Patent ID: 7862035

Claim:
A sheet feed device comprising: a sheet tray comprising a bottom plate which defines at least a first portion of a storing portion, wherein the storing portion is configured to receive a plurality of sheets therein; a feed roller configured to move with respect to the storing portion, to contact an uppermost sheet of the plurality of sheets, and to feed the uppermost sheet in a sheet feed direction; a separation plate disposed at a downstream end of the sheet tray in the sheet feed direction and extending in a width direction of the sheet tray, wherein the separation plate comprises a separation surface which is inclined with respect to the bottom plate of the sheet tray, and defines at least a second portion of the storing portion; and at least one recessed portion formed in the separation plate at a position separated from a center of the separation surface in the width direction of the sheet tray, wherein the at least one recessed portion is recessed from the separation surface and extends to a downstream end of the separation plate in the sheet feed direction, wherein a portion of the separation surface is interposed between the at least one recessed portion and an upstream end of the separation plate in the sheet feed direction, wherein the separation plate is configured to separate the uppermost sheet from the plurality of sheets as the feed roller feeds the uppermost sheet in the sheet feed direction, and wherein the width direction is substantially perpendicular to the sheet feed direction, wherein the recessed portion comprises a first sub-portion and a second-sub portion positioned downstream of the first sub-portion in the sheet feed direction, and wherein the second sub-portion extends to the downstream end of the separation plate, and a depth of the second sub-portion from the separation surface is greater than a depth of the first sub-portion from the separation surface.