Sheet feeder

Abstract

A supply tray includes a first tray and a second tray. The first tray forms a first support surface including a downstream end of a sheet support surface in a feed direction. The second tray forms a second support surface adjacent to the first support surface from upstream in the feed direction. A friction member includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is provided to face a feed roller. The second surface is provided upstream of the first surface in the feed direction. The first surface is located farther from a rotation axis than the second support surface and the second surface are in a first direction which is parallel to a perpendicular line as viewed in a width direction. The perpendicular line is drawn from the rotation axis to the first surface in a state where the feed roller contacts the first surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet feeder comprising:
 a supply tray including a sheet support surface configured to support sheets in a stacked state;   a feed roller rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a width direction of the sheet support surface, the feed roller being configured to contact a top surface of an uppermost sheet supported by the sheet support surface and to feed the uppermost sheet in a feed direction perpendicular to the width direction; and   a friction member provided to face the feed roller on the sheet support surface, the friction member being configured to contact a bottom surface of a lowermost sheet supported by the sheet support surface and to apply a frictional force to the lowermost sheet,   the supply tray including:
 a first tray forming a first support surface, the first support surface being a part of the sheet support surface, the first support surface including a downstream end of the sheet support surface in the feed direction; and 
 a second tray forming a second support surface, the second support surface being at least part of a remaining part of the sheet support surface, the second support surface being adjacent to the first support surface from upstream in the feed direction, 
   the friction member including:
 a first surface provided to face the feed roller, the first surface being configured to contact the bottom surface of the lowermost sheet, the first surface being configured to contact the feed roller when there is no sheet supported by the sheet support surface; and 
 a second surface provided upstream of the first surface in the feed direction, the second surface being configured to contact the bottom surface of the lowermost sheet, 
   the first surface being located farther from the rotation axis than the second support surface and the second surface are in a first direction, the first direction being parallel to a perpendicular line as viewed in the width direction, the perpendicular line being drawn from the rotation axis to the first surface in a state where the feed roller contacts the first surface.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the second surface is located upstream of an upstream end of the feed roller in the feed direction in a state where the feed roller contacts the first surface. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the friction member includes a third surface located upstream of the second surface in the feed direction, the third surface being configured to contact the bottom surface of the lowermost sheet, the third surface connecting to an upstream end of the second surface in the feed direction; and
 wherein the third surface is inclined relative to the second support surface so as to be separated from the rotation axis in the first direction, toward upstream in the feed direction.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 3 , wherein the first tray includes a protrusion extending in the width direction along an upstream end of the third surface in the feed direction, the protrusion protruding toward the second support surface in the first direction;
 wherein an apex of the protrusion is located between the upstream end of the third surface and the second support surface in the first direction; and   wherein the protrusion includes an inclined surface that is inclined to be separated from the rotation axis in the first direction, from the apex toward upstream in the feed direction.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 4 , wherein the first tray includes an affix surface, a portion of the friction member including the third surface being affixed to the affix surface; and
 wherein the protrusion includes an abutment surface that abuts on the upstream end of the third surface from upstream in the feed direction.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 3 , wherein the friction member further includes a fourth surface connected to an upstream end of the first surface in the feed direction and a downstream end of the second surface in the feed direction, the fourth surface being configured to contact the bottom surface of the lowermost sheet; and
 wherein the friction member is one continuous member provided at the first tray, the friction member including the third surface, the second surface, the fourth surface, and the first surface that are continuous along the feed direction.   
     
     
         7 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the friction member further includes a fourth surface connected to an upstream end of the first surface in the feed direction and a downstream end of the second surface in the feed direction, the fourth surface being configured to contact the bottom surface of the lowermost sheet. 
     
     
         8 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the second surface is located at a same position as the second support surface in the first direction, or is located at a position closer to the rotation axis than the second support surface is in the first direction. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the first surface includes a first flat surface that is parallel to an outer portion of the first support surface, the outer portion being located outside the first surface in the width direction; and
 wherein the second surface includes a second flat surface that is parallel to the second support surface.   
     
     
         10 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein each of a dimension of the first surface in the width direction and a dimension of the second surface in the width direction is greater than or equal to twice a dimension of the feed roller in the width direction and is less than or equal to three times of the dimension of the feed roller in the width direction. 
     
     
         11 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the first surface is located closer to the rotation axis than the first support surface is in the first direction. 
     
     
         12 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the friction member is a friction sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the second surface includes a flat surface that is parallel to the second support surface and that is flush with the second support surface. 
     
     
         14 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the first surface includes a first flat surface that is parallel to the second support surface;
 wherein the second surface includes a second flat surface that is parallel to the second support surface; and   wherein a surface connecting the second surface and the first surface is inclined relative to the second flat surface to be away from the rotation axis in the first direction, toward downstream in the feed direction.   
     
     
         15 . The sheet feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the friction member includes:
 a first friction member including the first surface;   a second friction member provided separately from the first friction member and located upstream of the first friction member in the feed direction, the second friction member including the second surface.