Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus including same

Abstract

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding tray, a first moving assembly, and a second moving assembly. The sheet feeding tray accommodates a sheet. The first moving assembly moves the sheet feeding tray in a sheet feeding direction. The second moving assembly moves the sheet feeding tray in a direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet feeding device comprising:
 a sheet feeding tray to accommodate a sheet;   a first moving assembly to move the sheet feeding tray in a sheet feeding direction; and   a second moving assembly to move the sheet feeding tray in a direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a holder to hold the sheet in the sheet feeding tray so that the sheet is movable together with the sheet feeding tray at least while the sheet feeding tray moves using the first moving assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a stopper to restrict movement of the sheet,
 wherein, after the sheet feeding tray moves using the first moving assembly to an upstream side in the sheet feeding direction with respect to a boundary of the sheet feeding tray and an image forming apparatus to which the sheet is fed,   the holder cancels holding of the sheet to the sheet feeding tray and the stopper restricts movement of the sheet to a downstream side in the sheet feeding direction,   the sheet feeding tray moves using the first moving assembly to the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction such that the sheet is accommodated in the sheet feeding tray, and   then the sheet feeding tray moves in the direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction, using the second moving assembly.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 2 , wherein the holder includes a pressor to press the sheet from above. 
     
     
         5 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor to detect the sheet stopped on a sheet feed path; and   a controller to determine whether the sheet exists on the sheet feed path, based on a detection result of the sensor,   wherein the controller prompts processing of removing the sheet, on determination that the sheet exists on the sheet feed path when the controller controls the sheet feeding tray to move in the direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction, and   wherein the controller moves the sheet feeding tray in the direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction using the second moving assembly on determination that the sheet does not exist on the sheet feed path when the controller controls the sheet feeding tray to move in the direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first moving assembly includes a drive source. 
     
     
         7 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a restrictor to restrict movement of the sheet feeding tray in the direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction,
 wherein, when a sheet jam occurs in an image forming apparatus, the movement of the sheet feeding tray in the direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction is restricted by the restrictor.   
     
     
         8 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a controller to calculate a moving amount of the sheet feeding tray to an upstream side in the sheet feeding direction to remove the sheet, based on positional information of the sheet existing on a sheet feed path. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet feeding device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor to detect the sheet stopped on a sheet feed path; and   a controller to determine whether the sheet exists on the sheet feed path, based on a detection result of the sensor,   wherein, on determination that the sheet does not exist on the sheet feed path when the controller controls the sheet feeding tray to move in the direction intersecting with the sheet feeding direction, the controller determines that a sheet jam has occurred in a place other than the sheet feed path and prompts processing of removing the sheet.   
     
     
         10 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet; and   the sheet feeding device according to  claim 1  to feed the sheet to the image forming unit.