Provided is a sheet storage apparatus including: an apparatus body; a sheet storage section; a top cover; a sheet feeding section; a restricting cursor; a blowing device; a sheet holding-down member; and a moving mechanism. The sheet storage section includes a sheet supply port, and a sheet stacking portion. The top cover is pivotable to an opening position and to a closing position. The blowing device includes a fan and a vent. The sheet holding-down member includes a restricting piece. The moving mechanism is coupled to the sheet holding-down member, moves the sheet holding-down member to a restricting position by coming into contact with the top cover under a state in which the top cover has come to the closing position, and moves the sheet holding-down member to a retracted position by separating from the top cover when the top cover is moved to the opening position.

Provided is a sheet storage apparatus including: an apparatus body; a sheet storage section; a top cover; a sheet feeding section; a restricting cursor; a blowing device; a sheet holding-down member; and a moving mechanism. The sheet storage section includes a sheet supply port, and a sheet stacking portion. The top cover is pivotable to an opening position and to a closing position. The blowing device includes a fan and a vent. The sheet holding-down member includes a restricting piece. The moving mechanism is coupled to the sheet holding-down member, moves the sheet holding-down member to a restricting position by coming into contact with the top cover under a state in which the top cover has come to the closing position, and moves the sheet holding-down member to a retracted position by separating from the top cover when the top cover is moved to the opening position.

A medium feeder includes a medium mounter, a pair of edge guides, and a sheet number limiter. The medium mounter has a mounting surface on which a medium to be fed is placed. The pair of edge guides is provided at the medium mounter to guide side edges of the medium in a direction that intersects with a feeding direction in which the medium is fed. The sheet number limiter is provided at the pair of edge guides to limit the number of media mountable on the medium mounter. The sheet number limiter has an extension that extends in a feeding direction of the medium such that a distance between the extension and the mounting surface increases downstream.

A medium feeder includes a medium mounter, a pair of edge guides, and a sheet number limiter. The medium mounter has a mounting surface on which a medium to be fed is placed. The pair of edge guides is provided at the medium mounter to guide side edges of the medium in a direction that intersects with a feeding direction in which the medium is fed. The sheet number limiter is provided at the pair of edge guides to limit the number of media mountable on the medium mounter. The sheet number limiter has an extension that extends in a feeding direction of the medium such that a distance between the extension and the mounting surface increases downstream.

A medium feeding device including a medium mounting portion where media are mounted; a feeding roller that feeds the media from the medium mounting portion by contacting a bottommost sheet of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and rotating; a separator that separates a sheet of the media by nipping the sheet between the feeding roller and the separator; an abutting member that is provided above the feeding roller, is switchable between a closed posture that blocks a feeding path of the media upstream of the separator and an open posture that opens the feeding path, abuts against a leading edge of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and includes a friction surface at a position where the abutting member abuts against the leading edge; and a biasing member that biases the abutting member toward the closed posture.

An image forming apparatus includes a print medium tray in which a print medium is loaded and a pickup roller which is configured to pick up the loaded print medium from the print medium tray. The pickup roller includes at least one first pickup block and at least one second pickup block configured to alternately come into contact with an upper portion of the loaded print medium. Using such a configuration, the pickup performance of the image forming apparatus may be improved.

A paper feeding unit of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment is provided with a base portion, a guide, a protruding portion, and a roller. The base portion is capable of having the sheet placed thereon. The guide erects with respect to the base portion. The guide regulates a position of the sheet in a width direction which intersects with a transporting direction of the sheet. The protruding portion is provided on the guide. The protruding portion faces an end portion of the sheet in the width direction from a side opposite to the base portion. The roller is provided on the protruding portion. The roller is provided with a circumferential surface facing the end portion of the sheet. The roller is rotatable in the transporting direction of the medium.

A cut-out is provided in a lower guide so as to permit a return claw to move between a retracted position and a protruded position. Furthermore, an upper surface of the return claw positioned in the protruded position functions as a guide portion that guides an underside of a sheet that has been manually fed.

A cut-out is provided in a lower guide so as to permit a return claw to move between a retracted position and a protruded position. Furthermore, an upper surface of the return claw positioned in the protruded position functions as a guide portion that guides an underside of a sheet that has been manually fed.

A feeding mechanism comprises a base body, a feeding roller and a linkage assembly. The base body has a feeding channel. The feeding roller is disposed on the base body, and a part of the feeding roller is located in the feeding channel. The linkage assembly comprises a guiding component and a pressing component. The guiding component is pivotally coupled to the base body. Two ends of the pressing component are respectively and slidably disposed on the base body and the guiding component. The guiding component is rotatable relative to the base body so as to drive the pressing component to move along an extension direction of the feeding channel relative to the guiding component.