A sheet feeding apparatus, including: a containing portion removable from the sheet feeding apparatus and including a tray; a pickup roller; a support portion configured to fall the pickup roller on the sheet stacked on the tray when a far-side end of the containing portion reaches a predetermined position; a detector configured to detect the containing portion; a motor configured to drive the pickup roller; and a controller configured to control an operation of feeding the sheet by the pickup roller, wherein, during a period in which the pickup roller is driven with the detector detecting the containing portion, the controller allows the operation when an amount of a load torque applied to a rotor of the motor is equal to or larger than a predetermined value and inhibits the operation when the amount of the load torque is smaller than the predetermined value.

An optional device of the present disclosure is attachable and detachable with respect to an image forming apparatus via a connection member fitted to a side face of a main body of the optional device. The connection member includes a shaft, a connector, and a lock member. The shaft is supported by the main body to be slidable in an axial direction. The connector is fixed to the shaft and coupled to the image forming apparatus. The lock member is capable or restricting movement of the shaft in the axial direction. A position of the connector is adjusted by releasing the restriction placed on the shaft by the lock member and then sliding the shaft in the axial direction.

A tray drawer and a multi-function printer using the same are provided. The drawer includes a tray body, a handle and an elastic element. The handle is connected to the tray body and includes a handle portion and a first engagement portion. The first engagement portion is connected to the handle portion, wherein when the tray body is at a lock state, the first engagement projects from a first position-limit portion. The elastic element connects the first engagement portion to the tray body. There is no relative motion between the first engagement portion and the handle portion.

A sheet storage device has a rotation restriction portion configured to restrict a rotation of an end cursor from a first posture to a second posture. The rotation restriction portion has: a restriction piece situated on the end cursor and configured to be brought into contact with a guide rail so as to restrict the rotation of the end cursor from the first posture to the second posture; and an engagement recess formed at a given position of the guide rail, the restriction piece being fitted in the engagement recess. The end cursor is allowed to rotate from the first posture to the second posture when the restriction piece is fitted in the engagement recess at the given position of the guide rail.

A sheet supporting apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet supporting portion attached detachably with respect to the apparatus body, a conveyance guide supported movably with respect to the apparatus body between a guide position and a lowered position, a retention portion supported movably with respect to the apparatus body between a retaining position where the retention portion retains the conveyance guide at the guide position and an allowing position where the retention portion allows the conveyance guide to move to the lowered position, and a regulation mechanism configured to regulate a movement of the retention portion to the allowing position from the retaining position in a state where the sheet supporting portion is attached to the apparatus body and configured to allow the retention portion to move to the allowing position in a state where the sheet supporting portion is removed from the apparatus body.

Provided is an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet accommodating member that accommodates a sheet and is capable of being inserted into and withdrawn from an apparatus main body, and the image forming apparatus includes: a moving member movably supported in the sheet accommodating member; a charge member that is charged with energy by a movement of the moving member; and a retractor that retracts the sheet accommodating member into the apparatus main body by the energy charged in the charge member, when the sheet accommodating member is inserted into the apparatus main body.

An automatic document feeding device includes a document tray, an ejection tray, and a document takeout port. The document tray is rotatably attached to a rotation fulcrum provided in a body of the automatic document feeder, to load a document. The document tray includes a first positioner and a second positioner. The first positioner is disposed at a front side of the body in a direction perpendicular to a document feed direction. The second positioner is disposed at a depth side of the body in the direction perpendicular to the document feed direction. The first positioner is disposed upstream from the rotation fulcrum in the document feed direction and above the document takeout port in the body. An upper portion and side surfaces of the first positioner in the direction perpendicular to the document feed direction are surrounded by the document tray in a closed state of the document tray.

A removable media tray assembly for an image forming device according to one embodiment includes a media tray having a bottom surface and a front wall extending upward from the bottom surface. A bottom surface defines a media storage location for storing a stack of media sheets. The assembly includes a housing having an opening therein to receive the media tray. A magnet and a plate provide a latching force FL greater than a pick motor stall force keeping the media tray in a closed position during media picking. A handle assembly including a finger bar and a pivoting link is mounted to the front wall. With the media tray being held closed by the latching force, a user-supplied actuation force FA that is less than 22.2 N applied to the finger bar, pivots the link which acts as a force multiplier providing a release force exceeding the latching force.

An according to an aspect, a paper feed device includes a device body and a paper feed cassette inserted into the device body along an insertion direction. The paper feed device includes a lock lever mounted to the paper feed cassette via a lever shaft; a spring that applies a rotational force which rotates the lock lever in an engagement direction; and a lock member provided at the device body.

A sheet feeding device includes a device body including a stopper portion and a feeding tray detachably mounted to the device body. The feeding tray includes a stopper, a lock assembly, and an operating member. The stopper includes a stopped portion movable between a stop position at which the stopped portion is stopped by the stopper portion and a release position. The lock assembly prevents drawing of the feeding tray from the device body. An operating member rotates from an initial state by a predetermined angle to move the stopped portion from the stop position to the release position. The lock assembly restricts rotation of the operating member when the lock assembly is locked. The stopped portion is movable from the stop position to the release position with an operation of mounting the feeding tray to a mount position of the device body without rotation of the operating member.