Patent ID: 7607655

Claim:
A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet supporting portion configured to support sheets; a sheet feeding device, which is movably held by a holding portion, movable between a sheet feeding position for feeding the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion and a standby position spaced from the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion; a stopper member configured to regulate leading edges of the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion in the standby position of the sheet feeding device and to release a regulation on the sheet leading edges in the sheet feeding position of the sheet feeding device; a width direction regulating member provided on said stopper member configured to regulate a position of the sheets supported by said sheet supporting portion in a width direction of the sheets; and an over-stack protective portion provided on said stopper member configured to restrict an insertion of sheets higher than a maximum stacking height capable of being supported by said sheet supporting portion, wherein a movement of said over-stack protective portion is regulated to restrict the insertion of sheets when said sheet feeding device is in said standby position, and said over-stack protective portion is released from a regulation of the movement in association with a movement of said sheet feeding device from the standby position to the sheet feeding position.