An image forming apparatus includes a sheet accommodating portion, an image forming portion, an accommodating portion opening portion, a lifter plate, a lifter plate lifting and lowering mechanism, a lower-limit detecting portion, a control unit lowering the lifter plate and opening the accommodating portion in accordance with an operation in a set mode of a plurality of modes when the control unit receives an instruction to open the accommodating portion, wherein the modes includes a first mode in which the accommodating portion is opened irrespective of whether or not the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position and a second mode in which the accommodating portion is opened after the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position; and an operating portion operable by an operator for changing setting of the mode, between the modes, executed when the control unit receives the instruction to open the accommodating portion.

An image forming apparatus includes a sheet accommodating portion, an image forming portion, an accommodating portion opening portion, a lifter plate, a lifter plate lifting and lowering mechanism, a lower-limit detecting portion, a control unit lowering the lifter plate and opening the accommodating portion in accordance with an operation in a set mode of a plurality of modes when the control unit receives an instruction to open the accommodating portion, wherein the modes includes a first mode in which the accommodating portion is opened irrespective of whether or not the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position and a second mode in which the accommodating portion is opened after the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position; and an operating portion operable by an operator for changing setting of the mode, between the modes, executed when the control unit receives the instruction to open the accommodating portion.

A sheet storing device includes a sheet cassette and a sheet tray. The sheet cassette is for storing sheets. The sheet tray is at an inner bottom surface of the sheet cassette and rotatable around a shaft that is located along one end of the inner bottom surface in a sheet feed direction. An upper surface of the sheet tray on which the sheets are to be stored has a projection extending from a first end of the sheet tray towards a second end of the sheet tray, which is coupled to the shaft, such that the sheets on the upper surface are at least partially bent in an upward convex shape at a region above the projection.

A sheet storing device includes a sheet cassette and a sheet tray. The sheet cassette is for storing sheets. The sheet tray is at an inner bottom surface of the sheet cassette and rotatable around a shaft that is located along one end of the inner bottom surface in a sheet feed direction. An upper surface of the sheet tray on which the sheets are to be stored has a projection extending from a first end of the sheet tray towards a second end of the sheet tray, which is coupled to the shaft, such that the sheets on the upper surface are at least partially bent in an upward convex shape at a region above the projection.

According to one embodiment, a sheet conveying device includes a placement tray, a presence detection sensor, and a control unit. The placement tray places a sheet thereon. The presence detection sensor detects the presence or absence of the sheet on the placement tray. The control unit delays a determination timing of the presence or absence of the sheet placed on the placement tray to a predetermined timing when a condition indicating that the remaining sheets placed on the placement tray are only a few is satisfied.

According to one embodiment, a sheet conveying device includes a placement tray, a presence detection sensor, and a control unit. The placement tray places a sheet thereon. The presence detection sensor detects the presence or absence of the sheet on the placement tray. The control unit delays a determination timing of the presence or absence of the sheet placed on the placement tray to a predetermined timing when a condition indicating that the remaining sheets placed on the placement tray are only a few is satisfied.

An image forming apparatus includes a manual feed tray for placing a sheet to be subjected to image formation; a pickup roller configured to abut against the placed sheet to feed the sheet; a controller; and a human detection sensor. The controller maintains an abutment state, in which the pickup roller is held in abutment against the sheet, until a time period during which the abutment state is maintained reaches an abutment timeout. When a time period during which no human is detected by the human detection sensor in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus reaches a human detection timeout even before the time period during which the abutment state is maintained reaches the abutment timeout, the controller brings the pickup roller into a non-abutment state against the sheet.

An image forming apparatus includes a manual feed tray for placing a sheet to be subjected to image formation; a pickup roller configured to abut against the placed sheet to feed the sheet; a controller; and a human detection sensor. The controller maintains an abutment state, in which the pickup roller is held in abutment against the sheet, until a time period during which the abutment state is maintained reaches an abutment timeout. When a time period during which no human is detected by the human detection sensor in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus reaches a human detection timeout even before the time period during which the abutment state is maintained reaches the abutment timeout, the controller brings the pickup roller into a non-abutment state against the sheet.

A paper feeder, includes: a sheet storage that stores sheets; a pick roller that delivers the sheets stored in the sheet storage to a downstream side of a conveyance path; a pair of conveyance rollers that is located on a downstream side of the pick roller in the conveyance path and conveys the sheets delivered from the pick roller to further downstream side in the conveyance path; a drive source that drives the pair of conveyance rollers; and a hardware processor that cleans the pair of conveyance rollers by driving the drive source to rotate the pair of conveyance rollers in a state of being in contact with each other, when the pick roller cannot deliver sheets.

A paper feeder, includes: a sheet storage that stores sheets; a pick roller that delivers the sheets stored in the sheet storage to a downstream side of a conveyance path; a pair of conveyance rollers that is located on a downstream side of the pick roller in the conveyance path and conveys the sheets delivered from the pick roller to further downstream side in the conveyance path; a drive source that drives the pair of conveyance rollers; and a hardware processor that cleans the pair of conveyance rollers by driving the drive source to rotate the pair of conveyance rollers in a state of being in contact with each other, when the pick roller cannot deliver sheets.