Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus, having: a first sheet feeding member to press a top surface of a sheet for sending out a sheet stored in a sheet storing section; a second sheet feeding member arranged on a downstream side of the first sheet feeding member with respect to a sheet feeding direction to further convey the sheet from the first sheet feeding member downstream; and a first cleaning member rotatably supported in contact with a circumference surface of the first feeding member and a circumference surface of the second feeding member to cleaning a circumference surface of the first feeding member and a circumference surface of the second feeding member by rotation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus composed of an image forming apparatus main body, a finishing apparatus, a large capacity sheet feeding apparatus and an automatic document feeding apparatus.

FIG. 2 (a) is a cross-sectional view of sheet feeding apparatus when pickup roller 111 is lifted.

FIG. 2 (b) is a cross-sectional view of sheet feeding apparatus when pickup roller 111 is lowered to contact with a top surface of sheet S.

FIG. 3 (a) is a characteristic diagram indicating changes of a friction coefficient of a circumference surface of a feeding roller according to number of sheet passing through.

FIG. 4 (a) is a plane cross-sectional view of a rotation driving mechanism.

FIG. 4 (b) is a cross-sectional view of the rotation driving mechanism.

Claims

1. A sheet feeding apparatus, comprising: a first sheet feeding member to press a surface of top sheet for sending out a sheet stored in a sheet storing section;a second sheet feeding member arranged on a downstream side of the first sheet feeding member with respect to a sheet feeding direction to further convey the sheet from the first sheet feeding member downstream; anda first cleaning member rotatably supported in contact with both a circumference surface of the first feeding member and a circumference surface of the second feeding member to clean both the circumference surface of the first feeding member and the circumference surface of the second feeding member by rotation.

2. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a rotation brush to be rotated by a driving source.

3. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first gear arranged on a rotation axis of the first sheet feeding member;a second gear arranged on a rotation axis of the second sheet feeding member connected with a driving source to rotate; andan intermediate gear engaged with the first gear and the second gear;wherein the cleaning member is arranged on an axis of the intermediate gear to rotate.

4. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second cleaning member in contact with the first cleaning member to clean the first cleaning member; anda third cleaning member in contact with the second cleaning member to clean the second cleaning member.

5. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second cleaning member in contact with the first cleaning member to clean the first cleaning member;a third cleaning member in contact with the second cleaning member to clean the second cleaning member; anda shield member to shield a space above the first sheet feeding member, the second sheet feeding member, the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member.

6. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second cleaning member in contact with the first cleaning member to clean the first cleaning member;a third cleaning member in contact with the second cleaning member to clean the second cleaning member; anda shield member to shield a space above the first sheet feeding member, the second sheet feeding member, the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member;wherein the third cleaning member and the shield member are formed respectively with a flexible thin plate.

7. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second cleaning member in contact with the first cleaning member to clean the first cleaning member; anda third cleaning member in contact with the second cleaning member to clean the second cleaning member;wherein an edge of the third cleaning member contacts a circumference surface of the second cleaning member in a counter direction to a rotation direction of the second cleaning member.

8. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second cleaning member in contact with the first cleaning member to clean the first cleaning member; anda third cleaning member in contact with the second cleaning member to clean the second cleaning member;wherein an edge of the shield member contacts a circumference surface of the second cleaning member in a trailing direction to a rotation direction of the second cleaning member.

9. The sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second cleaning member in contact with the first cleaning member to clean the first cleaning member;a third cleaning member in contact with the second cleaning member to clean the second cleaning member; anda shield member to shield a space above the first sheet feeding member, the second sheet feeding member, the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member;wherein an edge of the shield member contacts the second cleaning member with a pressure less than a pressure by which the third cleaning member contacts the second cleaning member.

10. An image forming apparatus, comprising: the sheet feeding apparatus of claim 1; andan image forming section to form an image on the sheet fed from the sheet feeding apparatus thereof.