A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion configured to support a sheet, a feed rotary member configured to feed the sheet supported by the sheet supporting portion, a curved conveyance path through which the sheet fed by the feed rotary member passes and which is curved upward, an upper conveyance path disposed above the sheet supporting portion so as to pass through a sheet and configured to join with the curved conveyance path, and a driven rotary member disposed inside of the curved conveyance path in a curved direction thereof and driven to rotate by the sheet passing though the curved conveyance path.

A sheet feeding device includes a stacking member, a feeding unit, and a detachable separation unit. The feeding unit feeds sheets stacked from the stacking member. The separation unit separates the fed sheets one by one. The separation unit includes a rotating member to abut and separate from the feeding unit and to rotate, a biasing member to bias the rotating member toward the feeding unit, and an engaged member to be engaged with an engagement member included in the sheet feeding device. The engagement member can move to a first position where the engagement member is engaged with the engaged member, and a second position away from the engaged member. Where the engagement member moves from the first to the second position when the separation unit is attached to the sheet feeding device, the separation unit moves in a detachment direction using the biasing member.

According to an embodiment, a sheet feeding mechanism includes a first elastic body. The first elastic body blocks a first reference line and a second reference line. The first elastic body has a first angle formed between the first elastic body and the first reference line, the first angle being an acute angle. The first reference line is a reference line along a take-out direction by the first roller. The second reference line is a reference line connecting a nip between the second roller and the third roller and a contact position of the first roller and a sheet.

A sheet stacking part stacks sheets. A first roller applies a force in a conveyance direction to an uppermost sheet among sheets stacked on the sheet stacking part by rotating in a forward direction. A second roller is separated from the first roller on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The second roller applies the force in the conveyance direction to the uppermost sheet by rotating in the forward direction. A controller controls rotation of the first roller and the second roller so that a second main operation is performed after a first main operation. The first main operation is an operation of rotating only the first roller of the first roller and the second roller in the forward direction. The second main operation is an operation of rotating both the first roller and the second roller in the forward direction.

A media feeding apparatus includes a media mounting section, a first feed roller, a media pressing section for pressing media sheets against the first feed roller, and a pressing force adjuster for adjusting the pressing force of the media pressing section. The controller sets the pressing force of the media pressing section to first pressing force and drives the first feed roller and the second feed roller in a forward rotation direction, and in a case in which the first detector detects a passage of a leading edge of the media sheet and the second detector detects no passage of the leading edge of the media sheet after predetermined first set time has passed, the controller continues the rotation of the first feed roller and the second feed roller with second pressing force of the media pressing section greater than or equal to the first pressing force.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a transmitting mechanism-, a movable member, and a control portion to input a signal having first and second levels. The transmitting mechanism transmits driving force and includes a spring clutch and an electromagnetic clutch. The driving force pivotally moves the movable member. The spring clutch idles by a slackness of a spring when the rotation in a second direction is inputted to the transmitting mechanism and the movable member is regulated from pivoting at a predetermined position. The control portion inputs the signal to the transmitting mechanism such that the state electromagnetic clutch state changes the engagement state to the disengagement state through an intermediary state gradually varying a length of time where the signal of the first level is inputted into the electromagnetic clutch after the movable member reaches the predetermined position by inputting the rotation in the second direction to the transmitting mechanism.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet supporting portion configured to be movably supported between a sheet supporting position and a first storage position, and a sheet feed unit including a sheet feed portion, and an abutment member, the sheet feed unit being movably supported among a sheet feed position, a waiting position, and a second storage position. The sheet feed unit is positioned in the sheet feed position or the waiting position in a case where the sheet supporting portion is positioned in the sheet supporting position. The sheet feed unit is positioned in the second storage position in a case where the sheet supporting portion is positioned in the first storage position. The abutment member moves so as to be stored in the apparatus body in a case where the sheet feed unit moves from the waiting position to the second storage position.

A sheet stacking part stacks sheets. A first roller applies a force in a conveyance direction to an uppermost sheet among sheets stacked on the sheet stacking part by rotating in a forward direction. A second roller is separated from the first roller on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The second roller applies the force in the conveyance direction to the uppermost sheet by rotating in the forward direction. A controller controls rotation of the first roller and the second roller so that a second main operation is performed after a first main operation. The first main operation is an operation of rotating only the first roller of the first roller and the second roller in the forward direction. The second main operation is an operation of rotating both the first roller and the second roller in the forward direction.

A sheet feeder includes a separation roller, a retard roller, and a return latch. The separation roller rotates in a forward direction to separate a sheet and transport the separated sheet in a sheet transport direction. The retard roller forms, together with the separation roller, a nip point and rotates in a reverse direction to return a sheet in a direction opposite to the sheet transport direction. The return latch moves from a retracted position to a protruding position to return a sheet remaining after separation by the separation roller to a position upstream of the nip point in the sheet transport direction. The return latch, when at the retracted position, is retracted from a sheet transport path and, when at the protruding position, protrudes to the sheet transport path.

A conveyance rotating body is rotatably supported by a support member. A second rotational axis at a rotation center of a driven transmission member is disposed at a position different from a position of a first rotational axis. When a feeding unit is attached to a sheet feeding apparatus, a drive transmission member and the driven transmission member engage with each other. When a driving force is transmitted from the drive transmission member to the driven transmission member, the feeding unit receives a force in an attachment direction of the feeding unit and is positioned with respect to the sheet feeding apparatus.