A sheet feeding apparatus includes a stacking member having a separation unit and an opening portion disposed upstream from the separation unit, a feeding member, and a moving device that includes a slope portion having a slope along which sheets are guided toward the separation unit. The moving device moves the stacking member between a first position where the feeding member and sheets stacked on the stacking member are in contact with each other, and a second position where the feeding member and the sheets are not in contact with each other. When the stacking member is at the first position, the slope portion is disposed at a position lower than the separation unit in a vertical direction. When the stacking member is at the second position, the slope portion is disposed to protrude via the opening portion to be higher than a stacking surface of the stacking member.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a stacking member having a separation unit and an opening portion disposed upstream from the separation unit, a feeding member, and a moving device that includes a slope portion having a slope along which sheets are guided toward the separation unit. The moving device moves the stacking member between a first position where the feeding member and sheets stacked on the stacking member are in contact with each other, and a second position where the feeding member and the sheets are not in contact with each other. When the stacking member is at the first position, the slope portion is disposed at a position lower than the separation unit in a vertical direction. When the stacking member is at the second position, the slope portion is disposed to protrude via the opening portion to be higher than a stacking surface of the stacking member.

An image forming apparatus includes a first casing including a transfer unit, a second casing including a fixing unit, and a third casing provided between the first casing and the second casing and including an intermediary feeding member. The first casing includes a first discharging port discharging a recording material with a toner image. The second casing includes a first receiving port receiving the recording material with the toner image. A height from an installing surface of the image forming apparatus to the first receiving port in a vertical direction is different from a height from the installing surface to the first discharging port. The intermediary feeding member of the third casing is provided obliquely in the vertical direction from a second receiving port receiving the recording material from the first discharging port to a second discharging port delivering the recording material to the first receiving port.

An image forming apparatus includes a first casing including a transfer unit, a second casing including a fixing unit, and a third casing provided between the first casing and the second casing and including an intermediary feeding member. The first casing includes a first discharging port discharging a recording material with a toner image. The second casing includes a first receiving port receiving the recording material with the toner image. A height from an installing surface of the image forming apparatus to the first receiving port in a vertical direction is different from a height from the installing surface to the first discharging port. The intermediary feeding member of the third casing is provided obliquely in the vertical direction from a second receiving port receiving the recording material from the first discharging port to a second discharging port delivering the recording material to the first receiving port.

A sheet transport device includes a sheet load tray on which a sheet is loaded, a detector that detects whether or not the sheet exists on the sheet load tray, a feeder that feeds the sheet one-by-one from the sheet load tray, and a sheet-load-tray ascend-descend unit that moves the sheet in a sheet loading direction to set an uppermost sheet at a sheet feed position of the feeder, and a controller. In a case where the sheet is detected by the detector, the controller causes the sheet load tray to ascend or descend before the feeder starts to feed the sheet so that ascending-descending operation for moving the sheet load tray between the sheet feed position and a descent position located below the sheet feed position is performed at least once.

A sheet transport device includes a sheet load tray on which a sheet is loaded, a detector that detects whether or not the sheet exists on the sheet load tray, a feeder that feeds the sheet one-by-one from the sheet load tray, and a sheet-load-tray ascend-descend unit that moves the sheet in a sheet loading direction to set an uppermost sheet at a sheet feed position of the feeder, and a controller. In a case where the sheet is detected by the detector, the controller causes the sheet load tray to ascend or descend before the feeder starts to feed the sheet so that ascending-descending operation for moving the sheet load tray between the sheet feed position and a descent position located below the sheet feed position is performed at least once.

A sheet transport device includes a sheet load tray on which a sheet is loaded, a detector that detects whether or not the sheet exists on the sheet load tray, a feeder that feeds the sheet one-by-one from the sheet load tray, and a sheet-load-tray ascend-descend unit that moves the sheet in a sheet loading direction to set an uppermost sheet at a sheet feed position of the feeder, and a controller. In a case where the sheet is detected by the detector, the controller causes the sheet load tray to ascend or descend before the feeder starts to feed the sheet so that ascending-descending operation for moving the sheet load tray between the sheet feed position and a descent position located below the sheet feed position is performed at least once.

A sheet transport device includes a sheet load tray on which a sheet is loaded, a detector that detects whether or not the sheet exists on the sheet load tray, a feeder that feeds the sheet one-by-one from the sheet load tray, and a sheet-load-tray ascend-descend unit that moves the sheet in a sheet loading direction to set an uppermost sheet at a sheet feed position of the feeder, and a controller. In a case where the sheet is detected by the detector, the controller causes the sheet load tray to ascend or descend before the feeder starts to feed the sheet so that ascending-descending operation for moving the sheet load tray between the sheet feed position and a descent position located below the sheet feed position is performed at least once.

A stacker device includes: a discharger that discharges sheets in response to a print job; a first tray on which the discharged sheets are stacked; a second tray that serves as a delivery destination of the sheets stacked on the first tray; a shutter that covers an opening on a front side of a housing; a driver that moves the first tray in an up-down direction; and a hardware processor that shuts off power to the driver based on a height position of the shutter and a position of the second tray in a front-rear direction.

A detector includes a first member that makes contact with an upper surface of a paper sheet stored in a sheet feeding cassette, and a second member that supports the first member such that it is capable changing postures, while also movably supporting the first member in an up-and-down direction to coincide with the upper surface of a paper sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette. The first member has a guide portion that makes contact with the sheet feeding cassette and/or a paper sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette. The first member changes postures with respect to the second member as a result of the guide portion making contact with the sheet feeding cassette and/or a paper sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette.