Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet feeder

A sheet feeder of a friction pad separation type comprising:

• a feeder body;
• a rotary feed body disposed in contact with a first side of a recording medium in the feeder body and rotating and feeding the recording medium to a downstream side along a sheet conveying direction;
• a separation body disposed in contact with a second side of the recording medium and fixed to the feeder body while facing the rotary feed body,
• the separation body separating the recording medium with the rotary feed body;
• a holder having a rotary shaft at an end thereof and holding the separation body while being rotatably supported by the rotary shaft;
• and
• a leaf spring attached to the feeder body and having a flexible deforming part formed on one end thereof,
• the flexible deforming part contacting an area adjacent to the rotary shaft in an axial direction of the rotary shaft and a line of action of a pressing force of the flexible deforming part passing close by the rotary shaft.