SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Abstract

An over-stack protective portion is provided on a stopper member. When a sheet feeding device is in a standby position, the over-stack protective portion is held in a position in which the over-stack protective portion is in pressure contact with sheets having the maximum stacking height capable of being fed and supported by a sheet supporting portion. Also, when the sheets are to be fed, the pressure contact of the over-stack protective portion with the sheets having the maximum stacking height is released.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet feeding apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the sheet feeding apparatus seen from the sheet set direction.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sheet feeding apparatus.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a state during sheet feeding of the sheet feeding apparatus.

FIG. 5 illustrates an over-stack protective portion of the sheet feeding apparatus.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an operation of the over-stack protective portion of the sheet feeding apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a sheet feeding apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate an over-stack protective portion of a conventional sheet feeding apparatus.

Claims

1. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet supporting portion configured to support sheets;a sheet feeding device swingable between a sheet feeding position for feeding the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion and a standby position spaced from the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion; andan over-stack protective portion configured to restrict an insertion of sheets higher than a maximum stacking height capable of being supported by said sheet supporting portion,wherein a movement of said over-stack protective portion is regulated to restrict the insertion of sheets when said sheet feeding device is in said standby position, and said over-stack protective portion is released from a regulation of the movement in association with a swing motion of said sheet feeding device from the standby position to the sheet feeding position.

2. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a holding portion configured to move said sheet feeding device between the sheet feeding position and the standby position; anda stopper member configured to regulate a leading edge of the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion in a standby state and to release a regulation on the sheet leading edge in the sheet feed state,wherein said over-stack protective portion is provided on said stopper member so that, when said sheet feeding device is in the standby position, said holding portion provides a regulation on a movement of said stopper member to regulate the sheet leading edge by the stopper member and a restriction on the insertion of the sheets by said over-stack protective portion, while when said sheet feeding device is in the sheet feeding position, the regulation on the sheet leading edge by said stopper member and the regulation on the movement of said over-stack protective portion are released.

3. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when said sheet feeding device is moved to the standby position, said holding portion abuts against said stopper member to hold said stopper member in a regulation position, while when said sheet feeding device is moved to the sheet feeding position, an abutment of said holding portion against said stopper member is released.

4. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said over-stack protective portion comprises a parallel portion of said stopper member in parallel with said sheet supporting portion when said stopper member is in a regulation position.

5. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said stopper member is extended upward from an upstream side end in a sheet feeding direction of said parallel portion and is provided with an over-stack regulating portion abutting against sheets of a portion exceeding the maximum stacking height of the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion.

6. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said over-stack regulating portion is provided upstream of said sheet feeding device in the sheet feeding direction.

7. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a width direction regulating member for regulating a position of the sheet supported by said sheet supporting portion in a width direction of the sheet is provided on said stopper member.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet supporting portion configured to support sheets;a sheet feeding device swingable between a sheet feeding position for feeding the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion and a standby position spaced from the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion;an over-stack protective portion configured to restrict an insertion of sheets higher than a maximum stacking height capable of being supported by said sheet supporting portion; andan image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet fed out by said sheet feeding device,wherein a movement of said over-stack protective portion is regulated to restrict the insertion of sheets when said sheet feeding device is in said standby position, and said over-stack protective portion is released from a regulation of the movement in association with a swing motion of said sheet feeding device from the standby position to the sheet feeding position.