Patent ID: 7165765

Claim:
A sheet feeding apparatus for separating and feeding a plurality of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking portion one by one, comprising: feeding means for feeding the plurality of sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, separation means for separating the sheets one by one by contacting to the sheets, returning means for returning the sheets to the sheet stacking portion, and separation force switching means for switching a state of said separation means between a sheet separation force generating state and a sheet separation force non-generating state, wherein said separation means is in the sheet separation force generating state when said feeding means starts feeding of sheet and said separation force switching means switches the sheet separation force generating state to the sheet separation force non-generating state after a sheet is sandwiched between said feeding means and said separation means during the feeding of the sheet by said feeding means, wherein during a feeding operation in a state in which a sheet is fed while being sandwiched between said feeding means and said separation means, the feeding operation is switchable, by said separation force switching means, between a separating mode in which the separation force for a sheet is generated by said separation means and a conveying mode in which the separation force is released.