Patent ID: 8087662

Claim:
A sheet feeder, comprising: a holding portion having a holding surface on which a plurality of sheets are held in a stack; a supply portion configured to supply the plurality of sheets sequentially first from an uppermost one of the plurality of sheets held on the holding portion; an inclined member disposed downstream of the holding portion in a direction in which the sheets are supplied by the supply portion and having an inclined surface that faces a leading edge of each of the sheets held on the holding portion while inclining relative to the holding surface, the inclined member being configured to guide said each of the sheets supplied from the holding portion in a sheet feed direction in which said each of the sheets is fed along the inclined surface; a plurality of first separation protrusions which are provided on and integrally with the inclined member and each of which protrudes from the inclined surface such that a distal end thereof is located more downstream in the sheet feed direction than a proximal end thereof, the plurality of first separation protrusions being arranged in the sheet feed direction; and a plurality of second separation protrusions which are formed of a metal and each of which protrudes from the inclined surface through a corresponding one of openings that is formed in the inclined member at a position in the sheet feed direction between corresponding adjacent two of the plurality of first separation protrusions, the plurality of second separation protrusions being arranged in the sheet feed direction, wherein each of the plurality of second separation protrusions is formed such that a distal end thereof is located more downstream in the sheet feed direction than a proximal end thereof.