Patent ID: 8480082

Claim:
An image forming apparatus including a sheet feeding apparatus which feeds the sheet and an image forming unit which forms an image to the sheet fed out from the sheet feeding apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet stacking portion configured to stack sheets; a separation-feeding unit configured to separate and feed the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion; a conveyance force imparting unit configured to impart a conveyance force to the sheets on the upstream in the sheet feeding direction of the separation-feeding unit; a registration roller pair arranged on the downstream in the sheet feeding direction of the separation-feeding unit and configured to feed out a sheet to the image forming unit at a predetermined timing after temporarily stopping the sheet, with its leading edge abutting a nip portion; and a control unit configured to control an operation of the separation-feeding unit, of the conveyance force imparting unit, and of the registration roller pair, wherein the control unit performs control so that after the conveyance force imparting unit has applied a conveyance force to the sheet to enter the separation-feeding unit, the imparting of the conveyance force to the sheet by the conveyance force imparting unit is stopped, that the sheet is conveyed to the registration roller pair at rest by the separation-feeding unit to cause the leading edge of the sheet to abut the nip portion, and that when the registration roller pair starts to rotate, the sheet is fed again by the separation-feeding unit, with the conveyance force being imparted to the sheet by the conveyance force imparting unit.