An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a disengagement mechanism to disengage a rotary feeding member and a separation member to be apart from each other, a pressing portion to press an upper face of a sheet supported on a sheet supporting portion, and a detector to detect displacement of the sheet pressed by the pressing portion. A controller executes one mode among a plurality of modes to feed the sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion based on a detection result of the detector. In a first feed mode, a leading edge of the sheet passes a position of a separation portion with the rotary feeding member and the separation member disengaged by the disengagement mechanism. In a second feed mode, the leading edge of the sheet passes the separation portion with the rotary feeding member and the separation member engaged.

A first feeder contacts a first surface of a first sheet held in a first tray and feeds the first sheet toward a recording unit. A second feeder contacts a first surface of a second sheet held in a second tray and feeds the second sheet toward the recording unit. An inner member is disposed above a standing plate. An outer member comprises an upstream portion opposing the standing plate, and a downstream portion opposing the inner member. The inner member guides the first surface of the first sheet and the first surface of the second sheet. The standing plate guides the first surface of the second sheet. The upstream portion of the outer member guides a second surface of the second sheet, and the downstream portion guides a second surface of the first sheet and the second surface of the second sheet. The standing plate moves relative to the outer member.

A stacking device which is detachably attached to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus having an abutting member that abuts on a recording material and on which a recording material is stacked includes: a first supporting unit that supports the recording material from a lower side of the recording material; and a second supporting unit that supports an end of the recording material in an attachment/detachment direction of the stacking device. The second supporting unit includes a corresponding region, and a position of the corresponding region agrees with a position of the abutting member abut with the recording material in a width direction which is orthogonal to the attachment/detachment direction. At least a height of the corresponding region in a direction orthogonal to the attachment/detachment direction and the width direction is lower than a height of the abutting member.

A sheet aligning device includes a support member, a regulation member, a regulation member moving mechanism, and an alignment member. The support member supports leading ends of sheets. The regulation member is connected to the support member and is provided to face an inclined tray in such a way as to define a sheet entry space in which the leading ends of the sheets enter. The regulation member moving mechanism is configured to, each time a sheet is conveyed onto the inclined tray, move the regulation member in a separating direction to widen the sheet entry space, and then in an approaching direction to narrow the sheet entry space. The alignment member aligns the sheets by abutting on rear ends of the sheets.

A paper feed apparatus comprises a paper feed section, a separation section, a rotating body and a control device. The paper feed section feeds an image receiving medium that is placed. The separation section is arranged at a downstream side of the paper feed section in a conveyance direction of the image receiving medium. If a plurality of the image receiving media fed from the paper feed section is overlapped, the separation section separates the plurality of the image receiving media that is overlapped. The rotating body is arranged at the upstream side of the separation section in the conveyance direction of the image receiving medium. The rotating body is capable of contacting with the placed image receiving medium. The rotating body is rotatable. The control device carries out control to rotate the rotating body at least before an operation of the paper feed section.

An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.

A card transport device transports one or more cards while reducing failures of its feed unit in feeding the cards. A card transport device includes a support surface that supports one or more cards thereon, a feed unit facing the support surface for feeding the one or more chards, a separator located downstream from the feed unit in a transport direction, a slope connected to a downstream support end of the support surface in the transport direction and extending obliquely upward downstream in the transport direction toward the separator, and a restrictor located on the support surface. The restrictor restricts a position of an upstream end of a particular card directly supported on the support surface, out of the one or more cards, thereby positioning a downstream end of the particular card to be downstream from the feed unit in the transport direction.

A sheet feeding device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a reference face, a sheet loader, an air blowing device, an air drawing device, and a conveying body. The reference face stands upwardly at a downstream side of a sheet conveying direction. The sheet loader includes a body and a leading end disposed downstream from the body in the sheet conveying direction. The sheet loader moves upwardly to a position where the leading end rotates downwardly to the body. The air blowing device blows air toward a sheet bundle loaded on the sheet loader and lift an uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle. The air drawing device is configured to draw the uppermost sheet. The conveying body conveys the uppermost sheet in the sheet conveying direction while the uppermost sheet is in contact with the air drawing device due to attraction by air.

An image reading apparatus, having a housing, a feed tray, and a reader sensor, is provided. The housing includes a reversing guide, a discharge tray, and an opening. The reversing guide is configured to reverse a first face and a second face of a sheet and guide the sheet from a first position toward a second position in a direction from a rear side toward a front side at the first position and in a direction from the front side toward, the rear side at the second position. The discharge tray is arranged at a position lower than the reversing guide and is configured to support the sheet discharged from the conveyer path. The opening is formed between the reversing guide and the discharge tray and is configured to expose the sheet supported by the discharge tray so that the sheet is removed through the front side of the housing.