Patent ID: 7040614
Filing Date: 2006-05-09
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A sheet material feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet stacking portion for stacking recording sheets; a feeding roller for feeding the recording sheets from said sheet stacking portion; separating means for separating the recording sheet fed out by said feeding roller; a holder for holding said separating means, said holder being rotatably supported on a main assembly of said apparatus; first urging means for urging said holder toward said feeding roller; a preliminary regulating member, opposed to an outer peripheral surface of said feeding roller to provide a gap therebetween at a position between said sheet stacking portion and said separating means, said preliminary regulating member being rotatably supported on said holder, wherein a leading end of the recording sheet fed from said sheet stacking portion reaches said separating means after passing through the gap, and said gap is effective to limit a number of recording sheets fed from said sheet stacking portion to said separating means by said feeding roller; second urging means for urging said preliminary regulating member toward said feeding roller; a first regulating member, supported by said holder, for regulating rotation of said preliminary regulating member relative to said holder so that the gap between said feeding roller and said preliminary regulating member is maintained; and a second regulating member, provided in the main assembly of said apparatus, for regulating rotation of said preliminary regulating member relative to the main assembly of said apparatus so that the gap between said feeding roller and said preliminary regulating member is maintained.