Patent ID: 7780162

Claim:
A paper supply apparatus capable of being loaded into a front-loading-type image forming apparatus and permitting placement of paper therein as a result of removal/insertion operations carried out at a near side of the image forming apparatus, the paper supply apparatus comprising: a near-side paper guide and a far-side paper guide respectively arranged so as to oppose one another, each having a rack gear extending in a direction substantially parallel to a loading direction; and a pinion gear respectively meshing with the rack gear of the near-side paper guide and the rack gear of the far-side paper guide, the pinion gear being at least one circular pinion gear having a constant pitch; wherein a paper feed direction is substantially perpendicular to the loading direction; and the rack gear of the far-side paper guide is provided, at a specific location thereof in the loading direction, with a region at which a manner of meshing between the pinion gear and the rack gear of the far-side paper guide is different from a manner of meshing therebetween at another portion thereof.