Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A sheet feeding device includes a regulation member having a sheet-regulation surface, and an air blowing mechanism. The regulation member regulates the positions of sheets that are stacked on a sheet stacking device. The air blowing mechanism raises the sheets by blowing air onto an edge of a stack of the sheets that are stacked on the sheet stacking device. The regulation member is formed so that air that is blown from the air blowing mechanism passes the regulation member, thereby overcoming the problem of the flow of sheet-loosening air and sheet-separation air being disturbed by the regulation member.

1 . A sheet feeding device comprising:
 a tray adapted to support a stack of sheets, the tray further being adapted to be raised and lowered;   a regulation member having a sheet-regulation surface, the regulation member being adapted to regulate the position of the sheet stack as a result of the sheet-regulation surface coming into contact with the sheet stack;   an air blowing mechanism positioned opposing to the regulation member, wherein the air blowing mechanism is configured to blow air into an upper region of the sheet stack; and   a sheet feeding mechanism adapted to feed the top-most sheet away from the sheet stack,   wherein the regulation member is configured such that the blown air passes through an escape portion, defined by the sheet-regulation surface.   
   
   
       2 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the escape portion faces, in an opposing manner, the air blowing mechanism. 
   
   
       3 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the escape portion of the sheet-regulation member defines at least one through hole, at a location that faces the air blowing mechanism in an opposing manner, the through hole configured to allow the blown air to pass there through such that the air passes through the regulation member. 
   
   
       4 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein escape portion is generally U-shaped and positioned at an upper portion of the sheet-regulation surface. 
   
   
       5 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the air blowing mechanism has a plurality of nozzles for blowing the air from the upper region of the sheet stack towards the regulation member. 
   
   
       6 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a tray adapted to support a stack of sheets, the tray further adapted to be raised and lowered;   a regulation member having a sheet-regulation surface, the regulation member being adapted to regulate the position of the sheet stack as a result of the sheet-regulation surface coming into contact with the sheet stack;   an air blowing mechanism positioned opposing to the regulation member, wherein the air blowing mechanism is configured to blow air into an upper region of the sheet stack;   a sheet feeding mechanism adapted to feed the top-most sheet away from the sheet stack; and   an image forming device that forms images on the sheets fed by the sheet feeding mechanism,   wherein the regulation member is configured such that the blown air passes through an escape portion, defined by the sheet-regulation surface.