Patent ID: 7758042

Claim:
A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet containing portion having a sheet stacking portion movable up and down with sheets stacked thereon; a sheet feeding portion brought into pressure contact with the stacked sheets by an upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets; a lifting and lowering mechanism configured to lift and lower the sheet stacking portion; a movable remaining amount indicating member which is engaged with the sheet stacking portion so as to indicate the remaining amount of sheets according to a position of the sheet stacking portion, wherein the remaining amount indicating member has a pointer that is moved according to the movement of the sheet stacking portion and indicates to a position outside the sheet containing portion the remaining amount of the sheets in the sheet containing portion; and a holding mechanism configured to hold the remaining amount indicating member by an urging member urging the remaining amount indicating member against a stopper portion, wherein during a lifting operation of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting and lowering mechanism, the holding mechanism enables the remaining amount indicating member to indicate the remaining amount of sheets according to a position of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting operation of the lifting and lowering mechanism; and during a lowering operation of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting and lowering mechanism, following the lifting operation, the holding mechanism holds and maintains the remaining amount indicating member at the position indicated from the lifting operation of the sheet stacking portion.