Sheet feeding device that sequentially draws out and feeds sheets from sheet tray, and image forming apparatus including same

A sheet feeding device comprising:

• a sheet tray on which a plurality of sheets are placed;
• a pickup roller that draws out the sheets from the sheet tray, one by one;
• a feed roller that transports the sheet drawn out by the pickup roller;
• a first support member supporting the pickup roller, and the feed roller at a position downstream of the pickup roller in a drawn out direction of the sheet, and configured to pivot about a first shaft rotatably supporting the feed roller;
• a retard roller to be made to contact or moved away from the feed roller;
• a second support member supporting the retard roller, and configured to pivot about a second shaft spaced from a shaft of the retard roller;
• a drive device that rotates the first shaft of the feed roller;
• a rotating member to be made to rotate about a shaft parallel to the first shaft, by a rotational driving force transmitted from the first shaft;
• a first cam and a second cam provided on the rotating member, and configured to rotate interlocked with the rotating member;
• a first follower provided on the first support member, and configured to make the first support member pivot about the first shaft, by making slide-contact with a circumferential surface of the first cam;
• and
• a second follower provided on the second support member, and configured to make the second support member pivot about the second shaft, by making slide-contact with a circumferential surface of the second cam,
• wherein, when the rotating member is set to a prespecified rotation angle, the first follower makes contact with a concave portion formed in the circumferential surface of the first cam, thereby retaining the first support member at a standby position, and the second follower makes contact with a concave portion formed in the circumferential surface of the second cam, thereby retaining the second support member at a standby position.