Patent ID: 7862032

Claim:
A feeding device comprising: a feeding unit configured to be driven while being in contact with a recording sheet to feed the recording sheet; a stacking unit configured to stack a plurality of the recording sheets and to press or release the stacked recording sheets to or from the feeding unit; a separating unit configured to separate the plurality of recording sheets fed by the feeding unit, one by one; a detecting unit configured to detect the recording sheet in an area located downstream of the separating unit in a feeding direction of the recording sheet; and a control unit configured to control each of the units, the control unit switching a current feeding operation between at least two feeding operations in accordance with a drive time of the feeding unit from when the feeding unit is started to be driven to when the detecting unit detects the recording sheet in a previous feeding operation, the at least two feeding operations including a first feeding operation in which the recording sheet is pressed to the feeding unit to be fed while the feeding unit is being driven, and a second feeding operation in which the driving of the feeding unit is stopped, then the recording sheet is pressed to the feeding unit, and then the feeding unit is driven again.