Sheet feeding apparatus with a plurality of easily loaded cassettes

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means positioned in said sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• and
• a guide means movable between a first position intersecting the shifting direction of said first sheet accommodating means for guiding the sheet fed out by said second sheet supply means and a second position for allowing the shifting of said first sheet accommodating means.

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means positioned in the sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a first guide means provided integral with said first sheet accommodating means to intersect the shifting direction of said first sheet accommodating means, said first guide means for guiding the sheet fed out from said second sheet accommodating means;
• and
• a second guide means for guiding the sheet for said first guide means when said first sheet accommodating means is shifted in the predetermined direction.

A sheet feeding apparatus, comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means shiftable between a feed-out position for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means and retracted position for allowing the shift of said first sheet accommodating means in the predetermined direction;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating the sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• and
• a guide path provided integral with said first sheet accommodating means to intersect the shift direction thereof, said guide path for guiding the sheet fed out from said second sheet accommodating means.

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means positioned in the sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets therein;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• and
• a guide path provided apart from said first sheet accommodating means to intersect the shift direction of said first sheet accommodating means as said first sheet accommodating means is shifted from the sheet supply position in the predetermined direction, said guide path for guiding the sheet fed out from said second sheet accommodating means.

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means positioned in said sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a guide means movable between a first position intersecting the shifting direction of said first sheet accommodating means for guiding the sheet fed out by said second sheet supply means and a second position for not guiding the sheet;
• and
• a signal generating means for detecting the presence of said guide means in said second position and for emitting a signal indicating an unfeedable condition of said second sheet supply means, wherein said first sheet supply means is shiftable between a feed-out position where feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means and a retracted position where allowing the shift of said first sheet accommodating means to the predetermined position.

A sheet feeding apparatus, comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means positioned in said sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a guide path intersecting the shifting direction of said first sheet accommodating means and for guiding the sheet fed out by said second sheet supply means;
• and
• an inhibiting means for inhibiting the shifting of said first sheet accommodating means in response to the feeding out of a sheet from said second sheet supply means.

An image forming system, comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means position in said sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a guide path intersecting the shifting direction of said first sheet accommodating means and for guiding the sheet fed out by said second sheet supply means;
• an inhibiting means for inhibiting the shifting of said first sheet accommodating means in response to the feeding out of a sheet from said second sheet supply means;
• and
• an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet fed by one of said first sheet supply means and said second sheet supply means.

An image forming system, comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means positioned in said sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a guide means movable between a first position intersecting the shifting direction of said first sheet accommodating means for guiding the sheet fed out by said second sheet supply means and a second position where said guide means is allowing the shifting of said first sheet accommodating means;
• and
• an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet fed by one of said first sheet supply means and said second sheet supply means.

An image forming system, comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means positioned in the sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a first guide means provided integral with said first sheet accommodating means to intersect the shifting direction of said first sheet accommodating means, for guiding the sheet fed out from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a second guide means for guiding the sheet for said first guide means when said first sheet accommodating means is shifted in the predetermined direction;
• and
• an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet fed by said first sheet supply means or said second sheet supply means.

An image forming system, comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means shiftable between a feed-out position for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means and a retracted position for allowing the shift of said first sheet accommodating means in the predetermined direction;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating the sheets;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a guide path provided integral with said first sheet accommodating means to intersect the shift direction thereof, said guide path for guiding the sheet fed out from said second sheet accommodating means;
• and
• an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet fed by one of said first sheet supply means and said second sheet supply means.

An image forming system, comprising:

• a first sheet accommodating means shiftable in a predetermined direction from a sheet supply position for supplying a sheet;
• a first sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said first sheet accommodating means positioned in the sheet supply position;
• a second sheet accommodating means for accommodating sheets therein;
• a second sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet from said second sheet accommodating means;
• a guide path provided apart from said first sheet accommodating means to intersect the shift direction of said first sheet accommodating means, said guide path for guiding the sheet fed out from said second sheet accommodating means;
• and
• an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet fed by said first sheet supply means or said second sheet supply means.