Sheet feeder, image forming apparatus having the same, and method for sheet feeding

Abstract

A sheet feeder includes a sheet feed tray on which a first sheet bundle is stacked at a first position where sheet feeding to a conveyance path can be performed, and a conveyance tray on which a second sheet bundle is stacked at a second position adjacent to the sheet feed tray, and which conveys the second sheet bundle to the sheet feed tray and stacks the second sheet bundle on the sheet feed tray after the first sheet bundle is fed, presses the stacked second sheet bundle to a side plate provided in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the conveyance tray, and aligns an end of the second sheet bundle.

1 . A sheet feeder comprising:
 a sheet feed tray at a first position to feed a first sheet in a conveyance direction, configured to stack the first sheet;   a side plate in parallel with the conveyance direction; and   a conveyance tray configured to move from a second position to the first position in the conveyance direction to convey a second sheet and configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction to press the second sheet stacked thereon against the side plate.   
     
     
         2 . The feeder of  claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary side plate in parallel with the side plate. 
     
     
         3 . The feeder of  claim 2 , wherein the conveyance tray presses the second sheet to the auxiliary side plate after the conveyance tray presses the second sheet to the side plate. 
     
     
         4 . The feeder of  claim 2 , wherein the conveyance tray moves in the conveyance direction between the side plate and the auxiliary side plate. 
     
     
         5 . The feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyance tray moves from the second position to the first position after the first sheet is fed from the sheet feed tray. 
     
     
         6 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a scanner configured to read an original document and to generate image data;
 an image forming section configured to print the image data on a sheet; 
 a sheet feed tray at a first position to feed a first sheet in a conveyance direction, configured to stack the first sheet; 
 a side plate in parallel with the conveyance direction; and 
 a conveyance tray configured to move from a second position to the first position in the conveyance direction to convey a second sheet and configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction to press the second sheet stacked thereon against the side plate. 
   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising an auxiliary side plate in parallel with the side plate. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the conveyance tray presses the second sheet to the auxiliary side plate after the conveyance tray presses the second sheet to the side plate. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the conveyance tray moves in the conveyance direction between the side plate and the auxiliary side plate. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the conveyance tray moves from the second position to the first position after the first sheet is fed from the sheet feed tray. 
     
     
         11 . A sheet feed method comprising:
 feeding a first sheet in a conveyance direction, the first sheet being stacked on a sheet feed tray at a first position;   moving a conveyance tray from a second position to the first position in the conveyance direction to convey a second sheet; and   moving the conveyance tray in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction to press the second sheet stacked thereon against a side plate in parallel with the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising providing an auxiliary side plate in parallel with the side plate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the conveyance tray presses the second sheet to the auxiliary side plate after the conveyance tray presses the second sheet to the side plate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the conveyance tray moves in the conveyance direction between the side plate and the auxiliary side plate. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the conveyance tray moves from the second position to the first position after the first sheet is fed from the sheet feed tray.