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 conveying apparatus includes: a rotation shaft; a conveying roller secured to the rotation shaft; a driven roller that cooperates with the conveying roller to convey a sheet at a nip position; a supporter supporting the rotation shaft rotatably; and a first guide and a second guide opposed to each other and defining a conveyance path guiding the sheet toward the nip position. The first guide and the second guide respectively have first and second guide surfaces defining the conveyance path. The first guide and the second guide respectively have first and second engaging portions engaged with the rotation shaft at positions different from a position of the supporter in the axial direction of the rotation shaft.

A sheet supplier, including: a tray including a sheet support surface; a sheet supply roller configured to supply an uppermost one of sheets; a rotational member configured to contact a lowermost one of the sheets; a presser configured to press the supply roller relative to the rotational member; and a supporter configured to support the rotational member by a contact portion such that the rotational member is rotated by a movement of the lowermost sheet and to limit a movement of the rotational member caused by a force of the lowermost sheet in a sheet supply direction; wherein, where static friction coefficients between the supply roller and the uppermost sheet, between the sheets on the support surface, between the rotational member and the lowermost sheet, and between the rotational member and the contact portion are respectively defined as 2, 3, and 4, the following expressions are satisfied: 1>4>2, 3>4.

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.

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 multi-stage sheet ejection device including a tray and a level adjusting structure is provided. The level adjusting structure includes a body and a sliding element. The body has a plurality of stages arranged on a vertical surface of the body in order. The sliding element is disposed on the body and horizontally movable with respect to the vertical surface of the body. Through the movement of the sliding element, the tray can be controlled to move on the vertical surface stage by stage and be supported on one of the stages in sequence.

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.

In accordance with an embodiment, a paper feed apparatus comprises a paper feed section, a separation section, an abutting section and a friction force variable section. The paper feed section feeds an image receiving medium. The separation section is arranged at the downstream side of the paper feed section in a conveyance direction of the image receiving medium. In a case in which 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 abutting section abuts against the image receiving medium fed from the paper feed section. The friction force variable section changes a friction force of the abutting section against the image receiving medium.

A sheet feed device has a tray with holding surface for holding sheets, a feed unit for feeding sheets from the tray, and a separation plate. The separation plate has an inclined surface and two or more separation portions that separate a sheet from the sheets held in the tray. At least one of the separation portions projects a first distance from the inclined surface. The separation plate also has a projection positioned on the inclined surface that projects a second distance from the inclined surface. The second distance is greater than the first distance. A first of the separation portions is positioned upstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction, and a second of the separation portions positioned downstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction.