hinge or a second hinge disposed parallel to the first hinge to rotate upward from a position where the manual insertion portion overlaps the open-close portion;

wherein the second hinge is disposed at a portion of the housing closer to a first end in a first direction than the first hinge;

wherein the manual insertion portion shifts from a position where the manual insertion portion overlaps the open-close portion to an erect position with an operation of the open-close portion opening the mount space;

wherein, when in a maximum open state, the open-close portion has a center of gravity at a position closer to the second hinge than to the first hinge.

20. The sheet feeder according to claim 19 , wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are disposed coaxial with each other or arranged vertically at a portion of the housing closer to the first end in the first direction.