Patent ID: 7197273
Filing Date: 2007-03-27
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet storing unit in which a number of sheets are stored in a stack; a sheet feeding mechanism for picking up and feeding out the sheets stored in said sheet storing unit in a sequence from the uppermost one; and a sheet detector having a contact for contacting the sheets stored in said sheet storing unit to detect whether the sheets are stored or not in said sheet storing unit, wherein said contact consists of a first contact extending downwardly from a higher position than said sheet storing unit and a second contact extending upwardly from a lower position than said sheet storing unit, said sheet detector includes a first sheet detector arranged at a position higher than said sheet storing unit and a second sheet detector arranged at a position lower than said sheet storing unit, said first contact is provided in said first sheet detector while said second contact is provided in said second sheet detector, and said first and second contacts are configured so that a first detecting area of said first contact for detecting the sheets stored in said sheet storing unit, and a second detecting area of said second contact for detecting the sheets stored in said sheet storing unit partially overlap each other.