Patent ID: 6540221
Filing Date: 2003-04-01
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A feeder of an image forming apparatus in which only when feeding sheets, a separating pad is pressed against a feeding roller, and the feeding roller is rotated, so as to separate stacked sheets into individual sheets between the feeding roller and the separating pad and carry the sheets individually to an image forming section, said feeder comprising:separating pad displacing means including a first pushing member for pressing the separating pad against the feeding roller, a pushing force of said first pushing member being set so that the separating pad is displaceable in a direction away from the feeding roller according to a thickness of the sheet passing between the separating pad and the feeding roller; support base moving means, supporting the separating pad and the separating pad displacing means, that moves the separating pad between a standby position where the separating pad is separated from the feeding roller and a pressing position where the separating pad is pressed against the feeding roller; and a second pushing member for lifting the support base moving means toward the feeding roller so as to press the separating pad against the feeding roller.