Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
• and
• a sheet feeding apparatus configured to feed a sheet to the image forming unit,
• wherein the sheet feeding apparatus includes:
• a stacking member on which a sheet is stacked,
• wherein the stacking member moves according to an amount of sheets stacked thereon;
• a first optical sensor including a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit;
• a detected member which can interrupt light in a light path of the first optical sensor, wherein the detected member moves from a first position in which light in the light path of the first optical sensor is not interrupted, then once interrupts light in the light path of the first optical sensor, and then moves to a second position in which light in the light path of the first optical sensor is not interrupted in this order as an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking member decreases according to movement of the stacking member;
• a storage unit configured to store information regarding that the detected member is in the first position or information regarding that the detected member is in the second position;
• and
• a control unit configured to transmit information regarding an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking member based on information stored in the storage unit,
• wherein, information stored in the storage unit is changed based on a detection result of the first optical sensor, and
• wherein, information regarding an amount of sheets transmitted by the control unit, in a case where information stored in the storage unit is information regarding that the detected member is in the second position, is information notifying that an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking member is less than that of information regarding an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking member transmitted by the control unit in a case where information stored in the storage unit is information regarding that the detected member is in the first position.

A method for a sheet feeding apparatus having a stacking member on which a sheet is stacked, wherein the stacking member moves according to an amount of sheets stacked thereon, a first optical sensor including a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, a detected member which can interrupt light in a light path of the first optical sensor, the method comprising:

• moving the detected member from a first position in which light in the light path of the first optical sensor is not interrupted, then once interrupts light in the light path of the first optical sensor, and then moves to a second position in which light in the light path of the first optical sensor is not interrupted in this order as an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking member decreases according to movement of the stacking member;
• storing information regarding that the detected member is in the first position or information regarding that the detected member is in the second position;
• and
• transmitting information regarding an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking member based on stored information,
• wherein, stored information is changed based on a detection result of the first optical sensor, and
• wherein, information regarding an amount of transmitted sheets, in a case where information stored is information regarding that the detected member is in the second position, is information notifying that an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking member is less than that of information regarding an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking member transmitted in a case where information stored is information regarding that the detected member is in the first position.