Patent ID: 8025284

Claim:
A remaining sheet volume detecting apparatus, comprising: a first loading unit that loads sheets; a first driving unit that lifts up the first loading unit to a feed position of a loaded sheet; a first feeding unit that feeds the sheet from the first loading unit that has reached the feed position; a load thickness detecting unit that detects a load thickness of sheets within the first loading unit based on a movement amount of the first loading unit until the first loading unit reaches the sheet feed position after a lift-up operation of the first loading unit is started by the first driving unit; a sheet thickness detecting unit that detects a thickness of the sheet fed by the first feeding unit from the first loading unit that has reached the feed position; and a remaining sheet volume calculating unit that calculates remaining volume of sheets within the first loading unit based on the load thickness detected by the load thickness detecting unit and the sheet thickness detected by the sheet thickness detecting unit.