Patent ID: 9340378
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: B65H,G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a main body including a top cover configured to open and close an upper opening; a recording sheet receiving portion configured to receive a recording sheet and disposed in a lower portion of the main body; an image forming portion disposed in the main body and configured to form an image on the recording sheet, the image forming portion including a process cartridge configured to be attached to and removed from the main body through the upper opening opened by the top cover; a feed roller unit including a pickup roller, a separation roller, and a connecting member, the connecting member holding the pickup roller and the separation roller such that the pickup roller is disposed upstream of the separation roller in a sheet feeding direction, the pickup roller being configured to rotate in contact with the recording sheet received on the recording sheet receiving portion, the separation roller being configured to rotate in contact with the recording sheet fed by the pickup roller to feed the recording sheet toward the image forming portion, the connecting member having an upper wall, the upper wall completely covering an upper portion of the pickup roller; a holding frame disposed between the recording sheet receiving portion and the image forming portion and configured to support the feed roller unit such that the pickup roller and the separation roller are exposed toward the recording sheet receiving portion; a drive gear disposed in one end portion of the holding frame in a width direction of the recording sheet and configured to transmit a rotational driving force to the separation roller; a roller shaft connecting the drive gear and the separation roller; and a bearing configured to rotatably support an opposite side of the separation roller relative to the roller shaft, wherein the holding frame has a roller receiving portion configured to receive the feed roller unit therein, wherein the feed roller unit is configured to be attached to and removed from the holding frame via the roller receiving portion on an opposite side of the holding frame relative to the recording sheet receiving portion, wherein the upper wall of the feed roller unit, which completely covers the upper portion of the pickup roller, is exposed through the upper opening opened by the top cover when the process cartridge is removed from the main body, and wherein the upper wall of the feed roller unit, which completely covers the upper portion of the pickup roller, is covered by the process cartridge when the process cartridge is attached to the main body, wherein the roller shaft protrudes by a specified distance inside the roller receiving portion, and wherein the roller receiving portion is sized to allow the feed roller unit to move the specified distance or more in the width direction inside the roller receiving portion, and wherein the bearing is configured to engage the holding frame such that the bearing moves with respect to the holding frame and movement of the bearing in the width direction is limited.