Patent ID: 8682201

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming apparatus body including a cassette attaching section having a media supplying roller that supplies media to the image forming apparatus body; a media cassette removably installed in the cassette attaching section, the media cassette including: a loading plate mounted in the media cassette to support media stacked up in the media cassette; a pushing up member that pushes up the loading plate to the media supplying roller, a supporting section that supports the loading plate, the loading plate configured to rotate when the loading plate is pushed up by the pushing up member, and a plate holding portion that engages the loading plate and holds the pushing up of the pushing up member until the loading plate is installed in a first position, wherein in the first position, the plate holding portion releases its hold on the pushing up member so that the media contacts the media supplying roller as a result of the pushing up member pushing up the loading plate, wherein the loading plate supports the media stacked up in the media cassette in a position lower than and away from the media supplying roller when the plate holding portion engages the loading plate and wherein the loading plate moves a top surface of the media to a position higher than the supporting section and in contact with the media supplying roller when the plate holding portion releases its hold on the pushing up member; a release portion that engages the plate holding portion, the release portion configured to cause the plate holding portion to release its hold on the pushing up member in the first position; a first ground conducting route that conducts static electricity charged on the media when the media stacked up in the media cassette is in the position lower than and away from the media supplying roller and before the loading plate is installed in the first position, the first ground conducting route including: a conducting portion wherein the media cassette and the image forming apparatus body are reconfigured from an electrically disconnected state to an electrically connected state in a position lower than a horizontal position of the supporting section, wherein the conducting portion of the first ground conducting route is located in an upstream side of a cassette installing direction of the media cassette into the cassette attaching section from the supporting section in a the first position; a second ground conducting route that conducts static electricity charged on the media when the media is conveyed by the media supplying roller, and a guide that makes the media cassette capable of stacking the media up to a position higher than the conducting portion of the first conducting route in a state wherein the plate holding portion engages the loading plate.