Patent ID: 7654528

Claim:
A sheet feed mechanism comprising: sheet feeding means including a sheet feed roller that can rotate when driven, and a pressure contact roller capable of being in pressure contact with the sheet feed roller; a recording sheet held in pressure contact between the sheet feed roller and the pressure contact roller and conveyed by rotation of the sheet feed roller; printing means that print a desired image on the recording sheet; a pressure contact release mechanism that can release the pressure contact of the pressure contact roller from the sheet feed roller for switching between a pressure contact state and a release state; a drive shaft that extends in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the pressure contact roller, the drive shaft being provided for the sheet feeding means; and a drive source that can rotate the drive shaft by a predetermined angle, a connecting gear being rotatably connected to the drive source via a connecting shaft, wherein the pressure contact release mechanism includes the connecting gear and a drive gear that meshes either directly or indirectly with the connecting gear, the drive gear being rotatably provided on the drive shaft at substantially a center part thereof, and when the drive source rotates the connecting shaft, a driving power is transmitted via the connecting gear and the drive gear to the drive shaft so as to rotate the drive shaft by the predetermined angle, and as a result, the application of the pressure contact of the pressure contact roller to the sheet feed roller or the releasing of the pressure contact of the pressure contact roller from the sheet feed roller can be performed while the axial direction of the pressure contact roller being kept parallel to the recording sheet; wherein the sheet feed roller can be driven to rotate, and the pressure contact roller can hold the recording sheet in pressure contact between the pressure contact roller and the sheet feed roller, and wherein the pressure contact roller is connected to the pressure contact release mechanism that can release the pressure contact of the pressure contact roller with the sheet feed roller, and the pressure contact release mechanism is provided near a center in an axial direction of the pressure contact roller.