Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a supporting portion, a sheet feeding unit, a side edge regulation plate, a separation unit configured to separate the sheets by blowing air onto the plurality of sheets supported by the supporting portion, a regulation plate position detection unit configured to detect a position of the side edge regulation plates in the width direction, and a control unit configured to execute a separation mode so as to perform an air-blow operation by the separation unit in feeding the sheets by the sheet feeding unit. In the separation mode, in a case where the position of the side edge regulation plate detected by the regulation plate position detection unit does not correspond to size of the sheets supported by the supporting portion in the width direction, the control unit is configured to stop the air-blow operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
 a supporting portion configured to support a plurality of sheets that have been manually set;   a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheets supported by the supporting portion;   a side edge regulation plate configured to move in a width direction perpendicular to a feed direction, the side edge regulation plate being configured to regulate a position of the sheets supported by the supporting portion in the width direction;   a separation unit configured to separate the sheets by blowing air onto the plurality of sheets supported by the supporting portion;   a regulation plate position detection unit configured to detect a position of the side edge regulation plates in the width direction; and   a control unit configured to execute a separation mode so as to perform an air-blow operation by the separation unit in feeding the sheets by the sheet feeding unit,   wherein, in the separation mode,   in a case where the position of the side edge regulation plate detected by the regulation plate position detection unit does not correspond to size of the sheets supported by the supporting portion in the width direction, the control unit is configured to stop the air-blow operation.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the separation mode,   in a case where the position of the side edge regulation plate detected by the regulation plate position detection unit differs from a position of the side edge regulation plate detected by the regulation plate position detection unit prior to starting the air-blow operation, the control unit is configured to stop the air-blow operation.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein, in the separation mode,   the control unit is configured to start a feeding operation by the sheet feeding unit after a predetermined time has passed subsequent to starting the air-blow operation by the separation unit, and   wherein, in the separation mode, in a case where, before the predetermined time has passed subsequent to starting the air-blow operation, the position of the side edge regulation plate, detected by the regulation plate position detection unit, has been moved so that the position of the side edge regulation plate does not correspond to the size of the sheet in the width direction, the control unit is configured to stop the air-blow operation.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein, in the separation mode,   the control unit is configured to start a feeding operation by the sheet feeding unit after a predetermined time has passed subsequent to starting the air-blow operation by the separation unit, and   wherein, in the separation mode, in a case where, after starting the feeding operation, the position of the side edge regulation plate, detected by the regulation plate position detection unit, has been moved so that the position of the side edge regulation plates does not correspond the size of the sheet in the width direction, the control unit is configured to stop the air-blow operation.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising an input unit through which size information of the sheet supported by the supporting portion is input,   wherein the control unit   
       is configured to obtain the size of the sheets supported by the supporting portion in the width direction from the size information of the sheet input through the input unit. 
     
     
         6 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the separation unit includes a fan and a duct configured to blow the air onto sides of the sheets by guiding the air blown from the fan to pass through an interior of the side edge regulation plate.   
     
     
         7 . A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
 a supporting portion configured to support a plurality of sheets that have been manually set;   a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheets supported by the supporting portion;   a side edge regulation plate configured to move in a width direction perpendicular to a feed direction, the side edge regulation plate being configured to regulate a position of the sheets supported by the supporting portion in the width direction;   a separation unit configured to separate the sheets by blowing air onto the plurality of sheets that are supported by the supporting portion;   a regulation plate position detection unit configured to detect a position of the side edge regulation plate in the width direction; and   a control unit configured to execute a separation mode so as to perform an air-blow operation by the separation unit in feeding the sheets by the sheet feeding unit,   wherein, in the separation mode,   in a case where a position of the side edge regulation plate, detected by the regulation plate position detection unit, subsequent to starting the air-blow operation differs from a position of the side edge regulation plate, detected by the regulation plate position detection unit, prior to starting the air-blow operation, the control unit is configured to stop the air-blow operation.   
     
     
         8 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 the sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 ; and   an image forming unit configured to form an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding apparatus.