A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller pair, a first guide, a door including a second guide and rotatable between a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction through first to third positions, a damping mechanism, and an engaging portion including an elastic member. A first resisting force is set so that moment acting around a shaft by a self-weight of the door is larger than the first resisting force of the damping mechanism when the door is positioned between the second position and the third position. A resultant force of the first resisting force of the damping mechanism and a second resisting force of the elastic portion is set so that the moment acting around the shaft by the self-weight of the door is larger than the resultant force when the door is positioned between the second position and the third position.

A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller pair, a first guide, a door including a second guide and rotatable between a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction through first to third positions, a damping mechanism, and an engaging portion including an elastic member. A first resisting force is set so that moment acting around a shaft by a self-weight of the door is larger than the first resisting force of the damping mechanism when the door is positioned between the second position and the third position. A resultant force of the first resisting force of the damping mechanism and a second resisting force of the elastic portion is set so that the moment acting around the shaft by the self-weight of the door is larger than the resultant force when the door is positioned between the second position and the third position.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing, an openable/closable part, a sheet feeding tray, an image forming device, a sheet feeding roller, a first coupling, a drive gear, a second coupling, a biasing member, and a link mechanism. The first coupling is provided in the sheet feeding roller. The second coupling is provided coaxially with the drive gear, rotatable following the drive gear, slidable relative to the drive gear in an axial direction and capable of fitting to the first coupling. The biasing member biases the second coupling to the first coupling to connect the second coupling to the first coupling. The link mechanism disconnects the second coupling from the first coupling against a biasing force of the biasing member so as to block a transmission of the drive force with an opening of the openable/closable part.

A paper sheet storage container capable of accurately taking out paper sheets one-by-one. A paper sheet group is held by a paper sheet placing table and holding members, while the paper sheet placing table is being biased upward by an elastic member so that the position of an uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheet group placed on the paper sheet placing table is substantially the same position as the positions of holes through which air flows. In this state, in the paper sheet storage container, air is blown from a side to the uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheet group placed on the paper sheet placing table thereby allowing the uppermost paper sheet to be brought into a state in which the vicinity of the center thereof has been raised.

A paper sheet storage container capable of accurately taking out paper sheets one-by-one. A paper sheet group is held by a paper sheet placing table and holding members, while the paper sheet placing table is being biased upward by an elastic member so that the position of an uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheet group placed on the paper sheet placing table is substantially the same position as the positions of holes through which air flows. In this state, in the paper sheet storage container, air is blown from a side to the uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheet group placed on the paper sheet placing table thereby allowing the uppermost paper sheet to be brought into a state in which the vicinity of the center thereof has been raised.

A container member includes a container body that contains a recording medium and that tilts such that a leading edge of the contained recording medium is higher than a trailing edge, and a leading edge restriction portion that comes into contact with a portion of the leading edge except for at least a first end portion and that restricts a position of the leading edge.

A container member includes a container body that contains a recording medium and that tilts such that a leading edge of the contained recording medium is higher than a trailing edge, and a leading edge restriction portion that comes into contact with a portion of the leading edge except for at least a first end portion and that restricts a position of the leading edge.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion, a lift plate, an actuating segment, driving unit, a sheet feeding portion, a first detecting portion, a remaining amount detection portion. The remaining amount detection portion includes a detection piece, a link mechanism, a second detecting portion, a controller. The link mechanism couples together the driving shaft and the detection piece at a coupling position attained by pivoting the lift plate through a predetermined angle from a lower limit position in rotation direction, so as to let the driving shaft and the detection piece rotate together. The second detecting portion senses whether or not the detection piece is present. The controller determines the remaining quantity level of the stacked sheets according to whether or not the second detecting portion is detecting the detection piece being present.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion, a lift plate, an actuating segment, driving unit, a sheet feeding portion, a first detecting portion, a remaining amount detection portion. The remaining amount detection portion includes a detection piece, a link mechanism, a second detecting portion, a controller. The link mechanism couples together the driving shaft and the detection piece at a coupling position attained by pivoting the lift plate through a predetermined angle from a lower limit position in rotation direction, so as to let the driving shaft and the detection piece rotate together. The second detecting portion senses whether or not the detection piece is present. The controller determines the remaining quantity level of the stacked sheets according to whether or not the second detecting portion is detecting the detection piece being present.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet tray, an extended bottom plate, a casing, and a support. The sheet tray includes a bottom plate and feeds a sheet placed on the bottom plate, toward an image forming apparatus. The extended bottom plate extends outward from the sheet feeding device and is coupled to an upstream end of the bottom plate of the sheet tray in a sheet conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed. The casing is attached to a side face of the sheet feeding device to cover the extended bottom plate. The support is disposed between an inner wall face of the casing and the extended bottom plate to support a weight load of the extended bottom plate.