Patent ID: 8424866

Claim:
A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet storage unit configured to store sheets; an air blowing unit configured to blow air onto the sheets stored in the sheet storage unit; a suction conveyance unit arranged in an upper part of the sheet storage unit and configured to attract and convey a sheet that is floated by air blown by the air blowing unit; a sheet conveyance unit arranged downstream in a sheet conveyance direction of the suction conveyance unit and configured to convey the sheet, which is conveyed by the suction conveyance unit, downstream; and a conveyance guide which has a guide surface configured to guide a sheet to be attracted by the suction conveyance unit and conveyed to the sheet conveyance unit, wherein the conveyance guide has first inclined portions and second inclined portions which are arranged upstream in the sheet conveyance direction and are formed into stepped portions, wherein the first and second inclined portions are formed therein from sides of a sheet conveyance center to ends in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and inclined from an upstream side towards the downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and wherein the second inclined portions are away from the suction conveyance unit at a distance that is farther than a distance by which the first inclined portions are away from the suction conveyance unit, and wherein the second inclined portions are positioned in the sheet conveyance direction at a location that is more upstream than a location at which the first inclined portions are positioned.