Sheet feeding device and image forming system

Abstract

To improve moisture resistance for a stored sheet.SOLUTION: A sheet feeding device includes a storage unit 140 that stores a sheet bundle and a conveyance unit 170 connected to a discharge port 142 of the storage unit 140 and conveying a sheet discharged from the discharge port 142. The conveyance unit 170 has: an upper conveyance guide 181 in which a roller opening 182 is formed; a lower conveyance guide 191 arranged opposite the upper conveyance guide 181; both side walls that are arranged on both sides of the upper conveyance guide 181 and the lower conveyance guide 191 in a width direction, and that form the space of a conveyance path for conveying a sheet together with the upper conveyance guide 181 and the lower conveyance guide 191; a drive roller 180 that is provided to protrude toward the conveyance path through the roller opening 182 and conveys the sheet in the conveyance path; and an upper roller cover 183 that covers the roller opening 182 and the drive roller 180 to seal the space of the conveyance path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that feeds stored sheets, and an image forming system that uses the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the printing industry has been demanding industrial inkjet printers that can achieve high productivity and high-quality output. Industrial inkjet printers use a print head to print on a sheet, but image quality is greatly affected by the print gap, which is the clearance between the print head and the sheet. In addition, a state in which the print gap disappears due to deformation of the sheet, etc., is called head touch, which not only reduces the quality of the output, but also has the risk of damaging the print head.

[0003] Here, when the environment around the printing machine becomes high humidity, the unprinted sheets stored in the sheet feeding device are likely to absorb moisture from the installation environment and become wavy. Deformation of the sheets caused by the wavy shape may lead to a reduction in the print gap. For this reason, it has been desired to prevent the sheets stored in the sheet feeding device from absorbing moisture even when the environment around the printing machine becomes high humidity. To achieve this, for example, a sheet cassette has been proposed that has a moisture-proof structure at all contact points between the cassette housing and the lid that shields the inside of the cassette housing (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-132330 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the sheet cassette described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a guide member is provided to guide the sheets stored in the sheet cassette to the image forming unit, and a transport roller for transporting the sheets may be disposed near the sheet cassette. In this case, an opening is formed in the guide member to allow the transport roller to directly contact the sheets, and there is a risk that the opening will allow ventilation between the inside and outside of the cassette, making it difficult to maintain moisture resistance inside the cassette housing.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device and an image forming system that can improve the moisture resistance of stored sheets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a sheet feeding device comprising: a case that forms an enclosed storage space for storing a stack of sheets; a storage unit having an outlet formed in a part of the case for discharging sheets to the outside of the case; and a feeding section that feeds the sheets stored in the case from the outlet to the outside of the case; and a transport unit connected to the outlet of the storage unit for transporting the sheets discharged from the outlet, wherein the transport unit has a first guide member having a first opening formed therein; a second guide member arranged opposite the first guide member; both side walls that are arranged on both sides of the width direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction of the first guide member and the second guide member and form a space of a transport path for transporting sheets together with the first guide member and the second guide member; a transport roller that protrudes toward the transport path through the first opening and transports the sheets in the transport path; and a first cover that covers the first opening and the transport roller to seal the space of the transport path.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a sheet feeding device comprising: a case forming an enclosed storage space for storing a stack of sheets; a storage unit having an outlet formed in a part of the case for discharging sheets to the outside of the case; and a feeding section for feeding the sheets stored in the case from the outlet to the outside of the case; and a transport unit connected to the outlet of the storage unit for transporting the sheets discharged from the outlet, wherein the transport unit has a first guide member having an opening formed therein, a second guide member arranged opposite the first guide member, both side walls arranged on both sides of the width direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction of the first guide member and the second guide member and forming a space of a transport path for transporting the sheets together with the first guide member and the second guide member, a detection section for detecting the sheets transported in the transport path through the opening, and a cover for covering the opening and the detection section to seal the space of the transport path.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is an image forming system including the above-mentioned sheet feeding device and an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the moisture resistance of the sheets stored in the sheet feeding device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a feeding module according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a case according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state cut along line AA in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B in FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a transport unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part C in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 13 is a perspective view showing a mounting configuration of a seat sensor according to a modified example. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion D in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a mounting structure of a seat cover according to a modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting configuration of a seat sensor according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a case where an image forming system is applied to an inkjet recording system 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the inkjet recording system 1. This inkjet recording system 1 is a sheet-fed inkjet recording system that produces a recorded matter by forming an ink image on a sheet S using two liquids, a reaction liquid and an ink. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording system 1 is composed of a feeding module 100, a print module 200, a drying module 300, a fixing module 400, a cooling module 500, an inversion module 600, and a discharge module 700. A cut-paper-like sheet S supplied from the feeding module 100 is conveyed along a conveying path, processed in each module, and discharged by the discharge module 700.

[0013] A feeding module 100, which is an example of a sheet feeding device, has three storage chambers 110a, 110b, and 110c that store sheets S. Each storage chamber 110a, 110b, and 110c is configured to be able to be pulled out toward the front side of the device. The sheets S are fed one by one in each storage chamber 110a, 110b, and 110c by a separation belt and a conveying roller (not shown), and conveyed to the print module 200. The number of storage chambers 110a, 110b, and 110c is not limited to three, and the configuration may have one, two, or four or more.

[0014] The print module 200, which is an example of an image forming apparatus, has a pre-imaging registration correction unit (not shown), a print belt unit 220, and a recording unit 230. The sheet S conveyed from the feeding module 100 has its inclination and position corrected by the pre-imaging registration correction unit, and is conveyed to the print belt unit 220. The recording unit 230 is disposed at a position facing the print belt unit 220 with respect to the conveying path. The recording unit 230 is a sheet processing unit that performs recording processing (printing) on ​​the conveyed sheet S from above with a recording head to form an image on the sheet S. A plurality of recording heads are arranged along the conveying direction. In this embodiment, in addition to the four colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and Bk (black), a total of five line-type recording heads corresponding to the reaction liquid are provided. Note that the number of colors and the number of recording heads are not limited to five. The inkjet method can employ a method using a heating element, a method using a piezoelectric element, a method using an electrostatic element, a method using a MEMS element, or the like. Ink of each color is supplied to the recording head from an ink tank (not shown) via an ink tube. The sheet S printed by the recording unit 230 is attracted and transported by the print belt unit 220, so that the sheet S is transported while ensuring a clearance with the recording head. The sheet S printed by the recording unit 230 has its misalignment and color density of the image formed on the sheet S detected by an in-line scanner (not shown) arranged downstream of the recording unit in the sheet transport direction. The detection result is used to correct the printed image.

[0015] The drying module 300 has a decoupling section 320, a drying belt unit 330, and a hot air blowing section 340, and reduces the liquid content contained in the ink applied to the sheet S by the recording section 230 of the print module 200, thereby improving the fixation of the sheet S and the ink. The sheet S printed by the recording section 230 of the print module 200 is transported to the decoupling section 320 arranged on the upstream side of the drying module 300 in the sheet transport direction. In the decoupling section 320, the sheet S can be transported from above by air pressure and friction of the belt, and by weakly holding and transporting the sheet S on the belt, the sheet S on the print belt unit 220 on which the ink image is formed is prevented from shifting. The drying belt unit 330 is arranged below the belt, and the hot air blowing section 340 is arranged above the belt, facing each other with the belt in between. The sheet S transported from the decoupling section 320 is adsorbed and transported by the drying belt unit 330, and at the same time, the sheet S receives hot air from the hot air blowing section 340 and the ink application surface is dried. The drying method may be a combination of a method of applying hot air, a method of irradiating the surface of the sheet S with electromagnetic waves (ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, etc.), and a conductive heat transfer method using contact with a heating element.

[0016] The fixing module 400 has a fixing belt unit 410. The fixing belt unit 410 has an upper belt unit and a lower belt unit, and the sheet S conveyed from the drying module 300 passes between the heated upper belt unit and the lower belt unit, thereby fixing the ink to the sheet S.

[0017] The cooling module 500 has a plurality of cooling sections 510, and cools the high-temperature sheet S transported from the fixing module 400. The cooling sections 510 are configured to take in outside air into a cooling box with a fan, increase the pressure inside the cooling box, and cool the sheet S by blowing air from nozzles formed in a transport guide onto the sheet S. The cooling sections 510 are disposed both above and below the transport path, and cool the sheet S from both sides.

[0018] The cooling module 500 also has a transport path switching unit, and can switch the transport path of the sheet S depending on whether the sheet S is transported to the inversion module 600 or to a double-sided transport path used for double-sided printing. During double-sided printing, the sheet S is transported to a transport path below the cooling module 500. In this case, the sheet S is further transported from the cooling module 500 along a double-sided transport path of the fixing module 400, the drying module 300, the print module 200, and the feeding module 100. The double-sided transport path of the fixing module 400 is provided with a first inversion unit 420 that inverts the sheet S. Then, the sheet S is transported again from the feeding module 100 to the pre-imaging registration correction unit of the print module 200, the print belt unit 220, and the recording unit 230, where it is printed.

[0019] The reversing module 600 has a second reversing section 640, and can reverse the front and back of the conveyed sheet S, and can change the front and back orientation of the discharged sheet S. The discharge module 700 has a top tray 720 and a stacking section 750, and aligns and stacks the sheets S conveyed from the reversing module 600.

[0020] [Feeding module] Next, the configuration of the feeding module 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the feeding module 100 has a storage unit 140 and a transport unit 170. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the storage 110a of the feeding module 100 is pulled out. The storage 110a is held so as to be able to be pulled out relative to the main body of the feeding module 100 via a slide rail 121. In this embodiment, since all the storages 110a to 110c have the same configuration, only the configuration around the storage 110a will be described in the following. In this embodiment, the storages 110a to 110c are all configured in the same manner, but this is not limited to this. For example, the storages 110a to 110c may each have a different maximum number of sheets to be stacked or a different height.

[0021] [Containment Unit] The storage unit 140 will be described in detail, particularly the sealed structure of the storage case 110a. FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view showing the structure of a case 141 that stores the storage case 110a in a predetermined space, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the state cut along line AA in FIG. 3. The storage unit 140 has a case 141, a discharge port 142, and a feeding unit 160. The case 141 forms a sealed storage space that stores a sheet stack. In this embodiment, the case 141 is composed of a sealed frame 150 and a storage case cover 153.

[0022] The sealed frame 150 is configured to cover the top, bottom, rear, right and left sides, excluding the front, of the six sides of the storage case 110a attached to the main body of the feeding module 100. When the storage case 110a is attached, the storage case cover 153 covers the front part of the sealed frame 150, covering all six sides of the sealed frame 150. This maintains the moisture-proofing properties of the inside of the case 141 and prevents the sheets loaded and stored in the storage case 110a from absorbing moisture.

[0023] The discharge port 142 is formed in a part of the case 141 and discharges the sheet to the outside of the case 141. The feeding unit 160 is an example of a feeding section, and feeds the sheet stored in the case 141 to the outside of the case 141 from the discharge port 142. The feeding unit 160 is disposed in the sealed frame 150, and separates and conveys the sheets stacked in the storage 110a one by one. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the B portion in FIG. 4. The feeding unit 160 has a separation belt 161, a belt roller 162, a driving motor (not shown), and a suction fan (not shown). The separation belt 161 is stretched by the belt roller 162, and is rotated in the sheet conveying direction by the power transmitted by the driving motor (not shown). A suction fan (not shown) is installed above the separation belt 161, and the sheets stacked in the storage 110a are separated and conveyed by suction and adsorption to the separation belt 161 one by one.

[0024] [Transport unit] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view showing the mounting configuration of the upper roller cover 183. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the transport unit 170 is connected to the discharge port 142 of the storage unit 140, and transports the sheet discharged from the discharge port 142. The transport unit 170 has an upper transport guide 181, a lower transport guide 191, a front side plate 173, a rear side plate 174, a drive roller 180, and a driven roller 190. The upper transport guide 181, which is an example of a first guide member, and the lower transport guide 191, which is an example of a second guide member, are disposed opposite each other. The front side plate 173 and the rear side plate 174 are examples of side walls, and are disposed on both sides of the upper transport guide 181 and the lower transport guide 191 in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction. The front side plate 173 and the rear side plate 174, together with the upper transport guide 181 and the lower transport guide 191, form a space of a transport path for transporting the sheet.

[0025] A roller opening 182, which is an example of a first opening, is formed in the upper conveying guide 181. A roller opening 192, which is an example of a third opening, is formed in the lower conveying guide 191.

[0026] The drive roller 180 is an example of a conveying roller and a first conveying roller, and is driven by a drive unit 184 (see FIG. 7) including a drive motor (not shown) to rotate in the sheet conveying direction. The drive roller 180 is provided so as to protrude toward the conveying path through a roller opening 182, and conveys the sheet in the conveying path. The conveying unit 170 has a rotating shaft 180a that rotatably supports the drive roller 180. The front side plate 173 and the rear side plate 174 are provided to extend toward the upper conveying guide 181 side (first guide member side) and support the rotating shaft 180a rotatably and airtightly.

[0027] The driven roller 190 is an example of a second conveying roller, and is provided so as to protrude toward the conveying path through a roller opening 192 formed in the lower conveying guide 191. The driven roller 190 rotates following the drive roller 180, and forms a nip for sandwiching a sheet together with the drive roller 180. The conveying unit 170 has a rotating shaft 190a that rotatably supports the driven roller 190. The front side plate 173 and the rear side plate 174 are extended toward the lower conveying guide 191 side and support the rotating shaft 190a rotatably and airtightly.

[0028] In this embodiment, an upper roller cover 183 that closes the roller opening 182 is attached to the transport unit 170. That is, the upper roller cover 183 is an example of a first cover, and covers the roller opening 182, the drive roller 180, and the rotating shaft 180a to seal the space of the transport path. In addition, a lower roller cover 193 that closes the roller opening 192 is attached to the transport unit 170. That is, the lower roller cover 193 is an example of a third cover, and covers the roller opening 192, the driven roller 190, and the rotating shaft 190a to seal the space of the transport path.

[0029] By attaching the upper roller cover 183 and the lower roller cover 193, it is possible to prevent outside air from flowing into the case 141 through the roller openings 182, 192. As a result, the opening gap through which the outside air can pass near the discharge port 142 of the case 141 becomes the minimum opening gap G formed by the upper conveying guide 181 and the lower conveying guide 191 through which the sheet passes. By extending this opening gap G through which the outside air can pass from the discharge port 142 in the conveying sections 171, 172, it is possible to minimize the exchange of the outside air with the inside of the case 141 and maintain the moisture-proofing of the inside of the case 141. Note that when the installation environment is more humid and the moisture-proofing of the inside of the case 141 cannot be sufficiently ensured, it is preferable to further extend the conveying sections 171, 172 to further increase the moisture-proofing.

[0030] In this embodiment, the upper roller cover 183 has a first cover portion 183a that covers the drive roller 180 and a second cover portion 183b that covers the rotary shaft 180a. The diameter of the second cover portion 183b is set to be smaller than the diameter of the first cover portion 183a. This increases the air resistance in the axial direction within the upper roller cover 183, further improving moisture resistance.

[0031] 7 is a partial enlarged view of part C in FIG. 6. The upper roller cover 183 is fastened to the upper conveying guide 181 by screws 185 and 186. In this embodiment, the upper roller cover 183 is configured to close not only the roller opening 182, but also, for example, a gap 174a that occurs between the rear side plate 174 for supporting the upper conveying guide 181 and the upper conveying guide 181. That is, a bent connecting portion 181a is formed at the rear end of the upper conveying guide 181, and the connecting portion 181a is connected to the rear side plate 174 to maintain airtightness. On the other hand, a gap 174a is formed in a part between the rear end of the upper conveying guide 181 and the rear side plate 174, so that such a portion that cannot maintain airtightness is closed by the upper roller cover 183 to seal the space of the conveying path. Furthermore, when the upper roller cover 183 is attached, the sponge 175 or urethane is interposed between the contact areas of the upper conveying guide 181, the front plate 173, and the rear plate 174 to further improve the airtightness.

[0032] As described above, according to the feeding module 100 of this embodiment, the upper roller cover 183 covers the roller opening 182, the driving roller 180, and the rotating shaft 180a to seal the space of the conveying path. This suppresses ventilation between the inside and outside of the case 141, and improves moisture resistance for the sheets stored in the feeding module 100. Thus, according to this embodiment, even if the driving roller 180 and the driven roller 190 are disposed near the discharge port 142 of the case 141, the moisture resistance inside the case 141 can be maintained, and thus waviness of the sheets can be suppressed.

[0033] Here, in order to dehumidify the inside of case 141, it is conceivable to provide a humidity adjustment device consisting of a dehumidification heater and a humidifier to keep the humidity inside case 141 within a predetermined range. However, in this configuration, providing a humidity adjustment device increases the size of the device. In contrast, according to this embodiment, moisture can be prevented inside case 141 without increasing the size of the device.

[0034] In the above-described embodiment, the transport unit 170 is not provided with a sheet sensor, but it may be provided with one. A configuration in which the transport unit 170 is provided with a sheet sensor 176 will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 10. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing an attachment configuration of the upper roller cover 183, the sheet sensor 176, and the sensor cover 187 when the drive roller 180 and the sheet sensor 176 are arranged in the transport sections 171 and 172. Fig. 9 is a partial enlarged view of the portion D in Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the attachment state of the sensor cover 187.

[0035] The upper conveying guide 181 has a sensor opening 181b that communicates with the conveying path and is different from the roller opening 182. The upper roller cover 183 has a sensor opening 183c at a position opposite to the sensor opening 181b. The sheet sensor 176 is fastened to the outside of the upper roller cover 183 with a screw 176a so as to detect a sheet on the conveying path via the sensor openings 181b and 183c. That is, the sheet sensor 176 is an example of a detection unit, and detects a sheet conveyed on the conveying path via the sensor openings 181b and 183c.

[0036] Furthermore, the sensor cover 187 is an example of a second cover, and covers the sensor openings 181b, 183c and the sheet sensor 176 to seal the space of the transport path. The sensor cover 187 is fastened to the upper roller cover 183 with a screw 187a. This makes it possible to prevent moisture from entering the case 141 while providing both the drive roller 180 and the sheet sensor 176. Although the sheet sensor 176 is attached to the upper roller cover 183 here, this is not limited thereto, and the sheet sensor 176 may be attached to the sensor cover 187. Although the sheet sensor 176 is provided on the drive roller 180 side here, this is not limited thereto, and the sheet sensor 176 may be provided on the driven roller 190 side.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the case where the driving roller 180 and the driven roller 190 are provided in the transport unit 170 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the sheet sensor 276 may be provided without the driving roller 180 and the driven roller 190. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, for example, an opening 282 is formed in the upper transport guide 281, and a sheet sensor 276 is provided as a detection unit that detects the sheet transported in the transport path through the opening 282. Furthermore, a sensor cover 283 is provided to cover the opening 282 and the sheet sensor 276 and seal the space of the transport path. In this case, too, ventilation between the inside and outside of the case 141 can be suppressed, and moisture resistance of the sheets stored in the feeding module 100 can be improved.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the rotating shafts 180a, 190a are supported on both side walls, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the driven roller 190 may be provided with a rotating shaft that is slightly longer than the roller and supported by a bearing provided in the lower conveying guide 191. In this case, the lower roller cover 193 can seal the roller opening 192, the driven roller 190, and the rotating shaft between the lower conveying guide 191.

[0039] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the image forming system has been described as being applied to the inkjet recording system 1 using an inkjet recording method, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1...inkjet recording system (image forming system), 100...feeding module (sheet feeding device), 140...storage unit, 141...case, 142...discharge port, 160...feeding unit (feeding section), 170...transport unit, 173...front side plate (side wall), 174...rear side plate (side wall), 176...sheet sensor (detection section), 180...driving roller (transport roller, first transport roller), 180a...rotating shaft, 181...upper transport guide (first guide member), 181b...sensor opening (second opening) , 182... roller opening (first opening), 183... upper roller cover (first cover), 183a... first cover portion, 183b... second cover portion, 184... drive portion, 187... sensor cover (second cover), 190... driven roller (second conveying roller), 191... lower conveying guide (second guide member), 192... roller opening (third opening), 193... lower roller cover (third cover), 200... print module (image forming apparatus), 276... sheet sensor (detection portion), 283... sensor cover (cover)

Claims

1. A storage unit comprising: a sheet storage section for storing sheets; a case for housing the sheet storage section, the case having an outlet formed in a part of the case for discharging sheets to the outside of the case; and a supply section housed in the case and for supplying sheets housed in the sheet storage section from the outlet to the outside of the case; The storage unit comprises a transport unit connected to the discharge port and for transporting the sheets discharged from the discharge port, The aforementioned transport unit is A first guide member having a first opening and a guide surface for guiding the sheet, A second guide member is positioned opposite the first guide member and guides the sheet, The side walls are arranged on both sides in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction of the first guide member and the second guide member, and form a space for a conveying path that conveys the sheet together with the first guide member and the second guide member, A conveying roller is provided that protrudes toward the conveying path through the first opening and conveys a sheet in the conveying path, The first guide member has a first cover that covers the first opening and the conveyor roller from the opposite side of the conveyor path, with reference to the guide surface of the first guide member, A sheet feeding device characterized by the following features.

2. The transport unit has a rotating shaft that rotatably supports the transport roller, The aforementioned side walls extend toward the first guide member and support the rotating shaft in a rotatable and airtight manner. The first cover covers the first opening, the transport roller, and the rotating shaft from the first guide member and the side walls, thereby sealing the space of the transport path. The sheet feeding device according to feature 1.

3. The first cover has a first covering portion that covers the conveyor roller and a second covering portion that covers the rotating shaft. The diameter of the second covering portion is smaller than the diameter of the first covering portion. The sheet feeding device according to feature 2.

4. The first guide member communicates with the transport path and has a second opening different from the first opening. A detection unit that detects the sheet being transported in the transport path through the second opening, The device further comprises a second cover that covers the second opening and the detection unit, thereby sealing the space of the transport path. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The aforementioned conveying roller is a first conveying roller, A second conveyor roller is provided that protrudes toward the conveying path through a third opening formed in the second guide member and forms a nip that grips the sheet together with the first conveyor roller, The device further comprises a third cover that covers the third opening and the second conveyor roller, thereby sealing the space of the conveyor path. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. It is further equipped with a drive unit, The first conveyor roller is a drive roller driven by the drive unit, The second conveyor roller is a driven roller that rotates in accordance with the drive roller. The sheet feeding device according to feature 5.

7. A storage unit comprising: a sheet storage section for storing sheets; a case for housing the sheet storage section, the case having an outlet formed in a part of the case for discharging sheets to the outside of the case; and a supply section housed in the case and for supplying sheets housed in the sheet storage section from the outlet to the outside of the case; The storage unit comprises a transport unit connected to the discharge port and for transporting the sheets discharged from the discharge port, The aforementioned transport unit is A first guide member having an opening and a guide surface for guiding the sheet, A second guide member is positioned opposite the first guide member and guides the sheet, The side walls are arranged on both sides in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction of the first guide member and the second guide member, and form a space for a conveying path that conveys the sheet together with the first guide member and the second guide member, A detection unit that detects the sheet being transported along the transport path through the opening, The first guide member has a cover that covers the opening and the detection part from the opposite side of the transport path, with the guide surface of the first guide member as the reference, A sheet feeding device characterized by the following features.

8. A sheet feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, The image forming apparatus comprises an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet fed from the aforementioned sheet feeding device. An image forming system characterized by the following features.

Images