Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

In conventional technology, when the sheet cassette was removed to change the paper, the separating component could sometimes come off unintentionally. [Solution] In a configuration in which the protruding portion 53 of the holder 54 that holds the separation roller 53 is guided by the unit guide portion 102 of the holder support portion 101, a convex portion 104 is provided on the unit guide portion 102, which makes the width of the unit guide portion 102 smaller than the diameter of the protruding portion 56.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device for feeding sheets and an image forming apparatus including the sheet feeding device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a configuration using a sheet cassette, a feeding member, and a separating member has been proposed for a sheet feeding device of an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, or a facsimile machine. Since the separating member is frequently rubbed against the sheet, it is likely to deteriorate. Therefore, it is desired that the separating member can be easily replaced by the user.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a configuration has been proposed in which the separating member can be removed together with the holder from the sheet cassette in order to easily replace the separating member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When removing the sheet cassette for sheet replacement, the cassette may be tilted or subjected to an impact. In this case, in the above prior art, the separating member may unintentionally come off. If the separating member comes off, unnecessary work will occur for the user during sheet replacement, resulting in a decrease in work efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The sheet feeding device of the present invention comprises: a sheet cassette for containing sheets and inserted into an insertion position relative to the device body from the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction; a pickup roller provided on the device body that contacts the upper surface of the sheet contained in the sheet cassette at the insertion position and feeds it in the feeding direction; a feeding member provided on the device body that feeds the sheet fed by the pickup roller; a separating member provided on the sheet cassette that, when the sheet cassette is in the insertion position, contacts the feeding member from below and separates the sheet from the sheet fed by the feeding member; a holder that supports the separating member; a holder support part provided on the sheet cassette that supports the holder so as to be movable in the vertical direction; and provided on the device body. The device includes a moving part that contacts the holder when the sheet cassette is inserted into the main body of the device and moves the holder upward from an initial position to an operating position in which the separating member is pressed by the feeding member in accordance with the movement of the sheet cassette in the insertion direction, and a guide groove provided on the holder support part that guides the protruding part of the holder so that the holder can move up and down, wherein the guide groove includes a first region and a second region provided above the first region and having a width smaller than the width of the first region and smaller than the width of the protruding part, and is configured so that the separating member can be removed from the sheet cassette by moving the separating member upward along the guide groove when the sheet cassette is pulled out from the main body of the device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the separating member can be easily replaced, and a decrease in work efficiency during sheet replacement can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2a] Perspective view of a sheet cassette. [Figure 2b] Enlarged perspective view of the sheet cassette separation unit. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view showing the separation unit in its initial position. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view showing the separation unit between its initial position and its operating position. [Figure 5] A cross-sectional view showing the separation unit in its operating position. [Figure 6] Perspective view of the cassette facing section. [Figure 7a] A cross-sectional view showing the insertion of the separation roller holder into the holder support section. [Figure 7b] An enlarged perspective view showing the insertion of the separation roller holder into the holder support section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Overall configuration of the image forming apparatus] Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 equipped with this sheet feeding device will be explained.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 1 has a paper feeding means 50 at the bottom for transporting sheets S contained in a sheet cassette 100 into the image forming apparatus 1. Downstream of the paper feeding means 50 is a resist roller unit 16 for aligning and transporting the resist on the sheets S. Above the paper feeding means 50 are a laser scanner 4 and four process cartridges 6 (6Y, 6M, 6C, 6Bk). Each process cartridge 6 (6Y, 6M, 6C, 6Bk) has a photosensitive drum 9 (9Y, 9M, 9C, 9Bk). Above the process cartridges 6 (6Y, 6M, 6C, 6Bk), an intermediate transfer unit 70 is positioned opposite the process cartridges 6 (6Y, 6M, 6C, 6Bk). The intermediate transfer unit 70 is equipped with an intermediate transfer belt 8, and inside the intermediate transfer belt 8 are primary transfer rollers 5 (5Y, 5M, 5C, 5Bk), a secondary transfer opposing roller 10, and a tension roller 11. The process cartridge 6 and the intermediate transfer unit 70 constitute an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet.

[0012] A latent image is created on the photosensitive drum 9 by laser light emitted from the laser scanner 4. A toner image is created in the process cartridge 6 by a developer (not shown). The toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 8 by the primary transfer roller 5. The toner images of each color in the process cartridge 6 are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 8. The secondary transfer opposing roller 10 of the intermediate transfer unit 70 and the secondary transfer roller 12 located on the right side transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 8 to the sheet S synchronized by the register roller unit 16. A fuser unit 20 is located downstream of the secondary transfer section. The fuser unit 20 fixes the toner image on the sheet S to the sheet S.

[0013] Downstream of the fixing unit 20, a branching means consisting of a double-sided flapper 21, a pair of discharge rollers 22, a pair of reversing rollers 23, and a double-sided transport section 24 is provided. The sheets S discharged by the pair of discharge rollers 22 are discharged and loaded into the paper discharge section 90 inside the cylinder.

[0014] The sheet, transported by the reversing roller pair 23, switches back and is transported to the double-sided pass 24. An image is formed on the back surface of the sheet that has passed through the double-sided pass 24, and the sheet is discharged from the paper discharge roller pair 22 to the paper discharge section 90 inside the cylinder.

[0015] [Sheet Cassette Configuration] The sheet cassette 100 and the paper feeding means 50 will be explained with reference to Figures 2 to 6. Figure 2a is a perspective view of the sheet cassette 100, and Figure 2b is an enlarged perspective view of the separation unit of the sheet cassette. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view when the separation unit 55 is in its initial position. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view when the separation unit 55 is between the initial position and the operating position. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view when the separation unit 55 is in the operating position. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cassette-facing section.

[0016] 51 shown in Fig. 5 is a pickup roller for feeding (delivering) the topmost sheet while contacting the upper surface of the sheet S stored in the sheet cassette 100. 52 is a feed roller for feeding the sheet S delivered by the pickup roller. 53 is a separation roller as a separation member arranged to face the feed roller 52 and contact the feed roller 52. A torque limiter is incorporated in the separation roller 53. The separation roller 53 can rotate against the resistance of the torque limiter following the rotation of the feed roller 52. When there are a plurality of sheets between the feed roller 52 and the separation roller 53, the separation roller 53 does not rotate and prevents the movement of sheets other than the topmost sheet. Therefore, only the topmost sheet is fed by the feed roller 52. Thus, the separation roller 53 separates the sheet S fed by the paper feed roller 52 one by one together with the feed roller 52. The pickup roller 51 and the feed roller 52 are provided in the image forming apparatus 1, that is, in the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus 1. Here, the sheet cassette 100 can be pulled out with respect to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus 1 (the apparatus main body of the sheet feeding apparatus). The forward direction shown in the drawing is the pulling direction when pulling out the sheet cassette 100. The backward direction is the insertion direction when inserting the pulled-out sheet cassette 100 into the insertion position. The insertion position is the position in the state where the sheet cassette 100 is mounted and is the position where the sheet stored in the sheet cassette 100 is fed. The sheet cassette 100 is inserted into the insertion position from the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction.

[0017] As shown in Figs. 2a and 2b, the separation unit 55 includes the separation roller 53 and a holder 54 that holds the separation roller 53. The separation unit 55 is supported by a holder support portion 101 provided on the sheet cassette 100 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0018] The holder 54 rotatably supports the separation roller 53. The holder 54 has a plurality of protrusions 56 protruding to both sides in the width direction (left and right direction) intersecting the insertion direction of the cassette 100. The plurality of protrusions 56 are formed by shafts (bosses) protruding in the left and right directions. In the present embodiment, the plurality of protrusions 56 include a pair of first protrusions 56a protruding to both left and right sides coaxially and a pair of second protrusions 56b protruding to both left and right sides coaxially. The pair of second protrusions 56b are formed below the pair of first protrusions 56a.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the holder 54 is detachably placed on the holder support portion 101 from above.

[0020] On the other hand, the holder support portion 101 of the sheet cassette 100 has a plurality of unit guide portions 102 that guide the plurality of protrusions 56 in the vertical direction. The plurality of unit guide portions 102 include a pair of first unit guide portions 102a that guide the pair of first protrusions 56a in the vertical direction and a pair of second unit guide portions 102b that guide the pair of second protrusions 56b in the vertical direction. The width W of the first region, which is the region below the first unit guide portion 102a that is a guide groove, is larger than the width (outer diameter) of the pair of first protrusions 56a. The width of the second unit guide portion 102b is larger than the width (outer diameter) of the second protrusion 56b. As a result, the protrusion 56 can smoothly move up and down in the unit guide portion 102.

[0021] The plurality of unit guide portions 102 are formed in a concave shape by cutting downward from the upper edge of the holder support portion 101. That is, the plurality of unit guide portions 102 extend vertically and are in the shape of a groove (slit) with an open upper end. Note that the pair of first unit guide portions 102a, the pair of second unit guide portions 102b, and the plurality of unit guide portions 102 are examples.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 has a cassette-facing section 110 that faces the front end of the sheet cassette 100 toward the rear in the insertion direction. The cassette-facing section 110 has a sheet guide 111 and a plurality of unit restricting sections 112 and 113. The plurality of unit restricting sections have a pair of first unit restricting sections 112 and a pair of second unit restricting sections 113. The sheet guide 111 guides the sheet S fed by the paper feed roller 52 to the transport path 25.

[0023] Multiple unit restricting parts 112 and 113 come into contact with multiple protrusions 56 of the separation unit 55 when the sheet cassette 100 is inserted into the main body of the image forming apparatus 1. The multiple unit restricting parts 112 and 113, acting as movable parts, move the separation unit 55 from the initial position to the operating position and hold it in the operating position in accordance with the rearward movement of the sheet cassette 100 in the insertion direction. In this embodiment, the initial position and the operating position are the positions of the holder 54. When the holder 54 is in the operating position, the separation roller 53 is pressed against the feeding roller 52, and the separation roller 53 exerts the action of separating the fed sheet.

[0024] When the separation unit 55 is in its initial position, the separation roller 53 is separated downward from the paper feed roller 52, which acts as a paper feed member. When the separation unit 55 is in its operating position, the separation roller 53 is in contact with the paper feed roller 52, and the holder 54 presses the separation roller 53 against the paper feed roller 52.

[0025] The separation unit 55 moves from the operating position to the initial position when the sheet cassette 100 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 1, as the holding by the multiple unit restricting units 112 and 113 is released. When the separation unit 55 is in the initial position, the separation roller 53 is in a lower position than the pickup roller 51.

[0026] Therefore, when the separation unit 55 is in its initial position, the separation roller 53 is separated from the paper feed roller 52 and can pass below the pickup roller 51.

[0027] In this embodiment, the separation unit 55 moves from the operating position to the initial position by its own weight when the sheet cassette 100 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, no special mechanism such as a spring or link mechanism is required to move the separation unit 55 from the operating position to the initial position.

[0028] Multiple unit guides 102 of the holder support section 101 guide the holder 54, which descends by its own weight when the sheet cassette 100 is pulled out of the image forming apparatus 1, from the operating position to the initial position. Similarly, the multiple unit guides 102 guide the holder 54, which is lifted by the unit restricting sections 112 and 113 when the sheet cassette 100 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1, from the initial position to the operating position.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the multiple unit restricting portions 112, 113 include a pair of first unit restricting portions 112 that contact a pair of first protrusions 56a and a pair of second unit restricting portions 113 that contact a pair of second protrusions 56b.

[0030] Each pair of first unit restricting sections 112 has a pair of first guide surfaces 112a that are inclined upward toward the rear in the insertion direction, and a pair of first retaining surfaces 112b that are connected to the pair of first guide surfaces 112a on the rear side in the insertion direction.

[0031] Each pair of second unit restricting sections 113 has a pair of second guide surfaces 113a that are inclined upward toward the rear in the insertion direction, and a pair of second retaining surfaces 113b that are connected to the pair of second guide surfaces 113a on the rear side in the insertion direction.

[0032] That is, the four retaining surfaces, consisting of a pair of first retaining surfaces 112b and a pair of second retaining surfaces 113b, are connected to the four guide support surfaces 112a and 113a on the rear side in the insertion direction. In this embodiment, the four retaining surfaces 112b and 113b are flat. However, the four retaining surfaces 112b and 113b may be concave curved surfaces.

[0033] Figure 3 shows the state where the sheet cassette 100 is not in the insertion position and the separation unit 55 is in the initial position. When the sheet cassette 100 is inserted toward the insertion position from Figure 3, the state shown in Figure 4 is obtained. In other words, when the sheet cassette 100 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1, the four protrusions 56 slide against the pair of first guide surfaces 112a and the pair of second guide surfaces 113a. As a result, the separation unit 55 moves from the initial position toward the operating position. In other words, the pair of first guide surfaces 112a and the pair of second guide surfaces 113a come into contact with the four protrusions 56 when the sheet cassette 100 is inserted into the main body of the image forming apparatus 1. The pair of first guide surfaces 112a and the pair of second guide surfaces 113a then guide the four protrusions 56 so that the separation unit 55 moves from the initial position toward the operating position.

[0034] As the four protrusions 56 move along the pair of first guide surfaces 112a and the pair of second guide surfaces 113a, the holder 54 moves from the initial position to the operating position. Note that the pair of first guide surfaces 112a and the pair of second guide surfaces 113a are examples of multiple guide surfaces.

[0035] The separation unit 55 is then held in the operating position by the four protrusions 56 being supported by a pair of first retaining surfaces 112b and a pair of second retaining surfaces 113b. Figure 5 shows the state in which the sheet cassette 100 is in the insertion position and the separation unit 55 is in the operating position.

[0036] When the sheet cassette 100 is inserted into the insertion position in the image forming apparatus 1, the separation roller 53 contacts the paper feed roller 52, thereby restricting the upward movement of the separation unit 55. In addition, the pair of first holding surfaces 112b and the pair of second holding surfaces 113b support the four protrusions 56, thereby restricting the downward movement of the separation unit 55.

[0037] Furthermore, the four unit guides 102 restrict the rearward movement of the separation unit 55 in the insertion direction by restricting the rearward movement of the four protrusions 56 in the insertion direction.

[0038] The separation unit 55 can be easily accessed by withdrawing the sheet cassette 100 from the image forming apparatus 1. More specifically, when the sheet cassette 100 is withdrawn from the image forming apparatus 1, the separation unit 55 is exposed. With the sheet cassette 100 withdrawn from the image forming apparatus 1, the operator can move the separation unit 55 upward along the multiple unit restricting sections 112 and 113 and remove it from the sheet cassette 100.

[0039] Furthermore, during the process of inserting and removing the sheet cassette 100 from the image forming apparatus 1, when the four protrusions 56 do not come into contact with the four unit restricting parts 112 and 113, the separation unit 55 is held in its initial position by its own weight. During the process of inserting and removing the sheet cassette 100 from the image forming apparatus 1, when the separation unit 55 is in its initial position, the separation unit 55 does not come into contact with any components provided on the image forming apparatus 1. Note that the separation unit 55 in its initial position is located below the pickup roller 51.

[0040] As described above, the unit restricting units 112 and 113, as movable parts, move the holder 54 from the initial position to the operating position when the sheet cassette 100 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1. The unit restricting units 112 and 113 move the holder 54 from the initial position to the operating position in accordance with the rearward movement of the sheet cassette 100 in the insertion direction. The unit restricting units 112 and 113 move the holder 54 from the initial position to the operating position after the separation roller 53 has passed below the pickup roller 51 when the sheet cassette 100 is inserted into the main body of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0041] The unit restricting units 112 and 113 move the holder 54 from the operating position to the initial position when the sheet cassette 100 is pulled out from the insertion position. The unit restricting units 112 and 113 move the holder 54 from the operating position to the initial position before the separation roller 53 reaches the position of the pickup roller 51. Note that the unit restricting units 112 and 113 are examples of a moving mechanism.

[0042] Therefore, when the sheet cassette 100 is inserted into or removed from the image forming apparatus 1, the separation unit 55 or any components provided in the image forming apparatus 1 will not be damaged by contact.

[0043] Figure 7a is a cross-sectional view showing the holder 54 supported by the holder support 101. Figure 7b is a cross-sectional view showing the state when the holder 54 is inserted into the holder support 101. The mechanism for preventing the holder 54 from coming off will be explained using Figures 7a and 7b.

[0044] 102 is provided on the holder support portion 101 and is a plurality of unit guide portions for guiding a pair of first protrusions 56a. 104 is a pair of protrusions provided on the upper part of the pair of unit guide portions 102. The pair of protrusions 104 are provided such that the width of the upper part of the unit guide portion 102a is narrower than the width of the pair of first protrusions 56a. The unit guide portion 102a includes a first region and a second region located above the first region where the protrusions 104 are provided. The width of the second region is narrower than that of the first region because the protrusions 104 are provided. Also, as described above, the width of the second region where the protrusions 104 are provided is smaller than the width of the first protrusions 56a.

[0045] When inserting the holder 54 into the holder support portion 101, it is necessary to allow the pair of first protrusions 65a to move downward from the unit guide portion 102. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7b, the sides of the pair of first unit guide portions 102a having the pair of convex portions 104 are each capable of bending within the elastic range.

[0046] The pair of protrusions 104 are provided with a mounting guide portion 104a and a removal guide portion 104b. The mounting guide portion 104a and the removal guide portion 104b are inclined surfaces. When a user mounts the holder 54, the pair of first protrusions 56a are aligned with the pair of first unit guide portions 102a, and the pair of second protrusions 56b are aligned with the upper part of the pair of second unit guide portions 102b. The user then pushes down the holder 54. The pair of first protrusions 56a located between the mounting guide portion 104a and the unit guide portion 102 on the opposite side of the protrusions 104 cause the side on which the protrusions 104 are provided to bend in the elastic range parallel to the sheet feeding direction. In other words, the first protrusions 56a in contact with the protrusions 104 pass through the second region of the unit guide portion 102a while elastically deforming the holder support portion 101 so as to push the unit guide portion 102a apart. As a result, the pair of first protrusions 65a of the holder 54 enter the first region, which is the lower region of the first unit guide portion 102a. In this way, the holder 54 can be incorporated into the unit guide portion 104.

[0047] Furthermore, to remove the holder 54, the user lifts the holder 54. This causes the first projection 56a, located between the removal guide portion 104b of the protrusion 104 and the unit guide portion 102a on the opposite side of the protrusion 104, to bend in the elastic range parallel to the sheet feeding direction on the protrusion 104 side. In other words, the first projection 56a in contact with the protrusion 104 passes through the second region of the unit guide portion 102a while elastically deforming the holder support portion 101 in such a way that it pushes the unit guide portion 102a apart. As a result, the first projection 65a of the holder 54 comes out of the first unit guide portion 102a. In this way, the holder 54 can be removed from the unit guide portion 102, that is, from the sheet cassette 100.

[0048] The pair of protrusions 104 are positioned above the position of the pair of first protrusions 56a when the holder 54 is in the operating position for the separation operation. Therefore, the pair of protrusions 104 do not affect the separation operation.

[0049] As described above, by providing a pair of protrusions 104, the holder 54 will not come off unless a force is applied that bends the unit guide portion 102 on the protrusion 104 side. Therefore, even if the sheet cassette 100 is tilted or subjected to impact, the holder 54 will not unintentionally come off the sheet cassette 1. Thus, there is less need to perform the troublesome task of reattaching the holder 54 if it comes off unintentionally.

[0050] In this embodiment, the thickness of the unit guide portion 102 on the protruding portion 104 side is set so that it does not flex under the weight of the holder 54, but can be flexed by the user's operating force.

[0051] If the configuration of the holder support portion 101 requires a large shape on the back surface of the side having the pair of protrusions 104, it may be configured as follows: That is, a slit is provided on the back surface of the side having the pair of protrusions 104 to a thickness that allows it to bend elastically. In addition, the part of the unit guide portion 102 opposite to the side having the protrusions 104 may be made elastically deformable. The same effect can be obtained by configuring it in this way. Furthermore, both the side of the unit guide portion 102 having the protrusions 104 and the side of the unit guide portion 102 opposite to the side having the protrusions 104 may be configured to be elastically deformable.

[0052] An example was given in which the mounting guide portion 104a and the removal guide portion 104b are inclined surfaces. However, the mounting guide portion 104a and the removal guide portion 104b may be curved surfaces.

[0053] Furthermore, an example has been given in which the protrusion 104 is provided only on the sheet feeding direction side of the upper part of the first unit guide section 102a. However, it is also possible to provide the protrusion only on the side opposite to the sheet feeding direction of the upper part of the first unit guide section 102a. Moreover, on the upper part of the first unit guide section 102a, protrusions may be provided on both the sheet feeding direction side and the side opposite to the sheet feeding direction side, so as to face each other.

[0054] In this embodiment, a pair of protrusions 104 are provided on the upper part of each of the pair of first unit guides 102a. However, a pair of protrusions 104 may be provided on the upper part of each of the pair of second unit guides 102b. Furthermore, protrusions 104 may be provided on all of the pair of first unit guides 102a and the pair of second unit guides 102b. The same effect can be obtained in this case as well. In this embodiment, a pair of protrusions 104 are provided on the upper part of each of the pair of first unit guides 102a. However, a protrusion 104 may be provided on one of the pair of first unit guides 102a, while the other first unit guide 102a may not have a protrusion.

[0055] Furthermore, the following configuration is also possible. That is, the upper parts of one of the first unit guides 102a are connected to form an elongated hole. Then, the protrusion 104 is provided only on the other first unit guide 102a. In this configuration, when attaching the separation unit 55 to the sheet cassette 100, one side of the pair of first protrusions 56a is passed through the elongated hole. Then, the first unit guide 102a with the other protrusion 104 is bent by the other of the pair of first protrusions 56a. The holder 54 can also be attached by operating the first protrusions 56a downwards. The holder 54 will not come off unintentionally even if the sheet cassette 100 is tilted or subjected to impact.

[0056] A rotating separation roller 53 is exemplified as a separation member. However, a separation pad may also be provided as a separation member. A rotating feed roller 52 is exemplified as a feed member. However, a rotating feed belt may also be provided as a feed member. As a preferred configuration, a configuration in which the width of the second region is narrower than that of the first region and smaller than the width of the first protrusion 56a is exemplified. However, the width of the second region does not have to be smaller than the width of the first protrusion 56a as long as it is narrower than that of the first region. In this case as well, the unintended detachment of the holder 54 can be suppressed compared to a configuration in which the widths of the second region and the first region are the same. This is because the resistance of the unit guide portion 102a to the first protrusion 56a increases in the second region.

[0057] In the embodiments described above, an electrophotographic image forming unit was exemplified as the image forming unit. However, an inkjet image forming unit may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1. Image forming apparatus 51 Pickup Roller 52 Feeding rollers 53 Separation Roller 54 Holder 55 Separation Unit 56 Multiple protrusions 100 Sheet Cassette 101 Holder support part 102 Multiple unit guide sections 104 Convex part 110 Cassette Opposite Section 112 Pair of first unit regulating sections 113 Pair of second unit regulatory sections Width of W unit guide section 102

Claims

1. A sheet cassette that houses the sheet and is inserted into the insertion position from the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction relative to the main body of the device, A pickup roller is provided on the main body of the device and contacts the upper surface of the sheet housed in the sheet cassette located at the insertion position, and sends it in the feeding direction. A feeding member provided on the main body of the device for feeding the sheet delivered by the pickup roller, A separating member is provided on the sheet cassette, and when the sheet cassette is in the insertion position, it contacts the feeding member from below and separates the sheet being fed by the feeding member, A holder supporting the aforementioned separation member, A holder support portion is provided on the sheet cassette and supports the holder so that it can move in the vertical direction, A moving part is provided on the main body of the device, which contacts the holder when the sheet cassette is inserted into the main body of the device, and moves the holder upward from its initial position to an operating position in which the separating member is pressed against the feeding member, in accordance with the movement of the sheet cassette in the insertion direction. The holder support portion is provided with a guide groove that guides the protruding portion of the holder so that the holder can move up and down, The aforementioned guide groove is The first area and, It includes a second region provided above the first region, having a width smaller than the width of the first region and smaller than the width of the protrusion, A sheet feeding device characterized in that, when the sheet cassette is pulled out from the main body of the device, the separating member can be removed from the sheet cassette by moving the separating member upward along the guide groove.

2. The upper part of the guide groove is open so that the holder can be removed. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second region of the guide groove is provided with a protrusion that contacts the protruding portion.

3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that when the holder is removed, the protruding portion in contact with the convex portion passes through the second region while elastically deforming the holder support portion so as to widen the width of the guide groove.

4. The sheet feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that the protrusion is provided with an inclined surface that contacts the protrusion when it widens the guide groove when the holder is removed.

5. The sheet feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that the protrusion is provided with a curved surface that contacts the protrusion when it widens the guide groove when the holder is removed.

6. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding portion of the holder contacts the moving portion, causing the holder to move in accordance with the insertion of the sheet cassette.

7. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the moving part moves the holder from the initial position where the separating member is below the feeding member and can pass below the pickup roller to the operating position in accordance with the insertion of the sheet cassette.

8. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that the protrusion is positioned above the position of the projection when the holder is in the operating position.

9. A sheet cassette that houses the sheet and is inserted into the main body of the device, A feeding member for feeding sheets contained in the sheet cassette, A separating member that contacts the feeding member and separates the sheet being fed by the feeding member, A holder supporting the aforementioned separation member, The sheet cassette is provided with a guide groove that guides the protruding portion of the holder so that the holder can move up and down, The aforementioned guide groove is The first area and, A second region is provided above the first region and includes a second region having a width smaller than the width of the first region. A sheet feeding device characterized in that the separating member can be removed from the sheet cassette by moving the separating member upward along the guide groove.

10. A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, An image forming apparatus characterized by having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding device.

Images