Sheet feeding apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image reading apparatus

Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a stacking member configured to be rotatably provided and to stack a sheet, a feeding member configured to feed the sheet by rotating in a state of coming in contact with the sheet stacked on the stacking member, an elastic member configured to generate a pressing force to make the sheet stacked on the stacking member come in contact with the feeding member, and a restricting unit configured to abut on an uppermost sheet stacked on the stacking member and to restrict a position of the uppermost sheet to a position separated from the feeding member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
 a stacking member configured to be rotatably provided and to stack a sheet;   a feeding member configured to feed the sheet by being rotated in a state of coming in contact with the sheet stacked on the stacking member;   an elastic member configured to generate a pressing force to make the sheet stacked on the stacking member come in contact with the feeding member; and   a restricting unit configured to abut on an uppermost sheet stacked on the stacking member and to restrict a position of the uppermost sheet to a position separated from the feeding member.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the restricting unit includes   a restricting portion which abuts on the uppermost sheet stacked on the stacking member and restricts a position of the uppermost sheet to the position separated from the feeding member, and   a moving portion which moves the restricting portion to restrict the uppermost sheet stacked on the stacking member to the position separated from the feeding member and releases the positional restriction of the uppermost sheet caused by the restricting portion to make the uppermost sheet stacked on the stacking member come in contact with the feeding member by the elastic member when the feeding member feeds the sheet.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the restricting portion is provided to be rotated independently of the stacking member, and a rotation center of the restricting portion is the same as a rotation center of the stacking member.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the restricting portion includes a regulating roller which is rotatably provided and abuts on the sheet stacked on the stacking member.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the moving portion is provided coaxially with the feeding member, and   wherein the moving portion rotates in synchronization with the feeding member to a position abutting on the restricting portion and to a position separated from the restricting portion in order to make a restricting portion abut on the uppermost sheet stacked on the stacking member and locate the uppermost sheet to the position separated from the feeding member.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the elastic member connects the stacking member and the moving portion, and generates the pressing force to be increased according to the movement from the position separated from the feeding member of the uppermost sheet to the position coming in contact with the feeding member.   
     
     
         7 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the stacking member is configured such that a rotation center is positioned to make the center of gravity inclined in a direction abutting on the feeding member, and is always pressed toward the feeding member by a rotational inertia force.   
     
     
         8 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the stacking member includes a biasing member which generates a biasing force to be always applied to the feeding member, and   wherein the biasing member is an elastic member having a low pressure compared to the elastic member.   
     
     
         9 . An image forming apparatus which forms an image in a recording target sheet, comprising:
 a sheet feeding apparatus configured to feed the sheet,   wherein the sheet feeding apparatus includes:   a stacking member which is rotatably provided and stacks the sheet;   a feeding member which comes in contact with the sheet stacked on the stacking member and rotates to feed the sheet;   an elastic member which generates a pressing force to make the sheet stacked on the stacking member come in contact with the feeding member; and   a restricting unit which abuts on the uppermost sheet stacked on the stacking member to restrict a position of the uppermost sheet to a position separated from the feeding member.