Claims
- 1. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
- sheet supporting means disposed in a lower position of the sheet feeding apparatus for supporting a sheet stack;
- supply means contacting a surface of a sheet on the sheet stack, for feeding out the sheet;
- first limiting means contacting a front edge of the sheet stack on said sheet supporting means;
- second limiting means contacting the sheet surface contacted by said supply means, said first and second limiting means defining a clearance of a predetermined length in the sheet feeding direction therebetween, said first and second limiting means separating the sheets one by one by causing the sheet to pass over said first limiting means and through the clearance;
- convey means arranged downstream of said first limiting means for conveying the sheet fed out by said supply means upwardly; and
- friction means arranged between said first limiting means and said convey means for separating sheet which has not been separated by said first and second limiting means, said friction means changing a feeding orientation of the sheet to be separated to feed it to said convey means.
- 2. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the clearance has a predetermined length to allow bending of the sheet in the sheet feeding direction, the length being smaller than a thickness of one sheet.
- 3. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a distance between an upper end of said first limiting means and a forward end of said second limiting means is larger than the thickness of one sheet.
- 4. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second limiting means contacts an uppermost sheet in the sheet stack.
- 5. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1,,wherein said second limiting means contacts an uppermost sheet in the sheet stack.
- 6. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second limiting means contacts said sheet at a position rearwardly of the front edge of the sheet stack.
- 7. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first limiting means has an inclined portion inclined upwardly toward the sheet feeding direction.
- 8. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said friction means comprises a friction pad and separates the sheets by contacting the front end of the sheet.
- 9. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, further including an urging means for urging the front end of said sheet against said friction pad.
- 10. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said friction pad can be changed in its position.
- 11. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said friction pad can be changed in its position along the sheet feeding direction.
- 12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- sheet supporting means disposed in a lower position of the image forming apparatus for supporting a sheet stack;
- supply means contacting a surface of a sheet oil the sheet stack, for feeding out the sheet;
- first limiting means contacting a front edge of the sheet stack on said sheet supporting means;
- second limiting means contacting the sheet surface contracted by said supply means, said first and second limiting means defining a clearance of a predetermined length in the sheet feeding direction therebetween, said first and second limiting means separating the sheets one by one by causing the sheet to pass over said first limiting means and through the clearance;
- image forming means disposed at an upper position of said image forming apparatus for forming the image on the sheet separated by said first limiting means and said second limiting means;
- convey means arranged downstream of said first limiting means for conveying the sheet fed out by said supply means upwardly to said image forming means; and
- friction means arranged between said first limiting means and said convey means for separating the sheet which has not been separated by said first limiting means and said second limiting means, said friction means changing feeding orientation of the sheet to be separated to feed it to said convey means.
- 13. A sheet feeding apparatus, comprising:
- sheet accommodation means for accommodating a stack of sheets, said sheet accommodation means removably insertable into said sheet feeding apparatus;
- supply means contacting a surface of a sheet on the sheet stack accommodated in said accommodation means for feeding out the sheet in a feeding position;
- first limiting means contacting a front edge of the sheet stack on said sheet supporting means; and
- second limiting means contacting the sheet surface contacted by said supply means
- said first and second limiting means defining a clearance of a predetermined length in the sheet feeding direction therebetween, said second limiting means separating the sheets one by one by causing the sheets to pass over said first limiting means and to pass through the clearance;
- moving means for moving the sheets accommodated in said sheet accommodating means to the feeding position in response to the insertion of said accommodating means into said sheet feeding apparatus; and
- abut means for causing said second limiting means to abut the sheets when the sheets are located at the feeding position but not to abut the sheets when the sheets are not located at the feeding position.
- 14. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined length of the clearance allows bending of the sheet in the sheet feeding direction, the length being smaller than thickness of one sheet in a thickness direction.
- 15. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first limiting means and said second limiting means are integrally provided and rockably supported along a side edge of the sheet stack.
- 16. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising friction separating means disposed downstream of said first limiting means for separating a sheet which has not been separated by said first limiting means and said second limiting means.
- 17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- sheet accommodation means for accommodating a stack of sheets, said sheet accommodating means removably insertable into said sheet feeding apparatus;
- supply means contacting a surface of a sheet on the sheet stack, for applying a feeding force to said sheet;
- first limiting means contacting a front edge of the sheet stack on said sheet accommodating means;
- second limiting means contacting the sheet surface contacted by said supply means, said first and second limiting means defining a clearance of a predetermined length in the sheet feeding direction therebetween, said first limiting means and said second limiting means separating the sheets one by one by causing the sheet to pass over said first limiting means and to pass through the clearance;
- an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet separated by said first limiting means and said second limiting means;
- moving means for moving the sheets accommodated in said sheet accommodating means to the feeding position in response to insertion of said accommodating means into said sheet feeding apparatus; and
- abut means for causing said second limiting means to abut onto the sheets by its own gravity when the sheets are located at the feeding position, but not to abut the sheets when the sheets are not located at the feeding position.
- 18. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said supply means has a roller a part of an outer periphery of which is cut out.
- 19. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
- sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet stack;
- supply means contacting a surface of a sheet on the sheet stack for feeding out the sheet;
- separating means for separating the sheets fed out by said supply means one by one, said separating means comprising a first limiting portion contacting a front edge of the sheet stack on said sheet supporting means and a second limiting portion contacting the sheet surface contacted by said supply means, said first limiting portion and said second limiting portion defining a clearance of a predetermined length in the sheet feeding direction therebetween, said first limiting portion and said second limiting portion separating the sheets one by one by causing the sheets to pass-over said first limiting portion and to pass through the clearance; and
- holding means pivotably holding said separating means to cause said second limiting portion to abut onto the sheet stack by gravitation force of said separating means.
- 20. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said sheet supporting means comprises a sheet supporting plate which is pivotably mounted for supporting the sheet stack and biasing means for biasing said sheet supporting plate toward said supply means, and wherein said second limiting portion contacts an uppermost sheet in the sheet stack supported on said sheet supporting plate.
- 21. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said separating means is rockably supported along a side edge of the sheet stack supported by said sheet supporting means.
- 22. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said first limiting portion and said second limiting portion are integrally provided.
- 23. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising friction separating means disposed downstream of said first limiting portion for separating the sheet which has not been separated by said first limiting portion and said second limiting portion.
- 24. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet stack;
- supply means contacting with a surface of a sheet on the sheet stack for feeding out the sheet;
- separating means for separating one by one the sheets fed out by said supply means, wherein said separating means comprises:
- a first limiting portion contacting an edge of the sheet stack on said sheet supporting means; and
- a second limiting portion contacting the sheet surface contacted by said supply means, said first limiting portion and said second limiting portion defining a clearance of a predetermined length in the sheet feeding direction therebetween, and said first and second limiting portions separating the sheets one by one by causing the sheets to pass over the first limiting means and to pass through the clearance;
- holding means for pivotably holding said separating means so that said second limiting portion abuts onto the sheet stack by gravitational force of said separating means; and
- image forming means for forming the image on the sheet separated by said separating means, portion.
Priority Claims (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
1-057309 |
Mar 1989 |
JPX |
|
1-145679 |
Jun 1989 |
JPX |
|
1-145680 |
Jun 1989 |
JPX |
|
1-239321 |
Sep 1989 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 07/855,497, filed Mar. 23, 1992, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/490,461, filed on Mar. 8, 1990, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0279402 |
Aug 1988 |
EPX |
202228 |
Nov 1983 |
JPX |
2187716 |
Sep 1987 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
European Search Report (3 pgs.). |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
855497 |
Mar 1992 |
|
Parent |
490461 |
Mar 1990 |
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