JP5291027B2 - Sheet material feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet material feeder having a separating pad easy to replace, and to provide an image forming device equipped therewith. <P>SOLUTION: The sheet material feeder 700 includes a feeding roller 310, a guide member 410, and a separating unit 450 attachable/detachable to/from the guide member 410, the separating unit 450 having a housing 460, a holder 480 turnably mounted on the housing 460, the separating pad 490 mounted on the holder 480, a spring 470 arranged between the housing 460 and the holder 480 for energizing the holder 480 to be turned to the side of departing the housing 460, and a wall part 466 for restricting the turning movement of the holder 480 with the energizing force of the spring 470 in the state that the energizing force of the spring 470 remains. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet material feeding device that feeds a sheet material to a reading device or the like, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet material feeding device.

The sheet material feeding apparatus is an apparatus used in combination with an image forming apparatus including an image reading unit that reads an image of a document, such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine. The sheet material feeding device includes, for example, a feeding roller that feeds the sheet material, a separating member that separates the fed sheet material one by one, and a biasing unit that biases the separating member.
The separation member is a member for suppressing double feeding by the feeding roller, and includes a separation pad arranged so as to sandwich the document (sheet material) together with the feeding roller. The separation pad is a member whose surface friction coefficient is slightly smaller than the surface friction coefficient of the feeding roller. When the separation pad is worn due to friction with the document (sheet material), the multi-feed performance deteriorates, so it is necessary to replace the separation pad at a necessary timing.

  Conventionally, when exchanging the separation pad, it has been necessary to remove the feeding rollers arranged to face each other. For this reason, there was a problem that the work burden for exchanging a separation pad was heavy.

  On the other hand, in order to reduce the work burden for exchanging the separation pad, a sheet material feeding device including a holding member that holds the urging means and detachably holds the separation member has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). Here, the holding member is detachably attached to the apparatus main body by a screw or an elastic locking claw.

JP 2000-219347 A

However, in the sheet material feeding device described in Patent Document 1, since the separation member is biased by a spring as a biasing member, the rotation position separated from the holding member by the natural length of the spring at the time of remounting. Placed in. That is, at the time of remounting, the user needs to attach the holding member to the apparatus main body while applying a pressing force to the separating member so that the length of the spring becomes a predetermined length (to shorten it).
Further, in the sheet material feeding device of Patent Document 1, the separation member can be attached when the work space is large, but the attachment work may be difficult when the work space is small.

An object of this invention is to provide the sheet | seat material feeding apparatus which can replace | exchange a separation pad easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus including the sheet material feeding device.

  The present invention is a feed roller that is rotatable about a rotation shaft and feeds a sheet material in a predetermined feed direction, a feed guide member, and a separation unit that can be attached to and detached from the feed guide member. A housing, a holder attached to the housing so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis, a surface of the holder on the side opposite to the housing side, and the surface on the feeding roller side A separating pad formed between the housing and the holder, and a biasing member that biases the holder to rotate away from the housing; and a biasing force of the biasing member The present invention relates to a sheet material feeding device including a separation unit including a rotation restricting portion that restricts the rotation of the holder in a state in which an urging force of the urging member remains.

  In the sheet material feeding device, the feeding roller is configured to be changeable between a contact state in contact with the separation pad and a separated state in which the separation roller is separated from the separation pad. When in the contact state, the holder is restricted from rotating at the first rotational position by the feeding roller via the separation pad, and the biasing member biases the holder with a first biasing force. When the feeding roller is in the separated state, the holder is restricted from rotating at the second turning position by the turning restricting portion, and the biasing member holds the holder against the first biasing force. It is preferable to bias with a weaker second biasing force.

  Further, in the sheet material feeding device, when the separation unit is detached from the feeding guide member, the holder is restricted from rotating at the second rotation position by the rotation restricting portion. The biasing member preferably biases the holder with a second biasing force.

  Further, in the sheet material feeding device, the rotation restricting portion is a planar wall portion arranged on the upstream side of the holder in the feeding direction and parallel to the rotation axis, and the separation pad is The sheet member is disposed on the surface on the feeding roller side and is disposed so as to cover the wall-side surface of the holder, and the holder covers the wall-side surface of the sheet member. It is preferable that the portion arranged in this manner abuts against the wall portion and the rotation movement is restricted by the rotation restriction portion.

  In the sheet material feeding device, the holder includes a pair of protrusions protruding in the rotation axis direction, and the housing includes a pair of engagements that rotatably engage the pair of protrusions. It is preferable to have a part.

  Further, in the sheet material feeding device, the holder has a pair of flexible arm portions each having the pair of projecting portions at an end portion, and the engaging portion is an opening, It is preferable that the protrusion is inserted into the opening by deforming the arm, and in the inserted state, the holder is rotatably engaged by the engaging portion.

  Further, in the sheet material feeding device, the housing is formed on an upstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the separation pad and is inclined so as to intersect with a surface of the separation pad on the feeding roller side. And the feeding in such a manner that a part of the separation pad covers a part of the separation pad, and a part of the separation pad is covered with the inclined feeding part in a width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction. It is preferable to have a forward pad disposed so as to protrude downstream in the direction.

  Further, in the sheet material feeding device, the housing includes a guided portion disposed on the upstream side in the feeding direction, and the feeding guide member includes a recess for housing the separation unit, and the recess. A guide portion formed on the guide portion for guiding the movement of the guided portion; a rotation area formed continuously with the guide portion and capable of rotating the guided portion; and a rotational movement of the guided portion being restricted. And a positioning part for positioning the guided part.

  Further, in the sheet material feeding device, the guide portion can be inserted in a state where the guide portion is inclined obliquely with respect to a state where the housing is attached to the feeding guide member, and the guided portion is inserted. The pivot region is pivoted about a predetermined position on the root side of the tip of the guided portion guided by the guide portion as a pivot axis. It is preferable that the positioning portion is formed on a side where the distal end portion of the guided portion guided by the guide portion rotates.

  The present invention provides a sheet material feeding device according to any one of the above, a reading unit that reads an image formed on the surface of the sheet material fed by the sheet material feeding device, and the reading unit. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet-like image forming medium based on image information relating to a read image.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the sheet | seat material feeding apparatus which can replace | exchange a separation pad easily can be provided.
In addition, according to the present invention, an image forming apparatus including the sheet material feeding device can be provided.

1 is a left side view for explaining the arrangement of components in a copying machine 1 as an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the sheet | seat material feeding apparatus 700 shown in FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet material feeding apparatus 700. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a sheet material feeding device 700 in a state where a cover 705 is opened. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a sheet material feeding device 700 in a state where a feeding roller unit 300 is removed from the state of FIG. 4. 3 is a plan view of a feeding unit 400. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a feeding unit 400. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state where a separation unit 450 is removed from a guide member 410 in a feeding unit 400. It is AA sectional drawing of the feeding unit 400 in FIG. FIG. 5 is a development view illustrating the configuration of a separation unit 450. It is a figure explaining the method of mounting | wearing the guide member with the unit 450 for isolation | separation. It is a figure explaining the method of mounting | wearing the guide member with the unit 450 for isolation | separation. It is a figure explaining the method of mounting | wearing the guide member with the unit 450 for isolation | separation.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
With reference to FIG. 1, the overall structure of a copier 1 as an embodiment of an image forming apparatus will be described. The copier 1 of this embodiment includes an embodiment of the sheet material feeding device 700 of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a left side view for explaining the arrangement of components in a copier 1 as an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the side (the right side in FIG. 1) on which a later-described manual feed tray 65 is disposed is the front side of the copier 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the sheet material feeding apparatus 700 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet material feeding device 700. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the sheet material feeding apparatus 700 in a state where the cover 705 is opened. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the sheet material feeding apparatus 700 in a state where the feeding roller unit 300 is removed from the state of FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the feeding unit 400. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the feeding unit 400. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a state where the separation unit 450 is removed from the guide member 410 in the feeding unit 400. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the feeding unit 400 in FIG. FIG. 10 is a development view illustrating the configuration of the separation unit 450.

As shown in FIG. 1, the copier 1 of this embodiment includes an image reading device 200 and an apparatus main body M.
The image reading apparatus 200 includes an image reading unit 201 and a sheet material feeding device 700 that is arranged on the upper side in the vertical direction of the image reading unit 201 and automatically conveys a document (sheet material) to the image reading unit 201.
The apparatus main body M is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction of the image reading apparatus 200 (image reading unit 201), and forms a toner image on a sheet T (sheet-like image forming medium) based on image information from the image reading unit 201. To do.

First, the sheet material feeding apparatus 700 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the sheet material feeding device 700 includes a feeding mechanism housing 701, a document placement unit 710, a document stacking unit 720, and an intermediate tray 730.

The feeding mechanism housing 701 is a housing in which the feeding mechanism in the sheet material feeding apparatus 700 is accommodated.
The document placing portion 710 is a portion on which a document G (sheet material) before an image is read is placed.
The document stacking unit 720 is a portion on the lower side in the vertical direction of the document placing unit 710 and is a portion on which the document G that has passed a predetermined image reading position J (see FIG. 3) is stacked.

  The intermediate tray 730 is disposed between the document placing unit 710 and the document stacking unit 720, and the space K between the document placing unit 710 and the document stacking unit 720 is defined as the first space K1 on the document stacking unit 720 side. This tray is divided into a second space K2 on the document placement portion 710 side.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the document placing portion 710 includes a placement portion tray 711, a document pressing portion 712, a tray support wall 715, a standby portion 713, and a separation wall 714.

  A pair of document pressing portions 712 are provided on the base end side (rear side) of the placement surface (upper surface) of the placement portion tray 711. The pair of document pressing portions 712 are slidably disposed so as to be relatively close to or away from the width direction of the placement portion tray 711 (left and right direction of the sheet material feeding device 700) according to the width of the document G. .

The tray support wall 715 is a wall portion that supports the placement unit tray 711. The tray support wall 715 is provided on the base end side (rear side) of the placement unit tray 711.
The tray support wall 715 includes a left support wall 715a on the left side (front side in FIG. 2) of the sheet material feeding device 700 and a right support wall 715b on the right side (back side in FIG. 2) of the sheet material feed device 700. Prepare. The left support wall 715a and the right support wall 715b are plate-like members extending in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the standby unit 713 is provided inside the feeding mechanism housing 701 and is formed so as to extend in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveyance direction of the document G. On the upper surface of the standby unit 713, a front end portion (downstream end portion in the feeding direction C) of the document G is disposed.
The separation wall 714 is a wall portion that is disposed on the downstream side in the feeding direction C in the standby portion 713 and is inclined so as to go upward in the vertical direction toward the downstream side in the feeding direction C.
The document G placed on the document placement unit 710 enters a standby state at the standby unit 713 when the front end portion abuts against the separation wall 714. Then, the original G waiting in a stacked state in the standby portion 713 is satisfactorily separated (squeezed) when the front end portion passes over the separation wall 714.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the feeding mechanism housing 701 includes a first document discharge unit 702, a second document discharge unit 703, a first transport unit, a second transport unit, and a third transport unit. Is provided.

The first document discharge unit 702 is a portion that faces the first space K1 and discharges the document G toward the first space K1.
The second document discharge portion 703 is a portion that faces the second space K2 and discharges a part of the document G toward the second space K2.
The first conveying unit is a unit that conveys the document G placed on the document placing unit 710 to the image reading position J.
The second transport unit is a unit that transports the document G located at the image reading position J to the first document discharge unit 702.
The third conveying means is means for switching the document G located at the image reading position J back to the image reading position J by using the second space K2 to be switched back and reversed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first transport unit includes a pickup roller 741, a feeding roller 310, a separation pad 490 (separation unit 450), and a pre-reading roller pair 745. The first transport unit transports the document placed on the document placement unit 710 to the image reading position J via the rear part of the feeding mechanism housing 701.

  The pickup roller 741 is configured to be movable between a home position separated from the original G and a pickup position that slightly contacts the surface of the original G. The pickup roller 741 is configured to move from the home position to the pickup position when driven to rotate clockwise in FIG. The pickup roller 741 is configured to return from the pickup position to the home position after feeding the document G. The pickup roller 741 is configured to rotate clockwise or to stop rotating.

The feed roller 310 is configured to be changeable between a contact state in contact with the separation pad 490 and a separated state separated from the separation pad 490.
When the separation unit 450 is mounted on the guide member 410, the feeding roller 310 is in contact with the upper surface of the separation pad 490 (when the document G is placed between them, the document G is sandwiched between the feed rollers 310. Position). In this case, the feeding roller 310 is in a contact state.
Further, the feeding roller 310 is configured to be removable from the sheet material feeding device 700 in a mounted state in which the separation unit 450 is mounted on the guide member 410. In addition, the feeding roller 310 is configured to be disposed at a position where the separation unit 450 can be removed (easily removed) (for example, on the upper side in FIG. 3) when the separation unit 450 is mounted on the guide member 410. Is done. When the feeding roller 310 is removed from the sheet material feeding apparatus 700, or when the feeding roller 310 is disposed at a position where the separation unit 450 can be easily removed, the feeding roller 310 is in a separated state.
In addition, the feeding roller 310 is in a separated state when the separation unit 450 is detached from the guide member 410.
When the front end portion of the document G is positioned between the feed roller 310 and the separation pad 490, the feed roller 310 is driven to rotate clockwise in FIG. 3, and the document G transferred from the pickup roller 741 is subjected to frictional force. To feed downstream one by one. The feed roller 310 is configured to rotate clockwise or to stop rotating. Here, the relationship between the feeding roller 310 and the separation pad 490 (the separation unit 450) will be described in detail later.

As described above, the feed roller 310 cooperates with the separation pad 490 and feeds the original G delivered from the pickup roller 741 toward the downstream side by a frictional force one by one.
Here, the separation pad 490 is disposed in the separation unit 450 attached to the guide member 410. The separation unit 450 including the separation pad 490 will be described in detail later.

  The pre-reading roller pair 745 is disposed upstream of the reading position J in the feeding direction C. The pre-reading roller pair 745 conveys the original G fed by the feeding roller 310 toward the reading position J while sandwiching the original G.

  A document guide 746 is disposed above the image reading position J in the vertical direction. The document guide 746 is disposed opposite to the transmission member 202 with a small gap in order to form a transport path for the document G at the reading position J.

  A portion (vertical direction lower side) corresponding to the image reading position J in the feeding mechanism housing 701 is opened. As a result, the original G (the surface on which the image to be read is formed) is arranged to face the transmissive member 202 constituting the reading surface in the image reading unit 201 when passing through the image reading position J.

  The first document discharge unit 702 is provided with a first discharge roller pair 753. The first discharge roller pair 753 discharges the original G conveyed to the first discharge roller pair 753 to the first space K1.

  The second transport means includes a post-reading roller pair 751, a switching member 752, and a first discharge roller pair 753. The second transport unit transports the document G located at the image reading position J to the first document discharge unit 702.

  The post-reading roller pair 751 conveys the document G conveyed from the reading position J to the downstream side (switching member 752 side) in the feeding direction C.

The switching member 752 is disposed on the downstream side in the feeding direction C of the post-reading roller pair 751 and upstream of the first discharge roller pair 753 or the second discharge roller pair 754.
The switching member 752 has a first position for guiding the document G conveyed from the roller pair 751 after reading to the first document discharge unit 702 (first discharge roller pair 753) side, and a second document discharge unit 703 (second discharge). It is arranged so that it can be switched (swinged) to the second position guided to the roller pair 754) side.

  A second discharge roller pair 754 is disposed in the second document discharge portion 703. The second discharge roller pair 754 discharges the document G conveyed to the second discharge roller pair 754 to the second space K2.

  The third transport means includes a post-reading roller pair 751, a switching member 752, and a second discharge roller pair 754. The third transport unit transports the document G located at the image reading position J back to the image reading position J by switching back and upside down using the second space K2.

Next, the image reading unit 201 will be described.
The image reading unit 201 performs predetermined processing on an illumination unit including a light source, a plurality of mirrors that form an optical path, an imaging lens, a CCD as a reading unit, and image information read by the CCD. And a CCD substrate for outputting the image information to the apparatus main body M side.
In the sheet material feeding device 700, an image formed on the original G conveyed to the reading position J is read by the CCD.

Next, the apparatus main body M will be described.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body M has an image forming unit that forms a predetermined image on a paper T based on predetermined image information, and feeds the paper T to the image forming unit and an image is formed. And a paper supply / discharge unit for discharging the paper T.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum 2, a charging unit 10, a laser scanner unit 4, a developing device 16, a toner cartridge 5, a toner supply device 6, a transfer roller 8, And a fixing device 9 as a fixing unit.

  The paper supply / discharge unit includes a paper supply cassette 52, a manual feed tray 65, a registration roller pair 80, and a conveyance path L for the paper T.

  The photosensitive drum 2 is made of a cylindrical member and functions as an image carrier. The photosensitive drum 2 is disposed in the apparatus main body M in a manner that can rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 2.

  The charging unit 10 is disposed on the upper side (upward) of the photosensitive drum 2 in the vertical direction. The charging unit 10 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 positively (plus polarity).

  The laser scanner unit 4 is disposed on the upper side (upward) in the vertical direction of the photosensitive drum 2 and is separated from the photosensitive drum 2. The laser scanner unit 4 includes a laser light source (not shown), a polygon mirror, a polygon mirror driving motor, and the like.

  The laser scanner unit 4 scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 based on the image information output from the image reading device 200. By scanning exposure by the laser scanner unit 4, the electric charge charged on the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 is removed. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 2.

  The developing device 16 is disposed in front of the photosensitive drum 2 (on the right side in FIG. 1). The developing device 16 develops a monochrome (usually black) toner image on the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 2. The developing device 16 includes a developing roller 17 that can be disposed facing the photosensitive drum 2 and a stirring roller 18 for stirring the toner.

The toner cartridge 5 stores toner supplied to the developing device 16.
The toner supply device 6 supplies the toner stored in the toner cartridge 5 to the developing device 16.

  The drum cleaning device 11 is disposed behind the photosensitive drum 2 (on the left side in FIG. 1). The drum cleaning device 11 removes toner and deposits remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 2.

  The transfer roller 8 directly transfers the toner image developed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 onto the paper T. A transfer bias for transferring the toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 2 to the paper T is applied to the transfer roller 8 by a voltage application unit (not shown).

  The toner image developed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 can be indirectly transferred onto the paper T via an intermediate transfer belt or the like.

The transfer roller 8 is configured to be movable between a contact position where the transfer roller 8 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 2 and a spaced position where the transfer roller 8 is separated from the photosensitive drum 2. Specifically, the transfer roller 8 is moved to the contact position when the toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 2 is transferred to the paper T, and is moved to the separation position in other cases.
Here, the paper T is sandwiched between the photosensitive drum 2 and the transfer roller 8 and pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 (the side on which the toner image has been developed). In this way, a transfer nip N as a transfer portion is formed, and the toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 2 is transferred to the paper T.

  The fixing device 9 melts the toner constituting the toner image transferred onto the paper T and fixes it on the paper T. The fixing device 9 includes a heating roller 9a heated by a heater, and a pressure roller 9b pressed against the heating roller 9a. The heating roller 9a and the pressure roller 9b convey the paper T onto which the toner image has been transferred so as to sandwich the paper T. By transporting the paper T so as to be sandwiched between the heating roller 9a and the pressure roller 9b, the toner transferred onto the paper T is melted and fixed on the surface of the paper T.

  The paper feed cassette 52 is disposed below the apparatus main body M (lower side in the vertical direction). The paper feed cassette 52 is arranged on the front side (right side in FIG. 1) of the apparatus main body M so as to be able to be pulled out in the horizontal direction. The paper feed cassette 52 includes a placement plate 60 on which the paper T is placed. The paper feed cassette 52 stores the paper T in a state where the paper T is stacked on the placement plate 60. The cassette paper feed unit 51 is disposed at the paper feed side end (the right side end in FIG. 1) of the paper feed cassette 52. The cassette paper feed unit 51 sends out the paper T stored in the paper feed cassette 52 to the transport path L.

  The cassette paper feeding unit 51 includes a multi-feed prevention mechanism including a forward feed roller 61 that takes out the paper T placed on the placement plate 60 and a roller pair 63 that feeds the paper T one by one to the transport path L.

  A transport path L for transporting the paper T is formed between the cassette paper feed unit 51 or the manual paper feed unit 64 and the paper discharge unit 50. The conveyance path L includes a first conveyance path L1 from the cassette paper feeding unit 51 to the first junction P1, a second conveyance path L2 from the first junction P1 to the registration roller pair 80, and a transfer from the registration roller pair 80. A third conveyance path L3 to the roller 8, a fourth conveyance path L4 from the transfer roller 8 to the fixing device 9, a fifth conveyance path L5 from the fixing device 9 to the branching portion P3, and a discharge portion from the branching portion P3. And up to 50 sixth transport paths L6.

  Moreover, the conveyance path L has the 7th conveyance path L7 from the manual feed tray 65 to the 1st confluence | merging part P1. The first merging portion P1 is a merging portion between the first conveyance path L1 that conveys the paper T from the cassette paper feeding section 51 and the seventh conveyance path L7 that conveys the paper T from the manual feed tray 65.

  A second junction P2 is disposed in the middle of the second transport path L2. Furthermore, the conveyance path L has a return conveyance path Lb from the branching part P3 to the second joining part P2. The second junction P2 is a junction between the second conveyance path L2 and the return conveyance path Lb.

  Here, a registration roller pair 80 is disposed on the upstream side (right side in FIG. 1) of the transfer roller 8 in the transport direction of the paper T. The registration roller pair 80 is a roller pair for correcting skew (oblique feeding) of the paper T and adjusting timing with the toner image.

  The return conveyance path Lb is a conveyance path that is provided so that the opposite surface (non-printing surface) to the surface that has already been printed faces the photosensitive drum 2 when performing duplex printing on the paper T.

  According to the return conveyance path Lb, the sheet T conveyed from the branching section P3 to the paper discharge section 50 side can be reversed and returned to the second conveyance path L2. A predetermined toner image is transferred onto the non-printing surface of the paper T that has been turned upside down by the return conveyance path Lb.

  A manual paper feed unit 64 is provided on the front side of the apparatus main body M (on the right side in FIG. 1) and above the paper feed cassette 52. The manual paper feed unit 64 includes a manual feed tray 65 and a paper feed roller 66. The base of the manual feed tray 65 is attached to the vicinity of the entrance of the seventh transport path L7 so as to be rotatable (openable and closable). The manual feed tray 65 constitutes a part of the front surface of the apparatus main body M in the closed state. The paper feed roller 66 takes out the paper T placed on the manual feed tray 65 and sends it out toward the seventh transport path L7.

  The manual paper feed unit 64 feeds the paper T placed on the open manual feed tray 65 to the second transport path L2 via the seventh transport path L7 and the first junction P1.

  A paper discharge unit 50 is formed at the end of the sixth transport path L6. The paper discharge unit 50 is disposed on the upper side of the apparatus main body M. The paper discharge unit 50 opens toward the front of the apparatus main body M (to the right in FIG. 1). The paper discharge unit 50 discharges the paper T on which the toner is fixed by the fixing device 9 to the outside of the apparatus main body M.

  On the opening side of the paper discharge unit 50, a paper discharge stacking unit M1 is formed. The paper discharge stacking unit M1 is formed on the upper surface (outer surface) of the apparatus main body M. The paper discharge stacking unit M1 is a part formed by recessing the upper surface of the apparatus main body M downward (vertically in the vertical direction). The bottom surface of the paper discharge stacking unit M1 constitutes a part of the top surface of the apparatus main body M. In the paper discharge stacking unit M1, the paper T discharged from the paper discharge unit 50 and having a predetermined image transferred thereon is stacked and stacked.

The image information output from the image reading unit 201 is output from the image reading apparatus 200 to the apparatus main body M.
In the apparatus main body M, the input image information is input to an image formation control unit (not shown). The image formation control unit controls the photosensitive drum 2, the charging unit 10, the laser scanner unit 4, the developing device 16, and the like that constitute the image forming unit based on the image information. A predetermined toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 2 based on the image information.

  The same image as the image of the original G is transferred to the paper T conveyed to the transfer nip N formed by the photosensitive drum 2 via the conveyance path L based on the image information. The paper T on which the image is formed is discharged from the paper discharge unit 50 to the paper discharge stacking unit M1.

Next, the internal structure of the sheet material feeding apparatus 700 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10, and the feeding unit 400 and the separation unit 450 included in the feeding unit 400 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sheet material feeding device 700 includes a cover 705 that can be opened and closed, and a feeding roller unit 300 and a feeding unit 400 that are arranged so as to be exposed to the outside in the open state.

  The feed roller unit 300 includes a drive unit 315 that rotatably holds the pickup roller 741 and the feed roller 310, and a width direction Y orthogonal to the feed direction C on the downstream side of the feed direction C in the drive unit 315. A shaft member 320 formed to extend and a shaft member driving unit (not shown) that rotates the shaft member 320 are provided.

The feeding roller unit 300 is disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction of the feeding unit 400. Specifically, the feeding roller unit 300 is arranged on the upper side in the vertical direction of the feeding unit 400 so that the feeding roller 310 can come into contact with the separation pad 490 in a state where the document G (sheet material) is not arranged. The
The feed roller 310 is configured to rotate and move about a rotation axis C1 (see FIG. 3). The feeding roller 310 feeds the document G in the feeding direction C.

The feed roller 310 is configured to be changeable (transitionable) between a contact state in contact with the separation pad 490 and a separated state in which the feed roller 310 is separated from the separation pad 490. When the separation unit 450 is mounted on the guide member 410, the feeding roller 310 is in contact with the upper surface of the separation pad 490 (when the document G is placed between them, the document G is sandwiched between the feed rollers 310. Position). In this case, the feeding roller 310 is in a contact state.
When the feed roller 310 is located at the contact position (when in the contact state), the feed roller 310 restricts the rotational movement of the holder 480 described later via the separation pad 490.

The drive unit 315 includes a pickup roller 741, a feed roller 310, and a drive unit (not shown) that rotationally drives the pickup roller 741 and the feed roller 310.
The drive unit 315 rotatably holds the pickup roller 741 at one end portion on the upstream side in the feeding direction C, and rotatably holds the feed roller 310 at the other end portion on the downstream side.
The drive unit 315 is rotationally moved by the shaft member driving unit with the side holding the pickup roller 741 as a free end via the shaft member 320.

The shaft member 320 is formed on the other end side of the drive unit 315 so as to extend in the width direction Y orthogonal to the feeding direction C.
The shaft member 320 is configured to be able to rotate and move the drive unit 315 with the side on which the pickup roller 741 is held as a free end. The shaft member 320 is rotationally moved by the shaft member driving unit.

  A shaft member driving unit (not shown) rotates the shaft member 320. The shaft member drive unit rotates the drive unit 315 via the shaft member 320.

  As described above, the feed roller unit 300 is configured to be changeable between a contact state in which the feed roller 310 is disposed at the contact position and a separated state in which the feed roller 310 is disposed at the separation position (transitionable and deformable). Is done.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the feeding unit 400 includes a guide member 410 as a feeding guide member and a separation unit 450. The feeding unit 400 is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction of the feeding roller unit 300 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the guide member 410 is a member that is long in the width direction Y.
The guide member 410 has an inclined portion 415 (separation wall 714) formed on the upstream side in the feeding direction C and a horizontal portion 416 formed on the downstream side.
Further, the guide member 410 has a concave portion 420 that accommodates the separation unit 450.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the concave portion 420 is a portion that accommodates the separation unit 450 and is a concave portion that is recessed downward in the vertical direction. The concave portion 420 includes a main accommodating portion 421 that accommodates most of the separation unit 450, a guide portion 422, a rotation region 423, and a positioning portion 424.

  The main accommodating portion 421 is a portion that accommodates most of the separation unit 450. The main accommodating portion 421 is a portion that accommodates a portion of the separation unit 450 excluding guided portions 465 and 465 described later. The main accommodating part 421 is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the housing 460 described later.

As shown in FIG. 8, the guide portion 422 is formed on the upstream side of the main housing portion 421 in the feeding direction C.
The guide part 422 is formed by an upper surface part 422a and a lower surface part 422b. The upper surface portion 422a is a surface that is formed on the upper side in the vertical direction and is inclined with respect to the surface 490A of the separation pad 490. The lower surface portion 422b is formed on the lower side in the vertical direction and is a surface inclined with respect to the surface 490A of the separation pad 490 and substantially parallel to the upper surface portion 422a.
The guide portion 422 is formed to extend in an oblique direction that is a direction intersecting the surface 490A of the separation pad 490 in a state where the separation unit 450 is mounted on the guide member 410.

As shown in FIG. 8, the rotation region 423 is formed continuously with the guide portion 422. The rotation region 423 is formed on the upstream side in the feeding direction C in the guide portion 422.
The rotation area 423 is an area in which the guided portion 465 can rotate. Specifically, the rotation region 423 is formed such that the tip end portion of the guided portion 465 guided by the guide portion 422 is rotatable about a predetermined position closer to the root side than the tip end portion as a rotation axis (fulcrum). This is the area that has been

  As shown in FIG. 8, the positioning portion 424 is formed on the side on which the distal end portion of the guided portion 465 guided by the guide portion 422 rotates. The positioning unit 424 regulates the rotational movement in the guided portion 465 and positions the guided portion 465. In other words, the positioning unit 424 positions the separation unit 450.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the separation unit 450 includes a housing 460, a holder 480 that holds the separation pad 490, and a spring 470 as an urging member disposed between the housing 460 and the holder 480.

  The housing 460 holds the holder 480 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis C2 parallel to the rotation axis C1. The housing 460 holds the holder 480 that is biased by the spring 470 so as to rotate to the side away from the housing 460.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the housing 460 is arranged in an opening 461 as an engaging portion into which a projection 487 described later is inserted (inserted), an inclined feeding portion 462, and an inclined feeding portion 462. And a wall portion 466 as a rotation restricting portion for restricting the rotation of the holder 480, and the guided portion 465 described above.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the opening 461 is a portion where the protrusion 487 is inserted (inserted) and engaged. The opening 461 is a part that rotatably holds the inserted (inserted) protrusion 487. In other words, the opening 461 engages the protrusion 487 so that the holder 480 can be rotated.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the inclined feeding portion 462 is formed on the upstream side in the feeding direction C in the housing 460. The inclined feeding unit 462 is formed on the upstream side in the feeding direction C with respect to the separation pad 490.
The inclined feeding portion 462 is formed to be inclined so as to intersect with the surface 490 </ b> A on the feeding roller 310 side of the separation pad 490.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the front pad 463 is disposed on the inclined feeding unit 462. The front pad 463 is arranged in a region inside the outer edge of the 460 holder in the width direction Y. The front pad 463 is disposed in a region inside the outer edge of the inclined feeding portion 462 in the width direction Y.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a part of the front pad 463 is arranged to protrude from the inclined feeding part 462 on the downstream side in the feeding direction C. Specifically, the front pad 463 is disposed so as to protrude downstream in the feeding direction C so that a part thereof covers a part of the separation pad 490.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the locking portion 468 is formed on the locking arm portion 467 whose one end is connected to the bottom surface side of the housing 460. The locking portion 468 is locked to the locked portion 428 in a state where the separation unit 450 is accommodated in the recess 420. The locking portion 468 maintains the accommodated state in the separation unit 450 when locked by the locked portion 428.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the wall portion 466 is a planar wall portion that is disposed (formed) on the upstream side of the holder 480 in the feeding direction C and is parallel to the rotation axis C1.
As shown in FIG. 10, the wall portion 466 restricts the rotation of the holder 480. Specifically, the wall portion 466 restricts the rotational movement of the holder 480 in a state where the urging force by the spring 470 remains. The wall portion 466 restricts the rotational movement of the holder 480 with the urging force of the spring 470 remaining in a state where the holder 480 is in the second rotational position.

  The guided portion 465 is a plate-like portion formed on the upstream side in the feeding direction C of the housing 460 and on both end sides in the width direction Y. The guided portion 465 is inserted into the guide portion 422 and guided to move by the guide portion 422 when the separation unit 450 is mounted in the concave portion 420 of the guide member 410. The guided portion 465 rotates and moves in the rotation region 423 with a predetermined position closer to the root side than the distal end portion as a rotation axis (fulcrum) in a state in which the guided portion 465 is guided to move. In addition, the guided portion 465 is positioned while its rotational movement is restricted by the positioning portion 424 in a state where the distal end portion is rotationally moved.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the holder 480 is attached to the housing 460 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis C <b> 2. The holder 480 is attached to the housing 460 while being biased by the spring 470 so as to rotate to the side away from the housing 460.

  The holder 480 holds the separation pad 490. A separation pad 490 is attached to the holder 480 on the side opposite to the housing 460 side. The holder 480 is provided with a separation pad having a surface 490A formed in a planar shape on the feed roller 310 side.

The separation pad 490 includes an elastic member 491 and a sheet member 492 disposed on the surface side.
The sheet member 492 is elastic and has a surface (490A) having a predetermined coefficient of friction (a little lower than the coefficient of friction on the surface of the feed roller 310). The sheet member 492 is disposed on the surface of the separation pad 490 on the feeding roller 310 side, and is disposed so as to cover a part of the side surface 480a of the holder 480 on the wall portion 466 side.

  The first portion 492a arranged to cover a part of the side surface 480a of the sheet member 492 is in contact with the wall portion 466 in a state where the holder 480 is located at the second rotation position. As a result, the holder 480 is restricted from rotating by the wall portion 466.

Separation pad 490 is configured to be capable of transitioning between a state where it is in contact with feed roller 310 and a state where feed roller 310 is not in contact with a separation.
In a state where the separation unit 450 is attached to the guide member 410 (sheet material feeding device 700) and the feeding roller 310 is attached to the sheet material feeding device 700 so as to be able to feed the paper T, The separation pad 490 is in contact with the feeding roller 310.
Further, the feeding roller 310 is disposed in a state where it is removed from the sheet material feeding device 700, or the position where the feeding roller 310 can be detached (easily removed) (for example, the upper side in FIG. 3). In the state or when the separation unit 450 is removed from the guide member 410 (sheet material feeding device 700), the separation pad 490 is not in contact with the feeding roller 310.
In the state of being in contact with the feeding roller 310, the separation pad 490 (holder 480) is moved in the direction opposite to the biasing direction by the spring 470 from the basic position (second rotation position in the holder 480) by the feeding roller 310. It is moved to a predetermined position (first rotation position in the holder 480). In this state, the separation pad 490 (holder 480) is urged by the first urging force by the spring 470.

As shown in FIG. 10, the holder 480 has a pair of flexible arm portions 486 that are formed on the upstream side in the feeding direction C and have protrusions 487 at their ends.
The pair of protrusions 487 formed at the ends of the arm portions 486 are formed so as to protrude to the sides (inner sides) facing each other in the direction of the rotation axis C2.
The protrusion 487 is formed so as to be inserted (inserted) into an opening 461 formed in the housing 460. The protrusion 487 is inserted into the opening 461 by deforming the arm 486. The protrusion 487 is rotatably held (engaged) in the opening 461 in a state of being inserted (inserted) into the opening 461. In other words, the protrusion 487 is held (engaged) by the opening 461 so that the holder 480 can be rotated.

  Here, as described above, the holder 480 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis C2. The holder 480 is biased in a direction away from the housing 460 by the spring 470. Further, the holder 480 is restricted from rotating by the wall portion 466 due to the biasing force of the spring 470.

  Specifically, the holder 480 is located at the second rotation position in the detached state where the separation unit 450 is not attached to the guide member 410. The holder 480 is urged by the second urging force by the spring 470 when the separation unit 450 is detached, and the rotational movement is restricted by the wall portion 466.

  Further, the holder 480 is located at the first rotation position or the second rotation position in the mounted state in which the separation unit 450 is mounted on the guide member 410. Specifically, the holder 480 is disposed at the first rotation position when the separation unit 450 is mounted and the feed roller 310 is in the contact position (when in contact), the feed roller When 310 is detached from the sheet material feeding apparatus 700, or when the separation unit 450 is moved to a removable (easy to remove) position (for example, the upper side in FIG. 3) (in a separated state), It is arranged at 2 rotation positions.

  The holder 480 is moved from the second rotation position to the first rotation position by the feed roller 310 and the first rotation position when the separation unit 450 is in the mounted state and the feed roller 310 is in the contact position. The rotational movement is restricted at one rotational position. The holder 480 is biased by the first biasing force by the spring 470.

  When the separation unit 450 is attached and the holder 480 is removed from the sheet material feeding apparatus 700, or when the separation unit 450 is moved to a position where the separation unit 450 can be removed (easily removed), the holder 480 is moved by the wall portion 466. The rotational movement is restricted at the second rotational position, and the spring 470 is biased with a second biasing force that is weaker than the first biasing force.

As shown in FIG. 10, the spring 470 is disposed between the housing 460 and the holder 480. The spring 470 is disposed between the housing 460 and the holder 480 in a state having a biasing force (a state compressed to be shorter than the natural length).
As described above, the spring 470 biases the holder 480 in a direction away from the housing 460. The spring 470 biases the holder 480 in the first rotation position with the first biasing force, and biases the holder 480 in the second rotation position with the second biasing force.

  Next, a method for attaching the separation unit 450 to the guide member 410 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a method of attaching the separation unit 450 to the guide member 410. FIG. 12 is a view for explaining a method of attaching the separation unit 450 to the guide member 410. FIG. 13 is a view for explaining a method of attaching the separation unit 450 to the guide member 410.

  First, as shown in FIG. 11, the user tilts the separation unit 450 obliquely with reference to the mounted state (see FIG. 13). Specifically, the user tilts separation unit 450 so that surface 490A of separation pad 490 extends along the direction in which guide portion 422 extends.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the user moves the separating unit 450 inclined obliquely from the downstream side in the feeding direction C toward the concave portion 420 along the oblique direction. Specifically, the user inserts the guided portion 465 of the separation unit 450 into the guide portion 422 (see FIG. 11) of the guide member 410. Then, the user moves the separating unit 450 in the direction in which the guide portion 422 extends (in the oblique direction) in a state where the separation unit 450 is inclined obliquely.
Thereby, the guided portion 465 is guided to move by the guide portion 422. Then, the separation unit 450 is moved to the bottom surface side of the recess 420.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the user changes the posture of the separation unit 450 moved to the bottom surface side of the recess 420 from a tilted posture to a horizontal posture. Specifically, the user changes the posture of the separation unit 450 to a horizontal posture by rotating the separation unit 450 tilted obliquely at the end on the separation pad 490 side in the arrow direction.
The guided portion 465 rotates in the rotation region 423 from the lower side to the upper side in FIG. 11 and is positioned by the rotation of the positioning portion 424 being restricted.
Thereby, the separation unit 450 is accommodated in the recess 420. In addition, the separation unit 450 is maintained in the state where it is accommodated in the recess 420 because the locking portion 468 is locked to the locked portion 428 (see FIG. 8).

According to the present embodiment, when the separation unit 450 is in the detached state, the holder 480 that holds the separation pad 490 is restricted from rotating by the wall portion 466 and is biased by the second biasing force by the spring 470. Has been. Thereby, the separation unit 450 can be easily attached to the guide member 410.
In addition, the separation unit 450 is configured so that the holder 480 is held at the second rotation position and the spring 470 is not detached in a single state (for example, a state when the guide member 410 is attached). Thereby, the separation unit 450 can be easily attached to the guide member 410.
Further, in the separation unit 450, the holder 480 is held at the second rotation position in a single state (for example, a state when the guide member 410 is attached), and the separation unit 450 is raised (turned more than the second rotation position). In this case, the holder 480 is configured not to be in the way when the feeding roller 310 is mounted. Thereby, the feed roller 310 can be easily mounted on the guide member 410.
The separation unit 450 is attached to the guide member 410 in a state where the separation pad 490 is accurately arranged at a predetermined position.
Further, the separation unit 450 is attached to the guide member 410 in a state where a predetermined urging force is accurately applied to the holder 480 at the time of attachment.
Further, the separation unit 450 is easy to handle in the detached state.
Further, the separation unit 450 can be easily attached even when the work space is narrow. In the present embodiment, the user can attach the separation unit 450 from the downstream side in the feeding direction C where the work space is narrow.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the holder 480 is restricted from rotating by the first portion 492a, which is a part of the sheet member 492 disposed on the surface side of the separation pad 490, coming into contact with the wall portion 466. The Thereby, the holder 480 can suppress the occurrence of breakage due to the collision with the wall portion 466 when the holder 480 rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. Further, the holder 480 can suppress the generation of a collision sound due to a collision with the wall portion 466.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the separation unit 450 includes the guided portion 422 formed in the recess 420, the rotation region 423, and the guided portion 465 inserted into the positioning portion 424. Thereby, the separation unit 450 is easily attached to the recess 420. In other words, the separation unit 450 is configured to be attachable to the recess 420 in a state where the separation unit 450 is inclined obliquely with reference to the posture of the state where the separation unit 450 is attached to the guide portion 422. As a result, the separation unit 450 can be mounted while being moved in an oblique direction even when there is a predetermined member on the upper side of the recess 420, so that the mountability is improved.

As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment was described, this invention can be implemented with a various form, without being limited to embodiment mentioned above.
In the present embodiment, the copying machine 1 has been described as an image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus may be, for example, a color copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine thereof.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the sheet material feeding apparatus 700 is formed integrally with the apparatus main body M, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured by a casing separate from the apparatus main body M. Further, the sheet material feeding apparatus 700 may be configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body M.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the pair of protrusions 487 formed on the holder 480 protrude to the sides (inner sides) facing each other in the rotation axis C2 direction, but the present invention is not limited to this, and in the rotation axis C2 direction. You may protrude in the direction (outside) which mutually spaces apart.

  In the present embodiment, the spring 470 is described as the biasing member. However, the biasing member is not limited to this, and the biasing member may be another member having an elastic force such as rubber.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Copy machine (image forming apparatus), 2 ... Photosensitive drum, 200 ... Image reading apparatus, 201 ... Image reading part, 700 ... Sheet material feeding apparatus, 300 ... Feed roller unit, 310 ...... Feeding roller, C1 ... Rotating shaft, 400 ... Feeding unit, 410 ... Guide member (feeding guide member), 420 ... Recess, 422 ... Guide part, 423 ... Rotation area, 424 ... Positioning part, 450 ... Separation unit, 460 ... Housing, 480 ... Holder, 461 ... Opening (engagement part), 462 ... Inclined feeding part, 463 ... Front pad, 465 ... Guided portion, 466... Wall portion (rotation restricting portion), 470... Spring, 486... Arm portion, 487... Projection portion, 490. Sheet material), J: Image reading position, K ... space, K1 ...... first space, K2 ...... second space, N ...... transfer nip (transfer portion), T ...... paper (sheet-like imaging medium)

Claims (9)

A feeding roller that is rotatable about a rotation axis and feeds a sheet material in a predetermined feeding direction;
A feeding guide member;
A separation unit detachable from the feeding guide member,
A housing;
A holder attached to the housing so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis;
A separation pad attached to the side of the holder opposite to the housing and formed on the surface of the feeding roller;
An urging member that is disposed between the housing and the holder and urges the holder to rotate to a side away from the housing;
A separation unit having a rotation restricting portion for restricting the rotational movement of the holder by the biasing force of the biasing member in a state where the biasing force in the biasing member remains ,
The housing has a guided portion disposed on the upstream side in the feeding direction,
The feeding guide member is
A recess for housing the separation unit;
A guide portion that is formed in the recess and guides the movement of the guided portion;
A rotation region formed continuously with the guide portion and capable of rotating the guided portion;
The sheet feeding apparatus Ru and a positioning unit for positioning the guided part with restricting the rotation movement of the guided part. The feeding roller is configured to be changeable between a contact state in contact with the separation pad and a separated state separated from the separation pad,
When the feeding roller is in the contact state,
The holder is restricted from rotating at a first rotational position by the feeding roller via the separation pad,
The biasing member biases the holder with a first biasing force,
When the feeding roller is in the separated state,
The holder is restricted from turning at the second turning position by the turning restricting portion,
The sheet material feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member biases the holder with a second biasing force that is weaker than the first biasing force. In the detached state in which the separation unit is removed from the feeding guide member,
The holder is restricted from turning movement at the second turning position by the turning restricting portion,
The sheet material feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the urging member urges the holder with a second urging force. The rotation restricting portion is a planar wall portion that is arranged on the upstream side of the holder in the feeding direction and is parallel to the rotation axis,
The separation pad has a sheet member arranged on the surface on the feeding roller side and arranged to cover the wall side surface of the holder,
The portion of the holder that is disposed so as to cover the wall portion side surface of the sheet member abuts on the wall portion, and the rotational movement is restricted by the rotation restricting portion. The sheet material feeding device according to any one of the above. The holder has a pair of protrusions protruding in the direction of the rotation shaft,
The sheet material feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing has a pair of engaging portions that rotatably engage the pair of protrusions. The holder has a pair of flexible arms each having the pair of protrusions at its ends,
The engaging portion is an opening;
The said protrusion part is penetrated by the said opening part by deform | transforming the said arm part, and the said holder is rotatably engaged by the said engaging part in this inserted state. Sheet material feeding device. The housing is
An inclined feeding unit that is formed on the upstream side in the feeding direction from the separation pad and is inclined so as to intersect the surface of the separation pad on the feeding roller side;
The inclined feeding section is disposed in a region inside the outer edge of the holder in the width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction, and downstream in the feeding direction so that a part covers a part of the separation pad. The sheet material feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a front pad disposed so as to protrude to the side. The guide portion can be inserted in a state where the housing is inclined obliquely with respect to the state where the housing is mounted on the feeding guide member, and the guided portion can be guided in the oblique direction. Formed,
The rotation region is a region in which a rotational movement is possible with a predetermined position on the base side of the distal end portion of the guided portion guided by the guide portion as a rotational axis.
The sheet material feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning portion is formed on a side on which a distal end portion of the guided portion guided by the guide portion rotates. The sheet material feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
A reading unit for reading an image formed on the surface of the sheet material fed by the sheet material feeding device;
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet-like image forming medium based on image information relating to an image read by the reading unit.

Images