Patent ID: 8393614

Claim:
The sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a placing member having a placing surface along which a sheet may be inserted and on which the sheet may be placed; a sheet feeding unit configured to feed a top sheet of sheets placed on the placing surface of the placing member in a sheet feeding direction; a detection unit which is arranged at a downstream end portion of the placing surface in the sheet feeding direction and is configured to detect a sheet in a state where the sheet is set on the placing member; a pressing member which is arranged in an inclined manner so as to be closer to the placing surface at downstream side in the sheet feeding direction than an upstream side and which is adapted to guide a downstream edge in the sheet feeding direction of a sheet toward the placing surface when the sheet is inserted in the sheet feeding direction along the placing surface so that the detection unit can detect the sheet and to press a downstream portion of the sheet, in the state where the sheet is set on the placing member, toward the placing surface, wherein the pressing member is movable between a pressing position at which the pressing member presses the downstream portion of the sheet set on the placing member and a retracted position at which the pressing member is retracted from pressing the downstream portion of the sheet on the placing member, the pressing member moved from the pressing position to the retracted position before starting a sheet feeding by the sheet feeding unit; and a lifting and lowering unit configured to lift and lower the placing member, wherein the lifting and lowering unit is configured to lift the placing member, to a sheet feeding position at which the top sheet is capable of being fed by the sheet feeding unit, and the pressing member is arranged to be directly pressed by the placing member during lifting to the sheet feeding position and moved from the pressing position to the retracted position.