Patent ID: 7270322

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on paper fed by paper feed means along a paper feed path extending upstream in a paper feed direction and having a transverse dimension perpendicular to the paper feed direction, wherein said paper feed means comprises: a paper feed roller including a contact member for contact with the paper and a rotational member for rotatably driving the contact member; a carrying force generating rib arranged downstream of said paper feed roller, at approximately the center of the transverse dimension of the paper feed path, for applying a carrying force to the paper in cooperation with said paper feed roller, said carrying force generating rib having an upwardly extending first protrusion at an upstream end thereof, said first protrusion having an upper inclined surface; and a pair of double feed preventing ribs, located downstream of said paper feed roller, transversely spaced from said contact member and in positions symmetrical with respect to said carrying force generating rib, for preventing double feeding of paper, each of said double feed preventing ribs having an upwardly extending second protrusion at an upstream end thereof, each of said second protrusions having an upper inclined surface with an arc-shaped recess; and wherein the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces of said second protrusions is greater than the inclination of the upper inclined surface of said first protrusion; and wherein upper inclined surfaces of said second protrusions terminate at upper edges located upstream of an upper edge where the inclined surface of said first protrusion terminates.