Image forming apparatus

A sheet separating feeder, comprising:

• a sheet feeding body having a surface to contact a sheet and configured to feed the sheet;
• a sheet separating body configured to contact the sheet feeding body from below and form a sheet separation nip region with the sheet feeding body, and to sandwich the sheet in the sheet separation nip region;
• a leading end forming member having a leading end including elastic material to contact the sheet,
• the leading end forming member including a leading extended portion extending from a base end portion of the leading end forming member,
• the base end portion of the leading end forming member having a first face on a contact side to contact a leading end of the sheet, the first face attached to a surface of a first body forming member,
• an uppermost part of the first body forming member being lower than an uppermost part of the leading end forming member,
• the base end portion of the leading end forming member being located below the uppermost part of the first body forming member,
• the leading extended portion of the leading end forming member not being attached to the first body forming member,
• the base end portion of the leading end forming member having a second face on a side opposite the contact side, the second face attached to a surface of a second body forming member;
• and
• a projection configured to contact the sheet from below,
• the projection being disposed outside a side end of the sheet separating body in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction,
• the projection being disposed outside a side end of the leading end forming member in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction,
• the projection being disposed from a downstream side to an upstream side in the sheet conveying direction across the sheet separation nip region.

A sheet separating feeder, comprising:

• a sheet feeding body having a surface to contact a sheet and configured to feed the sheet;
• a sheet separating body configured to contact the sheet feeding body from below and form a sheet separation nip region with the sheet feeding body, and to sandwich the sheet in the sheet separation nip region;
• a leading end forming member disposed upstream from the sheet separation nip region in a sheet conveying direction,
• the leading end forming member having a leading end including elastic material to contact the sheet,
• the leading end forming member including a leading extended portion extending from a base end portion of the leading end forming member,
• the base end portion of the leading end forming member having a first face on a contact side to contact a leading end of the sheet, the first face attached to a surface of a first body forming member,
• an uppermost part of the first body forming member being lower than an uppermost part of the leading end forming member,
• the base end portion of the leading end forming member being located below the uppermost part of the first body forming member,
• the leading extended portion of the leading end forming member not being attached to the first body forming member,
• the base end portion of the leading end forming member having a second face on a side opposite the contact side, the second face attached to a surface of a second body forming member;
• and
• a projection configured to contact the sheet,
• the projection being disposed outside a side end of the sheet separating body in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction,
• wherein a gap is formed between the projection and the leading end forming member in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction.

A sheet separating feeder, comprising:

• a sheet feeder to feed the sheet;
• a sheet separator to contact the sheet feeder from below, and to sandwich the sheet in a sheet separation nip region;
• and
• a leading end forming member disposed upstream from the sheet separation nip region in a sheet conveying direction,
• the leading end forming member including:
• bases including a first base and a second base in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction;
• a leading end extending from each of the bases and being disposed outside a side end of the sheet separator in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, the leading end including an elastic material to contact the sheet and having a free end at a leading end portion in the sheet conveying direction;
• a side projection being disposed outside a side end of each of the bases in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction;
• and
• a coupling portion disposed between the first base and the second base to couple the first base and the second base in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction.