Patent ID: 7677553

Claim:
A sheet feeding apparatus, which blows air on an edge portion of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking portion to allow the sheets to float and sucks a floating sheet with a suction conveyer portion provided above the sheet stacking portion, to feed the sheet, the sheet feeding apparatus comprising: an air blowing portion, which blows air toward a leading edge portion on a downstream side in a sheet feeding direction of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion; an auxiliary air blowing portion, which blows air on a side edge portion in a width direction of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion; a pair of side edge regulating members disposed in the width direction of the stacked sheets, which regulate a position of the side edge portion of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion; and a plurality of presser portions, which are provided on the side edge regulating members and press an upper surface of the sheet at side edge portions in the width direction of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, wherein the presser portions are rotatably provided on the side edge regulating members and are biased in a direction in which tips of the presser portions abut on the upper surface of the sheets by biasing members, and the presser portions press the sheets at side edge portions, and the air blowing portion and the auxiliary air blowing portion blow the air on the leading edge portion and the side edge portion of the sheets so that a central portion in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction of the stacked sheets is blown up.