Patent ID: 8215635
Filing Date: 2012-07-10
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A sheet feeder, comprising: a tray main body on which a sheet to be fed is to be placed; a lift plate body arranged at a feeding end side of the tray main body, rotatably connected to the tray main body at a first end edge portion at an upstream side in a feeding direction and displaceable between a feeding posture where a second end edge portion at a downstream side in the feeding direction is lifted up and a retracted posture where the second end edge portion is located lower than in the feeding posture due to its own weight; an elevating member including a lifting member that comes into contact with the lift plate, a shaft for rotating the lifting member so that the lift plate is set to the feeding posture and the retracted posture while being held in contact with the lifting member, and a lever that integrally rotates with the shaft; a biasing member for giving a biasing force to the elevating member in such a direction that the elevating member lifts the lift plate to the feeding posture; and a lowering mechanism including an arm that comes into contact with the lever, a cam that interferes with the arm to change the posture of the arm between a first posture where a pressing force, which acts against the biasing force of the biasing member, is given to the lever to lower the lift plate to the retracted posture, and a second posture where the pressing force is released and the cam receives the biasing force from the lever, and a motor for driving the cam.