Sheet feed device

A sheet feed device comprising:

• a conveyor configured to convey a top sheet of sheets floated from a sheet stack;
• a separating blower mechanism having a separating blower configured to blow first air in an obliquely upward direction from a position lower than the conveyor toward the sheet stack;
• a floating blower mechanism having a floating blower configured to blow second air through float air blow openings toward the sheet stack to float at least the top sheet of the sheets from the sheet stack, the floating blower mechanism being positioned lower than the conveyor;
• and
• a controller configured to control operation of the floating blower mechanism and the separating blower mechanism, wherein
• the separating blower includes a separation air blow opening from which the first air blown by the separating blower is directed in the obliquely upward direction, the separation air blow opening being below a downstream end portion of the conveyor in a vertical direction,
• the separation air blow opening is directly between the float air blow openings in a front-to-rear direction of the sheet feed device, in a plan view of the sheet feed device, the second air being blown through the float air blow openings to float at least the top sheet of the sheets from the sheet stack,
• a surface of the conveyor is a direction converter configured to
• convert the obliquely upward direction of the first air blown by the separating blower to a direction which is less vertical than the obliquely upward direction of the first air at a position where the first air is blown from the separating blower, and
• direct the converted air to flow in between the top sheet and a second sheet immediately below the top sheet of the sheets floated from the sheet stack,
• the direction converter changes the obliquely upward direction of the first air from the separating blower to the direction which is less vertical,
• the controller controls the floating blower mechanism to blow the second air to float at least the top sheet toward the conveyor, which then holds the top sheet while the separating blower mechanism blows the first air and increases pressure between the top sheet and the second sheet, and
• in a state in which the separating blower mechanism increases the pressure between the top sheet and the second sheet and the top sheet is held by the conveyor, the controller controls the floating blower mechanism to close a shutter, thereby causing the second sheet to fall away from the top sheet.