Patent ID: 7591464

Claim:
A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet containing member detachably mounted on an apparatus main body; a sheet feeding member provided in said apparatus main body configured to feed out sheets stacked on said sheet containing member; a separating member provided in said sheet containing member configured to contact with said sheet feeding member and separating the sheets one by one; and a retracting device provided in said apparatus main body configured to be engaged with said sheet containing member in a way said sheet containing member is being mounted on the apparatus main body, to generate a retracting force for retracting said sheet containing member to a mounting position for feeding the sheets contained therein; wherein said retracting device has a resilient member, a pivot member biased by said resilient member, and a runner rotatably mounted on said pivot member, wherein the runner is contacted with a cam provided on said sheet containing member, wherein said resilient member gradually accumulates said retracting force therein with the movement of said runner along a shape of said cam when said sheet containing member is mounted in the mounting direction thereof, and wherein immediately after said retracting force accumulated in said resilient member has maximized and said resilient member has released said retracting force, said separating member contacts with said sheet feeding member.