Sheet feeding apparatus with suspended sheet carrying device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• sheet carrying means, suspended on both sides in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction by suspending means, for carrying sheets;
• winding means for winding the suspending means, thereby moving the sheet carrying means up and down;
• sheet reference means disposed at one end of the sheets carried on the sheet carrying means in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction for aligning the sheets;
• sheet feeding means for feeding out a topmost sheet of the sheets on the sheet carrying means along the sheet reference means;
• and
• image forming means for forming images on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding means in accordance with image information;
• wherein a connection position at an intersection of the suspending means and the sheet carrying means, at a position on a side of the sheet reference means, is located closer to a center of the sheets with respect to a position of a suspending original point of the suspending means located on the side of the sheet reference means and over the sheet carrying means, and
• another connection position at an intersection of the suspending means and the sheet carrying means, at a position on an opposite side of the sheet reference means, is located remote to the center of the sheets with respect to a position of another suspending original point of the suspending means located on an opposite side of the sheet reference means and over the sheet carrying means.

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a tray for carrying sheets;
• a plurality of wires suspending the tray by connecting at respective connection positions to the tray on both sides in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction;
• a winding device for moving the tray up and down by winding the wires;
• a plurality of pulleys located over the connection positions between the winding device and the tray, wherein the wires are wound around the pulleys connected between the tray and the winding device;
• a sheet reference member disposed at one end of the sheets carried on the tray in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction;
• and
• a sheet feeding roller for feeding out a topmost sheet of the sheets on the tray along the sheet reference member;
• wherein a connection position at an intersection of one of the wires and the tray is made offset, at a position on a side of a sheet reference established by the sheet reference member toward the center of the sheets with respect to a position of a respective one of the pulleys located on the side of the sheet reference member;
• and,
• another connection position at an intersection of one of the wires and the tray is made offset, at a position on a side opposite to the side of the sheet reference, away from the center of the sheets with respect to a position of another one of the pulleys located on the opposite side of the sheet reference member.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a tray for carrying sheets;
• a plurality of wires suspending the tray by connecting respective connection portions to the tray on both sides in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction;
• a winding device for moving the tray up and down by winding the wires;
• a plurality of pulleys located over the connection positions between the wires and the tray, wherein the wires are wound around the pulleys and connected to the winding device;
• a sheet reference member disposed at one end of the sheets carried on the tray in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction;
• sheet feeding roller for feeding out a topmost sheet of the sheets on the tray along the sheet reference member;
• and
• image forming means for forming an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding roller;
• wherein a connection position at an intersection of one of the wires and the tray is made offset, at a position on a side of the sheet reference member toward the center of the sheets with respect to a position of one of the pulleys located on the side of the sheet reference member and,
• another connection position at an intersection of another one of the wires and the tray is made offset, at a position on an opposite side of the sheet reference member, away from the center of the sheets with respect to a position of another one of the pulleys located on the opposite side of the sheet reference member.

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• sheet carrying means for carrying sheets;
• suspending means for suspending the sheet carrying means;
• winding means for winding the suspending means, thereby moving the sheet carrying means up and down;
• sheet reference means disposed at one end of the sheets carried on the sheet carrying means in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction for aligning the sheets;
• and
• sheet feeding means for feeding out a topmost sheet of the sheets on the sheet carrying means along the sheet reference means;
• wherein the suspending means moves the sheet carrying means in the direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction so that the edges of the sheets carried on the sheet carrying means are abutted against the sheet reference means when the sheet carrying means moves up by winding the suspending means by the winding means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• sheet carrying means for carrying sheets;
• suspending means for suspending the sheet carrying means;
• winding means for winding the suspending means, thereby moving the sheet carrying means up and down;
• sheet reference means disposed at one end of the sheets carried on the sheet carrying means in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction for aligning the sheet;
• sheet feeding means for feeding out a topmost sheet of the sheets on the sheet carrying means along the sheet reference means;
• and
• image forming means for forming an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding roller;
• wherein the suspending means moves the sheet carrying means in the direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction so that the edges of the sheets carried on the sheet means are abutted against the sheet reference means when the sheet carrying means moves up by winding the suspending means by the winding means.