Patent ID: 8087663

Claim:
A sheet feeder, comprising: a holding portion having a holding surface on which a plurality of sheets are held in a stack; a supply portion configured to supply the plurality of sheets sequentially from an uppermost one of the plurality of sheets held on the holding portion; an inclined member disposed downstream of the holding portion in a direction in which the sheets are supplied by the supply portion and having an inclined surface that faces a leading edge of each of the sheets held on the holding portion while inclining relative to the holding surface, the inclined member being configured to guide said each of the sheets supplied from the holding portion in a sheet feed direction in which said each of the sheets is fed along the inclined surface; a first separation protrusion which is provided on and integrally with the inclined member and which protrudes from the inclined surface such that a distal end thereof is located more downstream in the sheet feed direction than a proximal end thereof; a plurality of second separation protrusions which are formed of a metal and which are disposed more upstream in the sheet feed direction than the first separation protrusion, each of the plurality of second separation protrusions protruding from the inclined surface through a corresponding one of openings formed in the inclined member, the plurality of second separation protrusions being arranged in the sheet feed direction; and a fixing member by which the plurality of second separation protrusions are fixed to the inclined member on a surface thereof opposite to the inclined surface, wherein the first separation protrusion is configured to be elastically deformed by being pushed by any of the sheets that is fed.