Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming system

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• supplying a sheet from a sheet stack in a sheet feed direction with a sheet supply member;
• nipping the sheet with a friction member in cooperation with the sheet supply member;
• supplying the sheet in the sheet feed direction to a convey member with said sheet supply member, a distance between the sheet supply member and the convey member being smaller than the sheet length;
• nipping the sheet with a nipping member in cooperation with said convey member;
• conveying the sheet with said convey member in the sheet feed direction until a leading end of the sheet reaches a first predetermined distance in the sheet feed direction from said convey member;
• conveying the sheet with said convey member in a direction opposite to the sheet feed direction by a second predetermined distance larger than the first predetermined distance, while the sheet is allowed to move between said sheet supply member and said friction member by slipping over said friction member without generating deformation with application of resistance by said sheet supply member and said sheet friction member;
• conveying the sheet with said sheet supply member and said convey member in the sheet feed direction so that skew-feed of the sheet is corrected;
• and
• forming an image onto the sheet conveyed by the convey means.

A sheet feeding apparatus, comprising:

• a support member for supporting a sheet stack;
• a sheet supply member for supplying a sheet from the sheet stack in a sheet feed direction;
• a friction member for nipping the sheet in cooperation with the sheet supply member;
• a convey member located remote from said sheet supply member in the sheet feed direction by a distance smaller than a length of the sheet, for conveying the sheet in the sheet feed direction and in a direction opposite to the sheet feed direction;
• and
• a control device for controlling said sheet supply member and said convey member to convey the sheet in the sheet feed direction until a leading end of the sheet reaches a first predetermined distance in the sheet feed direction from said convey member, thereafter to convey the sheet in the direction opposite to the sheet feed direction by a second predetermined distance larger than the first predetermined distance, while the sheet is allowed to move between said sheet supply member and said friction member by slipping over said friction member without generating deformation with application of resistance by said sheet supply member and said sheet friction member, and thereafter to convey the sheet in the direction so that skew-feed of the sheet is corrected.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a support member for supporting a sheet stack;
• a sheet supply member for supplying a sheet from the sheet stack in a sheet feed direction;
• a friction member for nipping the sheet in cooperation with the sheet supply member;
• a convey member located remote from said sheet supply member in the sheet feed direction by a distance smaller than a length of the sheet, for conveying the sheet in the sheet feed direction and in a direction opposite to the sheet feed direction;
• a control device for controlling said sheet supply member and said convey member to convey the sheet in the sheet feed direction until a leading end of the sheet reaches a first predetermined distance in the sheet feed direction from said convey member, thereafter to convey the sheet in the direction opposite to the sheet feed direction by a second predetermined distance larger than the first predetermined distance, while the sheet is allowed to move between said sheet supply member and said friction member by slipping over said friction member without generating deformation with application of resistance by said sheet supply member and said sheet friction member, and thereafter to convey the sheet in the sheet feed direction so that skew-feed of the sheet is corrected;
• and
• an image forming device for forming an image onto the sheet conveyed by said convey member.